Media

WASHINGTON, DC – Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) released the following statement to celebrate the start of Public Schools Week. “As we begin Public Schools Week, I want to share my profound appreciation for the commitment and resolve that our students, parents, educators, and school staff have demonstrated over the past year. The COVID-19 pandemic has created unprecedented challenges for our education system and provided a constant reminder of the critical role public schools have in our communities. That is why we are working so hard in Congress to provide states and schools districts the resources they need to reopen schools, keep schools open, and make up for lost time in the classroom.

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Education and Labor Committee Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), Workforce Protections Subcommittee Chair Alma Adams (NC-12), Veterans Affairs Committee Chair Mark Takano (CA-41), and Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-02) introduced legislation to strengthen the Occupational Health and Safety Administration’s (OSHA) enforcement of workplace safety laws. The Accurate Workplace Injury and Illness Record Restoration Act would restore OSHA’s ability to effectively identify and cite employers who systematically fail to record and report workplace injuries and illnesses.

WASHINGTON, DC – Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after President Biden announced plans to vacate former President Trump’s executive order on Industry-Recognized Apprenticeship Programs (IRAPs), to repeal the Department of Labor IRAP regulations, and to support the National Apprenticeship Act of 2021 (H.R. 447). “I applaud President Biden’s decision to halt the previous Administration’s wasteful scheme to divert funding away from the proven Registered Apprenticeship system. The so-called Industry-Recognized Apprenticeship Program (IRAP) discarded key features responsible for the success of our Registered Apprenticeship system, including quality standards and worker protections.

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, a bipartisan group of representatives announced the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act – which establishes a pregnant worker’s clear-cut right to reasonable workplace accommodations, provided they do not impose an undue burden on their employer. The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act was reintroduced by Representatives Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), John Katko (R-NY), Lucy McBath (D-GA), Jamie Herrera-Beutler (R-WA), and Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA).

WASHINGTON, DC – Education and Labor Committee Chairman Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the Biden-Harris Administration opened a three-month Special Enrollment Period for the Health Insurance Marketplaces: “Last month, President Biden and Vice President Harris took a long overdue step to expand access to affordable health care during the COVID-19 pandemic by establishing a Special Enrollment Period for the Affordable Care Act’s Marketplaces. Expanding access to health insurance plans through the Affordable Care Act is one of the best strategies we have to help people get covered during this global health emergency.

NEWPORT NEWS, VA – Congressman Bobby Scott issued the following statement after the United States Senate voted to acquit former President Donald J. Trump: “While an insufficient number of Senate Republicans found Donald Trump guilty of inciting insurrection against democracy, seven Republicans joined all Democrats in a historic and bipartisan condemnation of Donald Trump’s conduct in the Senate trial. Donald Trump sowed doubt about the 2020 election results well before he lost. For months he baselessly attacked mail-in voting as fraudulent and refused numerous times to state that he would accept the results.

WASHINGTON, DC – Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after the Centers on Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published new guidance on safely reopening schools. “The CDC’s updated guidance on safely reopening schools makes a clear case for why Congress must swiftly enact President Biden’s American Rescue Plan. Many schools across the country simply cannot afford to take the safety precautions that CDC recommends in order to protect students and school staff from COVID-19.

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after the Education and Labor Committee’s advanced its portion of the FY21 budget reconciliation package, which enacts President Biden’s American Rescue Plan. “Our country is at a pivotal moment in the fight against COVID-19. Today, we sent a clear message to the American people that help is on the way. This legislation invests in safely reopening schools, raises wages and increases safety protections for workers, expands access to affordable care, and provides support for the surge of families facing hunger and hardship during this pandemic.