Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner along with U.S. Congressmen Rob Wittman (R-01), Bobby Scott (D-03), Gerry Connolly (D-11), and Don Beyer (D-08) reintroduced legislation to grant federal recognition to six Virginia Indian tribes. The bill, the Thomasina E. Jordan Indian Tribes of Virginia Federal Recognition Act of 2015, was introduced by Kaine and Wittman in the Senate and House, respectively. The bipartisan delegation introduced an earlier version of the bill in the 113th Congress, which was passed out of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee in April 2014. The legislation would grant federal recognition to the Chickahominy, the Eastern Chickahominy, the Upper Mattaponi, the Rappahannock, the Monacan, and the Nansemond tribes. These tribes have received official recognition from the Commonwealth of Virginia but have faced barriers preventing them from receiving federal recognition because of gaps in official records.

WASHINGTON, DC – Representatives Jared Polis (D-CO), Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA) and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) today introduced the Student Non-Discrimination Act (SNDA), which would help protect public school students from bullying, harassment, and discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Senator Al Franken (D-MN) will be introducing the companion bill in the Senate today. “Evidence shows that discrimination against LGBT students deprives them of equal educational opportunities by increasing their likelihood of skipping school, underperforming academically, and dropping out,” said Rep. Scott, ranking Democratic member on the House Education and the Workforce Committee. “School must be a place where all students feel welcome and safe to thrive.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement on the passing of longtime Hampton University Photographer Reuben Burrell: “I was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Reuben Burrell. For more than six decades, he served as Hampton University’s photographer where he affectionately became known as ‘One Shot Burrell.’ He skillfully documented the history of the university and the City of Hampton as it unfolded behind his camera lens.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Representative Thomas Massie (R-KY), and Representative Bobby Scott (D-VA) introduced the Justice Safety Valve Act (S. 353/H.R. 706) in the Senate and House of Representatives. The Justice Safety Valve Act would give federal judges the ability to impose sentences below mandatory minimums in appropriate cases based upon mitigating factors. “Mandatory minimum sentences have been studied extensively and have been found to distort rational sentencing systems, discriminate against minorities, waste money, and often require a judge to impose sentences that violate common sense,” stated Rep. Scott. “To add insult to injury, studies have shown that mandatory minimum sentences fail to reduce crime. Our bill will give discretion back to federal judges so that they can consider all the facts, issues, and circumstances before sentencing.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the National Head Start Association awarded Congressman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), ranking member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, with their Head Start PROMISE (PRotecting Opportunities for our Most Important Students Early) Award for his commitment to advance the needs of Head Start children and families. Rep. Scott with Virginia Head Start Teachers More than 300 Head Start teachers gathered in the nation’s capital this week to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Head Start program, one of the nation’s most important early childhood education programs. Stephanie Gaignard, PTA President for Laburnum Elementary School in Henrico, Virginia, presented Congressman Scott with the Head Start PROMISE Award.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner and U.S. Representatives Bob Goodlatte, Bobby Scott, Randy Forbes, Rob Wittman, Gerry Connolly, Morgan Griffith, Robert Hurt, Scott Rigell, Dave Brat, Don Beyer, and Barbara Comstock wrote a letter to Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel expressing their continued support for the 11 aircraft carrier fleet in advance of the release of the President’s Fiscal Year 2016 budget proposal. In 2014, the House and Senate Armed Services Committee secured full Fiscal Year 2015 funding for the refueling and overhaul of the USS George Washington (CVN-73). In making the case for maintaining the 11 aircraft carrier fleet beyond 2015, Virginia delegation members cited the ability of aircraft carriers to respond rapidly throughout the world to military and humanitarian crises.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement on the President’s State of the Union Address: “Thanks to the leadership of this President and the resilience of the American people, our economy has emerged from one of the worst economic recessions since the Great Depression. But, as the President mentioned tonight, even with a growing economy, far too many hardworking American families are still not feeling the benefits of this growth. Wages remain stagnant for most workers, yet continue to grow exponentially for the top one percent. Congress must heed the President’s call to refocus our efforts to enact policies that truly benefit the middle-class by expanding opportunity for all.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement on his vote against H.R. 3, the latest attempt by House Republicans to force an approval of the Keystone XL Pipeline: “Supporters of the Keystone XL Pipeline believe that construction of the pipeline will create jobs and move our nation closer to energy independence by reducing our reliance on foreign oil. However, these beliefs fail to recognize the current economic climate. Last year, the United States produced more oil domestically than was imported, and gas prices are, and are expected to remain, near lows not seen in years. Even if this were not the case, much of the tar sands oil that would run through this new pipeline would not be sold in the United States and would have no effect on domestic gas prices, but would instead pass through our nation for eventual sale on international markets.