Committee on Education and Workforce
More on Committee on Education and Workforce
July 28, 2015
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the bill. The REINS Act would create new obstacles to the promulgation of regulations designed to protect American workers' health and safety and to protect the environment.
It would jeopardize the economy by impeding regulations for financial services and throw sand in the gears of government efforts to address growing inequality and prevent discrimination.
Congress already has the right to disapprove any rule through the Congressional Review Act or through appropriations bills or other legislation. This bill would essentially impose a procedural chokehold by requiring that any major rule receive affirmative House and Senate approval within 70 legislative days.
July 8, 2015
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, more than 60 years ago, in Brown vs. Board of Education, the Supreme Court talked about the value of education when it said that, these days, it is doubtful that any child may reasonably be expected to succeed in life if denied the opportunity of an education. Such an opportunity where the State has undertaken to provide it is a right which must be made available to all on equal terms.
The fact is that equal educational opportunities were not and still are not always available in low-income areas, basically, for two reasons. First, we fund education through the real estate tax, virtually guaranteeing that wealthy areas will have more resources; and just with the give and take in politics, you know that low-income areas will generally get the short end of the stick.
June 25, 2015
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the top Democrats from the House Education and the Workforce, Energy and Commerce, Ways and Means committees issued the following statement regarding the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold a core tenet of the Affordable Care Act in King v. Burwell. Education and the Workforce Ranking Member Bobby Scott (D-VA), Energy and Commerce Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), and Ways and Means Ranking Member Sander Levin (D-MI) are the lead Democrats on the committees with jurisdiction over the Affordable Care Act:
“Today, the Supreme Court of the United States reaffirmed that the American people, no matter where they live in this country, still have the right to access quality, affordable health insurance. Legal experts had always considered the case attacking the Affordable Care Act to be legally frivolous.
June 18, 2015
WASHINGTON, D.C. — House Committee on Education and the Workforce Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA) issued the following statement on stand-alone legislation to grant the President Trade Promotion Authority, commonly known as Fast Track:
“As I did last week, I again opposed Trade Promotion Authority because it lacks sufficient safeguards to ensure that labor standards, environmental standards, and consumer protections are respected in partner countries and here at home. I remain concerned that the Trans-Pacific Partnership — the multi-nation trade deal currently being negotiated by the President and the impetus for today’s vote — is not the best course of action for our economy and America’s middle class.”
June 11, 2015
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) today announced the introduction of H.R. 2728, the Youth Justice Act of 2015. The legislation would reauthorize the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA) of 1974, which has not been reauthorized by Congress in over a decade. The bill reinforces federal safeguards for state juvenile justice systems, by renewing education, safety, and prevention standards for our nation’s youth. The legislation is based on S. 2999, a bipartisan bill that was introduced on December 11, 2014 by Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA).
June 5, 2015
WASHINGTON, D.C. — House Committee on Education and the Workforce Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA) released the following statement today after the release of the monthly jobs report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The BLS announced that during the month of May, 280,000 jobs were created – the strongest month this year. The private sector has now added 12.6 million jobs over 63 straight months of job growth, extending the longest streak on record.
May 18, 2015
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Committee on Education and the Workforce Committee Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA), issued the following statement on 50th Anniversary of the Head Start program, which has granted millions of children access to high quality preschool:
“Fifty years ago today, President Lyndon B. Johnson announced from the White House Rose Garden that enrollment would begin for an early childhood education program called “Project Head Start” as part of his Great Society and War on Poverty programs. For the last half century, Head Start has been more than just an education program. It has helped generations of disadvantaged families and young children break through class barriers in school and life through a holistic approach that includes high quality preschool and critical support services, including family engagement, health services and good nutrition.
May 18, 2015
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, 50 years ago today, President Lyndon B. Johnson announced from the White House Rose Garden that enrollment would begin for an early childhood education program called Project Head Start.
For the last half century, Head Start has been more than just an education program. It not only includes quality preschool but also critical support services, including family engagement, health services, and good nutrition. Studies have found that children in Head Start do better academically, have better behavior, and better health status than their peers.
May 8, 2015
WASHINGTON, D.C. – House Committee on Education and the Workforce Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA) released the following statement today after the release of the monthly jobs report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The BLS announced that during the month of April, 223,000 jobs were created and the unemployment rate dipped to 5.4 percent – the lowest since May 2008. To date, the economy has now had a record 62 consecutive months of private sector job growth.
“The jobs report released today proves that our job market is steadily growing and more Americans are being put back to work. By adding 223,000 jobs, we are successfully approaching our prerecession levels and we cannot afford to go back.