Media

WASHINGTON, DC – Chairman Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the Trump administration’s Department of Homeland Security released a final rule to expand grounds for denying legal U.S. residency to immigrants. “The administration’s final ‘public charge’ rule will inflict severe and unnecessary hardship on immigrant families. The rule will force hundreds of thousands of immigrants to choose between forgoing basic assistance for food, shelter, and health care, or risk being separated from their families. According to the Urban Institute, one in seven families chose not to receive public benefits in 2018 for fear of risking future green card status.

WASHINGTON, DC – Chairman Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that the economy added 164,000 jobs in July and the unemployment rate held at 3.7 percent. “After 106 straight months of private sector job growth, workers and middle-class families are still not receiving a fair share of economic growth. Today’s jobs report adds to an extensive body of evidence showing that the low unemployment rate is not resulting in sufficient wage growth for millions of Americans.

NEWPORT NEWS, VA – Representatives Bobby Scott (VA-03) and Donald McEachin (VA-04) will host a town hall meeting in Chesapeake, Virginia. This town hall will be an opportunity for constituents to learn more about the Representatives’ efforts to protect access to affordable health care, as well as hear more about the critical legislation House Democrats have passed in the first 200 days of the new Congress. This will be an opportunity for residents of the 3rd and 4th congressional districts to provide comments and ask questions.

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Chairman Bobby Scott (VA-03) sent a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Sonny Perdue raising concerns that the Department is concealing internal estimates regarding the impact of its proposed changes to eligibility for food assistance. The letter asks USDA to immediately make public its estimate that more than 500,000 low-income students would lose automatic eligibility for free school meals under its proposed Revision of Categorical Eligibility in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The administration’s proposed rule – released July 23 – would make changes that restrict SNAP eligibility, which is used to calculate categorical eligibility for free and reduced school meals.

NEWPORT NEWS, VA – Congressman Bobby Scott issued the following statement on the passing of former Norfolk State University president Dr. Harrison B. Wilson: “I was saddened to learn of the passing of Dr. Harrison B. Wilson. He was a renowned basketball coach, educator, and long-time president of Norfolk State University. His tenure at NSU was marked by significant growth and his passion for excellence helped increase the university’s stature as a premier institution of higher education in Virginia. My thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Dr. Lucy Wilson, his children, grandchildren, and the countless students positively impacted by his life and work.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the House of Representatives passed H.R. 3877, the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2019, which prevents draconian, across-the-board spending cuts scheduled for FY2020 and FY2021. It also suspends the debt ceiling for the next two years. “Eight years ago, congressional Republicans almost brought our country to the brink of fiscal calamity by playing a dangerous game of chicken with our nation’s debt ceiling.

WASHINGTON, DC – Within the first two weeks of re-entry, individuals released from correctional facilities are 129 times more likely to die from an opioid overdose than the general population. To help ensure that individuals can access the care they need, Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), and Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03) reintroduced the Supporting Positive Outcomes After Release Act. This legislation would prohibit states from terminating an inmate’s Medicaid coverage while they are incarcerated, a practice that often prevents individuals from accessing treatment in the critical days and weeks after release. Instead, states would be required to suspend Medicaid coverage, ensuring access to health care services more quickly upon release. Sixteen states and the District of Columbia routinely terminate coverage for a Medicaid patient upon incarceration or detention. The result of termination is that upon discharge, individuals need to reapply for Medicaid in order to access health care services – a process that may take up to 45 to 90 days.