Committee on Education and Workforce
More on Committee on Education and Workforce
November 30, 2015
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentlewoman from Illinois and the gentleman from New Jersey for organizing this Special Order tonight. It takes a lot of work and a lot of time to organize these efforts, and I want to thank them both for the time and effort that they have put into this.
We have heard a lot about what the Congressional Black Caucus has done over the years. There are two areas that I have been personally involved in with the CBC effort in the areas of education and criminal justice reform. On both we have worked hard and achieved bipartisan support.
November 17, 2015
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the Tribal Labor Sovereignty Act of 2015, legislation that would strip employees of protections afforded under the National Labor Relations Act at any enterprise owned by an Indian tribe and located on Indian lands.
At issue are two solemn and deeply-rooted principles: one, the right of Indian tribes to possess as distinct independent political communities retaining their original rights in matters of local self-government; and, two, the rights of workers to organize, bargain collectively, and engage in concerted activities for their mutual aid and protection.
November 6, 2015
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, issued the following statement today celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Higher Education Act, which was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson on November 8, 1965:
“Fifty years ago, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Higher Education Act (HEA) into law. HEA was a key component of the ‘Great Society’, and its goal was and is to provide a pathway to the middle class for millions of families around the country by making college affordable and accessible to everyone, not just the elite.
“As President Johnson said as he signed HEA into law, ‘[This] means that a high school senior, anywhere in this great land of ours, can apply to any college or any university in any of the 50 states and not be turned away because his family is poor.’
November 4, 2015
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the King amendment.
This amendment would prohibit the application and payment of prevailing wages provided under the Davis-Bacon Act for funds expended on construction projects in this bill.
Davis-Bacon sets wage and benefit standards for federally assisted construction projects to ensure that contractors compete on the quality of their work, not by undercutting wage levels in local communities. Negating the application of wage laws, as the King amendment proposes to do, often leads to shoddy construction and substantial cost overruns.
October 28, 2015
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the Congressional Progressive caucus for holding this Special Order on the Working Families Agenda.
Since the Republicans took over the House in January 2011, they have held hearing after hearing to make it harder for workers to form a union, they have attempted over 60 times to repeal the Affordable Care Act, they have been giving tax cuts to the wealthy, and all that time they have been wasting millions of dollars on the Benghazi Committee.
Enough is enough. The American people deserve better.
October 27, 2015
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to H.R. 1090, the so-called Retail Investor Protection Act.
This bill puts an effective end to the Department of Labor's responsible effort to modernize a fiduciary standard under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, or ERISA, that was implemented 40 years ago.
As we all know, our country's retirement savings landscape has changed significantly since that time. Forty years ago, the majority of retirement assets were held in defined benefit plans and managed by professionals. Forty years ago, employer-based 401(k) plans did not exist and IRAs had just been established.
October 23, 2015
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, today, the House will take yet another vote on the Affordable Care Act. More specifically today, we will vote on whether or not we want to support a budget reconciliation process that will seek to take away health insurance from millions of Americans--but this isn't a new exercise.
In the past 5 years, the House has voted about 60 times to repeal or to undermine the law. There have been multiple lawsuits filed, and countless attacks have been mounted--all with the same goal of turning the clock backwards on the progress we have made.
October 2, 2015
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan announced that he will be stepping down from his post in December.
“Just this morning, I joined Secretary Duncan at an area elementary school to announce a $237 million federal investment in high quality, early learning for three and four-year-olds in 18 states. This work is at the heart of why Arne has made an outstanding public servant and Education Secretary – his focus on evidence-based solutions to our country’s most pressing education challenges. As secretary, Arne has prioritized K-12 education, pushed for a renewed ESEA that is worthy of the President’s signature, found new ways to make college more affordable and campuses safer, advocated for more fair and balanced school discipline policies, and has focused on ways to dismantle the school-to-prison pipeline. I’ve been happy to count him as a partner in this work, as I introduced the Youth P.R.O.M.I.S.E. Act and the Youth Justice Act earlier this year.
September 25, 2015
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after Speaker John Boehner announced that he is resigning from Congress at the end of October:
“I commend Speaker Boehner for his leadership and service to our country. During his chairmanship of the Committee on Education and the Workforce, Speaker Boehner proved that by coming together in a bipartisan way, we can find solutions to the nation’s most pressing issues. I’m hopeful that the Speaker’s announcement today and the resulting dynamics within the Majority do not impede the Committee’s ability to continue his legacy.”
September 16, 2015
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA) and U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) introduced the Workplace Action for a Growing Economy (WAGE) Act, legislation to strengthen protections for workers who want to raise wages and improve workplace conditions. The WAGE Act would amend the National Labor Relations Act to help ensure workers are able to have a voice in the workplace and would crack down on employers who break the law when workers exercise their basic right to collective action. In a press conference announcing the legislation, Scott and Murray were joined by AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka and Ross Eisenbrey, Vice President of the Economic Policy Institute.