Press Releases

WASHINGTON — Today, Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), House Committee on Education and Workforce, joined by 20 Democratic Ranking Members of House Committees, wrote to Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director – and Project 2025 Architect – Russell Vought demanding an immediate end to the Trump Administration’s unlawful reductions in force (RIFs) being carried out during the ongoing government shutdown. The letter follows a recent federal court ruling that temporarily blocked the mass terminations and raised serious legal concerns about their motivation and execution. The full letter can be found here.

WASHINGTON — Today, Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), of the House Committee on Education and Workforce, urged the Government Accountability Office (GAO) Comptroller General Gene Dodaro to investigate President Trump’s use of Reduction in Force (RIF) actions during the government shutdown. The letter follows attempts from President Trump to lay off thousands of federal employees based not only on funding lapses, but also on whether their work aligned with the President’s political agenda. This was an unprecedented action that likely violates both the Constitution and federal law.

WASHINGTON – Seventy House Democrats introduced the WIC Benefits Protection Act. This bill guarantees funding for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and ensures that eligible families will still receive critical nutrition assistance regardless of partisan gridlock or lapses in government funding. Currently, the program supports nearly 7 million women, infants, and children—almost 40 percent of all infants in the United States. WIC has a proven track record of success in improving health outcomes and reducing food insecurity. However, as Republicans continue to draw out the shutdown, states, territories, and tribal organizations may be forced to pause services, leaving pregnant women and babies without access to healthy food or access to health services.

Washington, D.C. -  Today, the Democratic members of Virginia’s congressional delegation in the U.S. House of Representatives sent a letter to OMB Director Russ Vought clarifying that threats to withhold or cancel back pay to furloughed federal workers would be illegal. The letter was signed by Representatives James R. Walkinshaw (VA-11), Donald S. Beyer, Jr. (VA-08), Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), Jennifer McClellan (VA-04), Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10), and Eugene Vindman (VA-07).

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after House Republicans announced they would be in recess again next week despite the ongoing government shutdown: “House Republicans announced they will be on an extended vacation next week, despite the government having been shut down since October 1st. They have been on vacation since September 19th and appear to have no interest in ending this shutdown for the American people.

WASHINGTON – Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), House Committee on Education and Workforce, released the following statement after the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) did not release a jobs report due to the government shutdown. “Workers, economists, and businesses rely on the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports to understand the health of our economy and the labor market. Without the September jobs report, policymakers and the public are denied an opportunity to understand the challenges facing the American economy.

WASHINGTON – Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), House Committee on Education and Workforce, and House Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education Ranking Member Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01) urged Department of Agriculture Secretary (USDA) Brooke Rollins to minimize disruption of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) during a government shutdown and to provide clarity to states to ensure that families are not unnecessarily turned away. Roughly half a million pregnant women and nearly 40 percent of all infants in the United States rely on WIC.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the federal government entered a shutdown: “Republicans control the White House, the Senate, and the House of Representatives. Congressional Democrats are in Washington ready to negotiate to keep the government open, while protecting the health care of the American people. House Republicans, regrettably, cancelled votes for this week and last week, and sent their members home.