Committee on Education and Workforce
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January 10, 2018
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to S. 140.
As has been pointed out, buried in section 3 of this otherwise noncontroversial water and lands bill is the text of H.R. 986, the Tribal Labor Sovereignty Act. This nongermane provision would strip thousands of employees of their rights and protections under the National Labor Relations Act at Tribal enterprises located on Tribal lands.
At issue in the Tribal Labor Sovereignty Act are two solemn and deeply rooted principles:
First, the right that Indian Tribes possess in matters of local self-governance;
Second, the rights of workers to organize unions, bargain collectively, and engage in concerted activities for mutual aid and protection.
Rather than attempting to balance these two important principles, the bill chooses sovereignty for some over the human rights of others. I would note that the approximately 75 percent of workers employed at Tribal casinos are not members of the Tribes running the casino, but this bill would strip labor rights of hundreds of thousands of these workers as well as those who are actually members of the Tribes.
January 4, 2018
WASHINGTON – Education and the Workforce Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03), Ways and Means Ranking Member Richard Neal (MA-01), and Energy and Commerce Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) issued the following statement after the Department of Labor issued a proposed rule to rollback health coverage protections by expanding association health plans. “Today, the Administration took further steps to undermine the health and well-being of the American people."
December 20, 2017
WASHINGTON D.C. – Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the Department of Education (ED) announced a new process for assessing and awarding borrowers defense to repayment claims submitted by former students of the now-closed Corinthian Colleges. “Today’s action by the Department of Education will short-change thousands of students defrauded by the now-defunct Corinthian Colleges, Inc.
December 14, 2017
WASHINGTON D.C. – Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the U.S. Department of Education (Department) intends to seek a comment period for a delay of the Equity in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) rule, which addresses disproportionate identification, placement, and disciplinary treatment of students of color in special education. “I am deeply disappointed by the Department’s efforts to propose a delay of the rule that addresses widespread disparities in the treatment of students of color with disabilities.
December 11, 2017
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. I also want to thank her for her leadership in organizing this Special Order and for her leadership of the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Caucus.
HBCUs provide a great value to America, and I am honored to represent a congressional district that is home to two HBCUs: Hampton University, which celebrates its 150th anniversary next year, and Norfolk State University.
Since their inception, HBCUs have been the cornerstone of postsecondary education for the African-American community. This was true 150 years ago and remains true today. HBCUs account for no more than 3 percent of all colleges and universities, yet they enroll almost 10 percent of all African-American undergraduate students and produce about 15 percent of all bachelor's degrees earned by African Americans.
December 8, 2017
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that the economy added 228,000 jobs in November, with the unemployment rate at 4.1 percent.
“Today's jobs report shows that our economic recovery remains stable, but our work in Congress is far from over. The reality is too many working people and families are still struggling to make ends meet because of stagnant wages. This is particularly relevant as Congressional Republicans are attempting to push through a tax plan that will cost $1.5 trillion.
December 6, 2017
WASHINGTON, D.C. – TODAY, Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03), ranking member of the Committee on Education and the Workforce, along with Congressman Mark Takano (CA-41), ranking member of the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections, Congressman Gregorio Sablan (MP-AL), ranking member of the Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions, Congressman Mark DeSaulnier (CA-11), and Congressman Donald Norcross (NJ-01) introduced H.R. 4548, the Workplace Action for a Growing Economy Act of 2017, or the WAGE Act. “For too long, employers have used illegal tactics to fight back against union organizing drives – tactics like threatening workers and firing them for union activity,” said Congressman Scott (VA-03).
December 6, 2017
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Education and the Workforce Committee Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03), Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Richard Neal (MA-01), and Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone Jr. (NJ-06) sent a letter to Health and Human Services Acting Secretary Eric Hargan, Department of Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta, and Department of the Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to share their comments on the Interim Final Rules (IFRs) that allow employers and institutions of higher education to use their religious or moral beliefs to deny coverage of preventive services for women.
November 30, 2017
WASHINGTON D.C. – U.S. Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Patty Murray (D-WA), along with U.S. Reps. Bobby Scott (D-VA) and Mark Takano (D-CA), today introduced legislation to make at least four million American workers newly eligible for overtime pay when they work more than 40 hours a week, providing economic security to millions of working families.The Restoring Overtime Pay Act would increase the overtime salary level from $23,660 per year to $48,412 per year, making at least four million workers newly eligible for overtime pay.
November 30, 2017
WASHINGTON D.C. – TODAY, Bobby Scott (VA-03), ranking member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce was joined by Reps. G. K. Butterfield (NC-01) and Barbara Lee (CA-09) to release a Government Accountability Office report entitled, “Diversity in the Technology Sector: Federal Agencies Could Improve Oversight of Equal Employment Opportunity Requirements.” The report found that the environment and access to these opportunities have not improved in more than a decade, for women, Black and Hispanic workers, and that there remains a persistent lack of racial, ethnic, and gender diversity in the technology workforce.