Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03), a Vice Chair of the House Democratic Gun Violence Prevention Task Force and Chairman of the House Committee on Education and Labor, issued the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 7910, the Protecting Our Kids Act by a vote of 223-204: “Like everyone across the country, I am devasted by the gun violence in Buffalo and Uvalde, and the routine gun violence that plagues our communities every single day. For years, we have failed to take meaningful action to stop this violence.

WASHINGTON, DC – Education and Labor Committee Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) delivered the following remarks during today’s floor debate on passage of the Improving Access to Workers’ Compensation for Injured Federal Workers Act (H.R. 6087). “Madam Speaker, more than 2 million federal employees provide key services to the public.  In fact, during the height of the pandemic, federal workers were critical to delivering vaccines, personal protective equipment, and other COVID-19 relief to the American people. So, it stands to reason that, when federal workers get sick or injured on the job, we are obligated to provide them—and their families—with the resources and medical care they need.

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the Biden-Harris Administration announced it will deliver $5.8 billion in debt relief to roughly 560,000 student borrowers, clearing borrower defense claims for those who attended the now defunct Corinthian Colleges, Inc. dating back to 1995. Today’s actions build on efforts to restore access to debt relief for students who were defrauded by predatory colleges. To date, the administration has approved $25 billion in loan forgiveness for more than 1.3 million borrowers. “I applaud Biden-Harris Administration for finally clearing a cloud of uncertainty for defrauded student borrowers who attended the now defunct Corinthian Colleges, Inc. Hundreds of thousands of students were promised that a Corinthian degree would lead to a meaningful career.

NEWPORT NEWS, VA – Today, President Biden signed an historic executive order (EO) to advance effective, accountable policing and criminal justice practices that will improve public trust and strengthen public safety as the nation marks the second anniversary of the murder of George Floyd. “Americans from all walks of life took to the streets after the senseless murder of George Floyd to protest police brutality and demand accountability, transparency, and reform to our justice system,” said Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03). “That is why I was very grateful to see President Biden mark this solemn anniversary of Mr. Floyd’s murder with action. The President’s executive order seeks to improve public trust between communities and law enforcement with enhanced transparency and accountability measures. An important part of achieving this goal is comprehensive data collection of use of force and deaths in custody.

NEWPORT NEWS, VA – Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03), the Chairman of the House Committee on Education and Labor, issued the following statement in response to the shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas: “My heart is broken for the entire Uvalde community. Parents send their children to school with the basic expectation that they will come home safe at the end of the day. The Uvalde community sadly joins an unfortunately long list of other communities across our country to face such unspeakable atrocities — and less than two weeks since the horrific mass shooting in Buffalo. Yet not one new federal law has been enacted in response to any of those tragedies in order to prevent another.

VIRGINIA BEACH, VA – Reps. Bobby Scott (VA-03) and Elaine Luria (VA-02) sent a letter to Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro and Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Admiral Michael Gilday urging the Navy to expand mental health services and use Defense Community Infrastructure Program (DCIP) funds to immediately improve the quality of life for sailors assigned to USS George Washington. “There is an urgent need for the Navy to engage with the local community and shipyard to explore opportunities to improve quality of life for sailors. This must include additional off ship accommodations, increased mental health services, and improved parking.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 7688, the Consumer Fuel Price Gouging Prevention Act: “America’s working families were already getting squeezed at the gas pump by the lingering global effects of the pandemic, and prices have continued to rise significantly as a result of Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. While there was a momentary dip in the price of oil several weeks ago, the price at the pump never decreased. At the same time, we have seen Big Oil companies take advantage of these dual crises as they have posted record profits and initiated unnecessary stock buyback programs. To make matters worse, oil companies are keeping production low.

WASHINGTON, DC – Education and Labor Committee Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) delivered the following remarks during today’s floor debate on passing H.R. 7791, the Access to Baby Formula Act. “Madam Speaker, across the country, the ongoing shortage of formula is disproportionately hurting women and children who rely on the benefits through the WIC program, leaving them with few options to purchase safe formula for their infants. That is because about half of the infants in America participate in the WIC program. In times of crisis, one of our core responsibilities as lawmakers is to ensure that families in need can continue to feed their children and keep them healthy. While I'm encouraged that the Biden administration and Abbott Nutrition have reached an agreement to restart formula production following the company's recall, the immediate consequences facing our children require additional action.