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NEWPORT NEWS, VA – Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement on President Trump’s address to the nation last night on his strategy in Afghanistan: “For almost 16 years, the United States has been engaged in armed conflict in Afghanistan. No American wants Afghanistan to again be a safe haven for radicalism and terrorism. Unfortunately, the President made no mention of specific troop increases or a strategy for ultimate victory or withdrawal. The President also failed to articulate a clear vision on how he intends to get regional actors more involved. Without an outline for any specific strategy for victory or withdrawal, the President only appears to be committing our nation to an open-ended conflict for the foreseeable future.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Representatives Gerry Connolly, Bobby Scott, Don Beyer and Donald McEachin sent a letter to Virginia’s Commissioner of Insurance, requesting greater transparency for 2018 health insurance premium rates. “We are concerned that efforts in Congress to repeal the Affordable Care Act, coupled with the Trump Administration’s efforts to sabotage the law, will increase 2018 premiums for ACA-compliant plans in the Virginia Marketplace,” the members wrote. The members note that since President Trump took office he has launched a campaign of sabotage against the Affordable Care Act, including threatening to withhold Cost Sharing Reduction payments, refusing to enforce the individual mandate, and discontinuing much of the advertisement and outreach activities that were successfully used by the Obama administration to encourage ACA enrollment.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Bobby Scott (D-VA), ranking member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, Congressman John Conyers (D-MI), ranking member of the House Committee on Judiciary, Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, and Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Judiciary, sent a letter to Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos about a recent memo that showed intent of the Departments of Justice (DOJ) and Education (ED) to reexamine the process by which the federal government ensures racial diversity on college campuses.

NEWPORT NEWS, VA – Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03), ranking member of the Committee on Education and the Workforce, issued the following statement on President Trump’s signing of H.R. 3218, the Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2017, also known as the “Forever” G.I. Bill, into law yesterday. The legislation makes improvements to the Post 9/11 G.I. Bill, which was originally sponsored by former Senator Jim Webb and Congressman Scott and signed into law by President George W. Bush in 2008. The Post 9/11 G.I. Bill provides our men and women in uniform the full cost of a four year public college or university and housing benefits while enrolled in school. Congressman Scott was an original cosponsor of the “Forever” G.I. Bill.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Bobby Scott (VA-03), ranking member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, released the following statement after the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released its assessment of the impact of terminating cost-sharing payments. "Today, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office confirmed that the Trump administration's reckless actions continue to jeopardize access to health coverage for millions of Americans across the country. For months, the administration has injected uncertainty into the market by threatening to withhold payments legally owed to insurers. These payments directly help consumers afford their insurance and act as rebates to lower costs for low and moderate income families.

NEWPORT NEWS, VA – Days after the horrific violence at a “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, President Trump finally named the groups who perpetrated the violence: white supremacists and neo-Nazi sympathizers. Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement in reaction to the President’s remarks: "While I welcome the President’s condemnation of overt racism and white nationalism in response to this weekend’s horrible events, I remind everyone that actions speak louder than words. It is equally important to support actions that actually enforce civil rights, strengthen voting rights, and expand opportunity for all. "

NEWPORT NEWS, VA – Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement on the violent clashes at the "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville, VA: "I am deeply concerned about the unfolding situation in Charlottesville where white nationalists have violently clashed with counter-protesters. While I respect their First Amendment right to assemble and freedom of speech, this sort of violence and hate speech has no credible role in our public discourse.