Committee on Education and Workforce
More on Committee on Education and Workforce
May 23, 2017
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1808, the Improving Support for Missing and Exploited Children Act. This bill will strengthen recovery and prevention efforts of missing and exploited children by renewing and updating support for the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, or NCMEC.
The terror experienced by parents of a missing child is unfathomable. Both the child and the parents experience pain, trauma, fear, and uncertainty. This is why affected families need the full support of law enforcement, schools, businesses, and other entities that may be able to assist in locating and recovering missing or exploited children.
May 23, 2017
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 1809, the Juvenile Justice Reform Act of 2017 by voice vote. Introduced by Ranking Member Bobby Scott (D-VA) and Rep. Jason Lewis (R-MN) the bipartisan legislation reauthorizes and reforms the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA) to help state and local leaders better serve juvenile offenders and at-risk youth.
“Today’s bipartisan work in the House brings us one step closer to dismantling the school-to-prison pipeline,” said Ranking Member Scott. “H.R. 1809, the Juvenile Justice Reform Act, includes necessary improvements to federal juvenile crime policy that are firmly grounded in evidence. The bill strengthens the basic protections for children in the juvenile systems in all states. It also ensures public dollars are invested in a continuum of evidence-based initiatives, and alternatives to incarceration and secure detention. We know this strategy produces positive results for at-risk youth that lead to reduced crime and long-term savings. This policy is based on the Youth PROMISE Act, legislation I first introduced in 2007, and I’m glad that we are able to pass the core parts of the Youth PROMISE Act today.”
May 11, 2017
NEWPORT NEWS, VA – On Friday, May 12, 2017, Congressman Bobby Scott will tour the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia in Norfolk, Virginia. During the tour, Congressman Scott will view the weekly food distribution for programs such as Helping Hands. Congressman Scott will also meet with staff to discuss the importance of child nutrition programs, including after-school meal programs. For millions of students, after-school and weekend meal programs fill the hunger gap that may exist for low-income students and these programs are essential to their healthy growth and development.
May 8, 2017
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after President Trump suggested financing for Historically Black Colleges and Universities may be unconstitutional:
“The President issued a signing statement calling into question the constitutional status of federally-designated Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and the programs that serve them. While he has since issued another statement attempting to clarify his support for HBCUs, there has been no revision to clarify that HBCUs are in fact constitutional. HBCUs are on a solid legal footing, as the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) spelled out in their response to the President attached here. I hope the President revises his statement and leaves no doubt that he believes that HBCUs are constitutional.”
May 5, 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 a total of 211,000 jobs in April, with the unemployment rate at 4.4 percent.
“Today’s jobs report shows that President Trump continues to inherit a growing economy from President Obama. Unfortunately, President Trump's plans to significantly cut programs that support our nation's long-term economic prosperity will only jeopardize the economic gains we have made after the 2008 recession. And Republican efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act and replace it with a plan that will cause 24 million Americans to lose their health insurance will only exacerbate the economic harm that will be inflicted on working families.
May 4, 2017
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Committee on Education and the Workforce Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) and Committee on the Judiciary Ranking Member John Conyers (MI-13) issued the following statement after President Trump signed an executive order on the National Day of Prayer, that allegedly promotes “religious liberty”:
“Religious liberty is a fundamental American value. However, the executive order signed today by the Trump Administration would permit individuals to use their 'conscience-based objections' to override civil rights protections. The principle that individuals can use their 'conscience-based objections' to undermine generally applicable civil rights laws sets a dangerous precedent.
May 4, 2017
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume, and I remind my colleague that her vote for this bill could increase premiums for people with breast cancer in Tennessee by over $38,000.
Mr. Speaker, let's begin with a few facts:
Since the passage of the Affordable Care Act, costs have gone up at the lowest rate in 50 years;
Those with preexisting conditions get insurance at the standard rate;
Instead of millions of people losing their insurance every year, 20 million more people have insurance;
Personal bankruptcies are down 50 percent.
May 3, 2017
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the passage (309-118) of fiscal year 2017 omnibus legislation, H.R. 244 – Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017:
“Budgeting requires making tough choices, and a budget is a reflection of priorities. Today’s spending agreement prevents the government from shutting down and limits harmful efforts to balance the budget on the backs of students, working families, and vulnerable communities across the nation. As legislators, we decide what our priorities are and how to best invest in our country. The spending agreement funds vital programs at the Department of Education, Health and Human Services, Department of Labor, Agriculture, and independent agencies, which support education, job training, and workplace safety and protections.
May 2, 2017
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 3 minutes.
Mr. Speaker, under current law, if an employee wants to work overtime, put the money in the bank where it can earn interest, and use it to cover the cost of taking some time off later with the permission of the employer, he can do that today without this bill.
But under H.R. 1180, instead of getting paid for overtime work in the next scheduled paycheck, the employee might not get paid until as much as a year later, when his employer decides to let him take that comp time.
This legislation simply weakens the protections available in the Fair Labor Standards Act--the original family-friendly workplace law--at the very moment that we really ought to be strengthening the law.
April 5, 2017
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1304, the Self-Insurance Protection Act, purports to protect stop-loss insurers from being regulated at the Federal level. It appears that we are considering a bill that is a solution in search of a problem.
I am not opposed to stop-loss insurance or the purpose of stop-loss insurance. It can be helpful in shielding employers from unforeseen risks in many instances when they choose to self-insure and want to protect themselves from unexpected and unusually high expenses.
Now, while many self-funded plans, in conjunction with the purchased stop-loss, look like a traditional fully insured plan, stop-loss coverage itself is not regulated at the Federal level. There is no indication or suggestion that the administration would seek to regulate stop-loss insurance, so the bill prohibits Federal regulation of stop-loss insurance.