Press Releases 2021
April 6, 2021
NEWPORT NEWS, VA – Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement on the passing of Congressman Alcee Hastings (FL-20). I was deeply saddened to hear news of the passing of my friend and colleague Congressman Alcee Hastings. We entered Congress the same year and he was one of Congress’ most steadfast advocates for civil and human rights, working families, and the most vulnerable in our society. He bravely battled pancreatic cancer the last year and a half but remained a powerful voice for his constituents and the state of Florida. I send my sincerest condolences to his family, friends, staff, and loved ones.”
April 6, 2021
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressional leaders sent a letter asking Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra to establish a Special Enrollment Period that will allow unemployed workers to maintain access to affordable coverage after the expiration of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021’s (ARPA) COBRA subsidies—which will make it easier for workers to stay covered after losing a job. According to independent estimates, millions of Americans will access insurance through COBRA over the next six months.
April 6, 2021
WASHINGTON, DC – Yesterday, Representative Bobby Scott (VA-03), chairman of the Committee on Education and Labor, and Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05), ranking member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, introduced the Transformation to Competitive Integrated Employment Act (H.R. 2373) to provide states and employers with the resources to transition workers with disabilities into fully integrated and competitive jobs while phasing out the subminimum wage for individuals with disabilities. Under Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act, employers can apply for special certificates from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) to pay individuals with disabilities less than the federal minimum wage.
April 5, 2021
WASHINGTON, DC - Today, Reps. Marc Veasey (TX-33) Terri Sewell (AL-07) and Bobby Scott (VA-03), co-founders and co-chairs of the Congressional Voting Rights Caucus (CVRC), released the following statement condemning the recent spate of voter suppression laws designed to undermine communities of color of their right to the ballot box: “A record number of Americans turned out to make their voices heard at the ballot box during the 2020 elections. Instead of building on the success of these elections, states and politicians across the country are trying to pass Jim Crow-style voter suppression laws.
Issues:Civil RightsVoting Rights
April 2, 2021
NEWPORT NEWS, VA – An Artistic Discovery is a nation-wide high school art competition sponsored by Members of the U.S. House of Representatives and is an opportunity to recognize the artistic talents of our youth. The nationwide competition involves more than 50,000 talented high school students. Acceptable entries include, but are not limited to, paintings, drawings, and photography. The first-place winners will travel to Washington, D.C. to attend a Congressional Reception in July to honor of all the winners from around the nation, depending on CDC guidelines.
March 31, 2021
WASHINGTON, DC – Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after President Biden released his American Jobs Plan. “President Biden’s American Jobs Plan outlines a bold vision for creating millions of good-paying jobs and protecting the health and well-being of our children, workers, and communities. The Biden Plan will get struggling Americans back to work by making unprecedented and long-overdue investments in programs that are proven to help workers develop in-demand skills that prepare them for rewarding careers.
March 30, 2021
WASHINGTON, DC – Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the Department of Education announced it will pause collections and interest accrual on commercially-held student loans under the Family Federal Education Loan Program (c-FFEL) for borrowers who are in default. “Today, the Biden administration took another step to expand relief for struggling student loan borrowers amid the COVID-19 pandemic. While Congress previously paused interest accrual and collections for distressed borrowers with federally held loans, these provisions did not cover borrowers with commercially-held loans under the Family Federal Education Loan Program (c-FFEL).
March 26, 2021
WASHINGTON, DC — Today, at the start of National Farmworkers Week (March 25-31), Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) joined Reps. Judy Chu (CA-27), Raúl M. Grijalva (AZ-03) and Alma Adams (NC-12) to introduce legislation to ensure the safety and health of workers who are exposed to dangerous heat conditions in the workplace. The Asunción Valdivia Heat Illness and Fatality Prevention Act is named in honor of Asunción Valdivia who died in 2004 after picking grapes for ten hours straight in 105-degree temperatures.
March 25, 2021
NEWPORT NEWS, VA –Earlier today, Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03) applauded the Biden-Harris Administration for announcing a series of actions to expand access to COVID-19 vaccines to the hardest-hit and highest-risk communities across the country. With funding from the American Rescue Plan, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will invest almost $7.5 million to community health centers in Hampton Roads. As chair of the House Education and Labor Committee, Congressman Scott was critical in the drafting and passage of the American Rescue Plan.
March 25, 2021
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Rep. Mark Takano (D-CA), Rep. Alma Adams (D-NC), Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA), and Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH), sent a letter to Secretary Marty Walsh urging the Department of Labor to take strong action to restore overtime pay protections for millions of workers. In the letter they state, “In 2016, the Obama Administration’s DOL finalized a rule (Obama Rule) that would have increased the salary threshold to the 40th percentile of earnings of full-time, salaried workers in the lowest wage Census Region, a rate equaling $47,476 in 2016. This threshold represented a conservative salary threshold. Historically, the salary threshold has ranged from the 35th to 55th percentile of weekly earnings for full-time, salaried workers nationwide.