Press Releases

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) expressed deep concern to Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Chair Janet Dhillon regarding the plan to limit the EEOC attorneys’ authority. Under this proposal, all lawsuits must first be subject to a Commission vote before they can be filed, which could significantly delay and hinder the enforcement of civil rights laws. The Commission attempted the vote in July 2019, but it was ultimately withdrawn. “This change will significantly delay the administration of justice. Additionally, taking litigation filing authority away from attorneys familiar with the cases is likely to lead to decisions being made based more on a political agenda rather than the merits of any case,” wrote Chairman Scott.

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the Departments of Education, Labor, and Health and Human Services – along with several other agencies – finalized a sweeping set of rules that would allow broad religious discrimination against employees, beneficiaries, and students in federally funded programs. “The finalization of eight department rules to undermine the rights of employees and beneficiaries of federally funded programs underscores this administration’s fundamental misunderstanding of ‘religious liberty.’

NEWPORT NEWS, VA – Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement on the passing of former Delegate Mamye E. BaCote: “I was saddened to learn of the passing of my friend, former Delegate Mamye E. BaCote. She devoted her life to service to our community and the betterment of our society. As a student at Virginia Union University, she helped stage a sit in at an all-white lunchroom to bring attention to the injustices and inequity of segregation. After college, she helped shape young minds as a teacher with Newport News Public Schools and later as an adjunct professor at Hampton University.

WASHINGTON, DC – Key House and Senate Committee leaders announced a bipartisan agreement on legislation to protect patients from surprise medical bills and establish a fair framework to resolve payment disputes between health care providers and health insurance companies. The deal was agreed to by House Education and Labor Committee Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA) and Ranking Member Virginia Foxx (R-NC), House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and Ranking Member Greg Walden (R-OR), House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard E. Neal (D-MA) and Ranking Member Kevin Brady (R-TX), and Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WA).

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement to commemorate the 5th anniversary of the passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). “Five years ago, we came together to pass the Every Students Succeeds Act (ESSA) with the intent of bringing our country one step closer to achieving equity in education – the promise enshrined in the Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Brown v. Board of Education.

WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Bobby Scott, the chairman of the House Committee on Education and Labor, issued the following statement after the House of Representatives agreed to the Conference Report to accompany H.R. 6395, the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2021. Congressman Scott served as a conferee for the education and labor provisions contained in the House and Senate version of the FY 2021 NDAA. “I was proud to vote for this year’s National Defense Authorization Act. Our military assets and shipbuilding industrial base are vital to the economy of Hampton Roads. The conference report provides for a well-deserved three percent pay increase for our servicemembers. It also includes several important provisions that will directly support shipbuilding and ship maintenance in Hampton Roads. These provisions include funding for the Navy to procure one Columbia-class submarine and two Virginia-class submarines, and requiring advanced procurement to maintain the two per year build rate for the Virginia-class program. The FY21 NDAA also specifically prohibits the retirement of an aircraft carrier before its mid-life refueling.

WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement on passage in the House of Representatives of S. 1811, the Water Resources Development Act of 2020: “I am pleased that the Norfolk Coastal Storm Risk Management project has been authorized in this year’s bipartisan Water Resources Development Act. This is a project that I have been fighting for over the last several years. The City of Norfolk is at a high risk for flooding due to high tides, nor’easters and hurricanes, and this risk has only been exacerbated by rising sea levels and land subsidence. Norfolk and other communities in Hampton Roads have risen to the challenge and invested in our community to ensure that we can continue to live with the water that surrounds us and supports our region. Norfolk is home to the Port of Virginia and the world’s largest naval base and protecting the city from recurrent flooding is extraordinarily important both for our national security and the Commonwealth’s economy.

WASHINGTON, DC – Committee on Education and Labor Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after President-elect Biden nominated California Attorney General Xavier Becerra to lead the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). “I applaud President-elect Biden’s nomination of California Attorney General Xavier Becerra to be the next Secretary of Health and Human Services. Becerra has an extensive career from serving in the California General Assembly, the U.S. House of Representatives – including as a Member of the Education and Labor Committee – and, most recently, fighting on behalf of Californians as the attorney general.