Press Releases

WASHINGTON, DC – Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), Committee on Education and Labor, and Rep. Frank J. Mrvan (IN-01) introduced legislation to secure critical support for maritime workers who contract COVID-19. The Longshore and Harbor Workers’ COVID-19 Compensation Act of 2021 (H.R. 3114) makes longshore and harbor workers who are diagnosed with COVID-19 eligible for workers’ compensation by establishing a “conclusive presumption” that they contracted the virus at work. Hundreds of longshore and harbor workers across the country have contracted COVID-19 during the pandemic. The presumption in this legislation would apply retroactively to January 27, 2020, when the COVID-19 public health emergency was declared by the Department of Health Human Services.

WASHINGTON, DC – Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) released the following statement on International Nurses Day in remembrance of nurses who have died during the COVID-19 pandemic. “Today’s remembrance of nurses who have died from COVID-19 underscores the federal government’s failure to protect the professionals who have cared for us and our loved ones throughout the pandemic. More than 480,000 health care workers have contracted COVID-19 and more than 1,600 have tragically died, including more than 400 registered nurses.

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott, the Chairman of the Committee on Education and Labor, announced more than $147 million in emergency funding for colleges, universities, and students in Virginia’s 3rd Congressional District under the American Rescue Plan. The funding will help local institutions cope with the severe financial fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic and continue serving their students safely. At least half of the funding each institution receives will be distributed in the form of emergency cash assistance grants to students who are facing hunger, homelessness, and other hardship.

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Education and Labor Committee Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (D-VA), House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard E. Neal (D-NA), Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone Jr. (D-NJ), and Oversight and Reform Committee Chairwoman Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY) applauded the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) decision to reinstate nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ+ people and other marginalized communities, which the previous administration sought to undermine. The Chairs released the following statement: “We applaud the Biden administration’s decision to reinstate vital patient protections for LGBTQ+ people and other marginalized communities.

WASHINGTON, DC – Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) and Workforce Protections Subcommittee Chairwoman Alma Adams (NC-12) released the following statement after the Department of Labor announced it is withdrawing a Trump-era rule narrowing the Department’s interpretation of employee status under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The Trump rule would have made it easier for companies to misclassify their employees as independent contractors, depriving their workers of minimum wage and overtime protections under the FLSA. “The Trump administration’s independent contractor rule would have undermined the basic minimum wage and overtime protections that workers have relied upon for more than 80 years.

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Education and Labor Committee Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (D-VA), Rep. Susan Wild (PA-07), and Rep. Susie Lee (NV03) introduced the Direct Creation, Advancement, and Retention of Employment (CARE) Opportunity Act, legislation that invests more than $1 billion over five years in training and increasing opportunities for our nation’s direct care workers. The Direct CARE Opportunity Act aligns with a key piece of the American Jobs Plan, which calls for significant investments to meet the surging demand for home and community-based services

PORTSMOUTH, VA – Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03), the Chairman of the House Committee on Education and Labor, issued the following statement after visiting Tidewater Community College with President Joe Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden: “It was as honor to join President Biden and Dr. Biden today at Tidewater Community College (TCC). TCC is an example of the role that community colleges can have in expanding opportunities for our students and creating jobs in local economies. The American Families Plan would allow all Americans to attend community college tuition-free. This bold plan would give all Americans the opportunity the develop the skills they need to find good-paying jobs and rewarding careers.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after President Biden addressed a Joint Session of Congress: “Tonight, President Biden delivered an optimistic message and outlined a historic plan to build back a better economy. As chair of the Education and Labor Committee, I look forward to advancing legislation that improves our schools, creates millions of new jobs, protects the environment for future generations and strengthens support for families across the country.”