Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, Congressman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) met with William Sabol, Ph.D., Director of the Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), on the measures that BJS is taking to implement the reauthorization of the Death in Custody Reporting Act, which was signed into law by President Obama on December 18, 2014. The Death in Custody Reporting Act requires federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to report deaths of individuals that occur in their custody or during the course of an arrest. It is the only post-Ferguson federal legislation to be enacted by Congress to date. Congressman Scott issued the following statement in response to yesterday’s briefing with Director Sabol and other officials from the Department of Justice:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement on his No vote on H.R. 1105, the “Death Tax Repeal Act of 2015”: “Budgeting responsibly often requires making tough choices but that is not what the Republican Majority has done today. Current law exempts $5.4 million in assets for individuals and $10.9 million in assets for couples from the federal estate tax. As if the current law wasn’t generous enough, the Republican Majority has made the choice to repeal the estate tax entirely and add $269 billion to the deficit over the next decade in order to give 0.2% of the wealthiest deceased Americans a tax break.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – House Education and the Workforce Committee Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA) released the following statement today on the passage of the Every Child Achieves Act by the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: “Today's unanimous passage of the Every Child Achieves Act by the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions should serve as an example of bipartisanship for the House of Representatives to follow. While today represents another step in a long deliberative process to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, a bill worthy of the President's signature will only be achieved when both Democrats and Republicans in both chambers are engaged in finding a bipartisan solution to the real challenges that students, families, teachers, and communities face across this country.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – House Education and the Workforce Committee Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) released the following statement today after Senators Lamar Alexander and Patty Murray released details on their agreement on the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act “I commend Senators Alexander and Murray for their efforts to bring forward a bipartisan Elementary and Secondary Education reauthorization bill in the Senate. While we recognize this as an important step in the process, there is still work to do to ensure that the needs of our most vulnerable students are met. Students, teachers, parents, and communities deserve a bill that fulfills ESEA’s original civil rights promise – ensuring that all students, regardless of where they live – have access to high quality public education that prepares them for college and the workplace.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) applauded the release of a new Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center brief analyzing data from states that have employed a Justice Reinvestment approach. The brief, “Examining the Changing Racial Composition of Three States’ Prison Populations,” examined data from Georgia, Connecticut, and North Carolina and found subsequent drops in prison admissions and prison populations, which were especially pronounced among minority populations. The Justice Reinvestment Initiative provides federal grants to allow states to conduct comprehensive, data-driven analyses of their criminal justice systems and adopt smart, evidence-based policies designed to reduce corrections spending and increase public safety.

NEWPORT NEWS, VA – Congressman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott will join Celebrate Healthcare and other community leaders tomorrow at the Peninsula Soul Food Restaurant in Hampton, Virginia to celebrate the 5th anniversary of President Obama signing the Affordable Care Act into law. Since the enactment of the Affordable Care Act, approximately 16.4 million uninsured individuals have received coverage since the law’s provisions took effect in 2010. As of the end of the second open enrollment period, nearly 11.7 million individuals have selected a Marketplace plan or were reenrolled in coverage for 2015. And since 2010, about 5.7 million young adults have gained coverage as a direct result of the Affordable Care Act. Congressman Scott will discuss these and the many other successes of the Affordable Care Act tomorrow in Hampton.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-N.J.), U.S. Congresswoman Katherine Clark (D-Mass.), and U.S. Congressman Danny K. Davis (D-Ill.) were joined by original cosponsors U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and U.S. Congressman Bobby Scott (D-Va.) in introducing the Supportive School Climate Act of 2015, legislation that would address the so-called school-to-prison pipeline by reducing suspensions, expulsions, and other overly harsh school disciplinary actions to improve youth outcomes. The bill would give every student – especially those who face abuse, neglect, or other forms of trauma – ample opportunity to form positive and trusting relationships with adults in a school environment that is supportive of their complex needs, and would encourage the use of evidence-based strategies that promote positive behavior.

NEWPORT NEWS, VA – Congressman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott issued the following statement on the passing of former Virginia Beach Mayor Meyera Oberndorf: “I was saddened to learn of the passing of Meyera Oberndorf. She served the City of Virginia for the better part of three decades, including 20 years as its Mayor. During her tenure, she was an extremely effective advocate and unifying force for the city. I will greatly miss her friendship and her counsel on issues impacting the Hampton Roads region. My thoughts and prayers are with the Oberndorf family, the citizens of Virginia Beach, and her many longtime friends and supporters.”