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Press Releases

January 13, 2017
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement on his No vote on S. 84, a bill to provide for an exception to a limitation against appointment of persons as Secretary of Defense within seven years of relief from active duty as a regular commissioned officer of the Armed Forces. Specifically, the legislation would allow Ret. Gen. James Mattis to serve as Secretary of Defense if confirmed by the United States Senate. “General Mattis has a distinguished military record and is certainly qualified to serve as Secretary of Defense. However, I voted against the waiver to allow General Mattis to serve as Secretary of Defense if confirmed by the Senate for several reasons. “Civilian control of our military has been a fundamental principal of our constitutional republic. Unfortunately, President-elect Trump’s transition staff cancelled General Mattis’ testimony before the House Armed Services Committee.

January 6, 2017
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued the final rule updating the levels of permissible beryllium exposure to workers. The nearly 70-year-old old standard for workers exposed to beryllium has failed to protect workers from contracting chronic beryllium disease and cancer. “OSHA’s beryllium rule, which took 18 years to develop, reduces permissible exposure levels by 90 percent, and is estimated to prevent 900 premature deaths due to the ravages of chronic beryllium disease and cancer over the next 10 years,” said Ranking Member Scott. "I also applaud OSHA for listening to the pleas of shipyard workers and the Steelworkers Union at the Newport News Shipyard by expanding the rule to cover shipyards. The protective health standard was also supported by the Newport News Shipyard and Shipbuilders Council of America, demonstrating their concern for improved workplace safety."

January 6, 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 156,000 jobs in December, with the unemployment rate at 4.7 percent. “When President Obama took office eight years ago, 3.6 million jobs had already been lost due to the recession. Today’s December 2016 jobs report demonstrates that our economy is undoubtedly stronger, and since early 2010, the economy has added a total of 15.8 million private sector jobs. This progress is largely due to the actions taken by the Obama Administration to bring our economy out of recession. I commend the Obama Administration for all it has done to level the playing field for our nation’s working people and those struggling to find work.

December 28, 2016
NEWPORT NEWS, VA – On Monday, January 2, 2017, Congressman Bobby Scott will be closing his Richmond District Office due to redistricting. As a result of court-ordered redistricting, the boundaries of the Third Congressional District of Virginia have changed. Effective on January 3, 2017, Congressman Scott will no longer represent the following localities in the United States Congress: the cities of Petersburg and Richmond, and the counties of Charles City, Henrico, Prince George and Surry. At the start of his new term on January 3, 2017, Congressman Scott will represent the following localities in the new Third Congressional District: the county of Isle of Wight, all of the cities of Franklin, Newport News, Portsmouth and parts of Chesapeake, Hampton, Norfolk, and Suffolk.

December 9, 2016
WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Wednesday, December 7, 2016, Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03) received the “Restoring the Balance” award from the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), a bipartisan national organization committed to improving the quality and effectiveness of state legislatures. Congressman Scott, the Ranking Member of House Committee on Education and the Workforce, received the award in recognition of his leadership in negotiating and advocating for the passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), which reauthorized the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and replaced the No Child Left Behind Act.
Issues:Education

December 8, 2016
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement on his No vote on H.R. 2028, the Further Continuing and Security Assistance Appropriations Act, 2017: “I am disappointed that House and Senate Republicans could not advance a more responsible bill to fund the federal government. Continuing Resolutions are inherently bad policy and hinder the work of the federal government. Considering the uncertainty that surrounds the incoming administration, I think it is more responsible for this Congress to enact a yearlong omnibus appropriations bill for the remainder of fiscal year 2017.

December 7, 2016
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Ranking Members Bobby Scott (D-VA), Sandy Levin (D-MI), and Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) of the House Committees on Education and the Workforce, Ways and Means, and Energy and Commerce respectively, made the following joint statement after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia issued an order to delay the consideration of House v. Burwell: “This decision to delay the consideration of House v. Burwell until after Inauguration Day puts millions of Americans at risk of losing their health insurance coverage next year. Republicans have relentlessly attempted to repeal and undermine the Affordable Care Act since the law was enacted. If the incoming Trump Administration decides not to defend the legality of the ACA’s cost-sharing subsidies in court, the lower court ruling stands; and we would see the undermining of the insurance market as a whole – both the coverage of those American families who rely on the financial assistance, as well as those who purchase coverage on their own.

December 2, 2016
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03) delivered the following remarks on the House floor in support of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2017. Congressman Scott, as Ranking Member of the Committee on Education and the Workforce, was appointed to the conference committee in July and successfully advocated for the removal of several harmful workplace provisions that were eliminated from the final bill text. “Mr. Speaker, I rise to support the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017. “I have the honor of representing Hampton Roads, Virginia, the heart of our nation’s shipbuilding industrial base. So I want to underscore my support for the shipbuilding and ship maintenance provisions in the bill, including the language urging the Secretary of the Navy to speed up the procurement schedule for aircraft carriers to ensure that our carrier fleet is not again reduced to 10 carriers. These provisions will not only significantly benefit my region, but will be critical to our nation’s security.

December 2, 2016
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Representatives Bobby Scott (VA-03), Randy Forbes (VA-04), Rob Wittman (VA-01) and Scott Rigell (VA-02) issued the following joint statement applauding today’s announcement by the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) that it has awarded a $95.6 million contract to W.M. Jordan Co. of Newport News to construct the Measurement Systems Laboratory (MSL) at NASA Langley Research Center: “Today’s announcement by the General Services Administration is great news for NASA Langley and science research in Hampton Roads,” said Rep.Scott. “This project, part of NASA Langley’s 20-year revitalization plan, will expand NASA Langley’s research capabilities while saving millions of dollars in annual maintenance. As NASA Langley celebrates its 100th Anniversary next year, we look forward to continuing to work with NASA, the Virginia aerospace community, and our colleagues in Congress to ensure that NASA Langley is able to continue to implement its 20-year plan and remains an integral part of accomplishing NASA’s missions.”

December 2, 2016
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Bobby Scott will hold a health care town hall in Newport News on Monday, December 12, 2016 at 6:30 p.m. Congressman Scott will be joined by a representative from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and Ashley Richard and Jamila Allen, both Navigators at ENROLL Virginia!, a nonpartisan, community-based organization dedicated to assisting Virginians with enrolling in health insurance offered by the Affordable Care Act Marketplace.
Issues:Health Care