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WASHINGTON, DC – Committee on Education and Labor Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after President-elect Biden nominated Dr. Miguel Cardona to lead the Department of Education. “I congratulate Dr. Miguel Cardona on his nomination to be the next Secretary of Education. Dr. Cardona has over two decades of experience serving in America’s public schools— first as an elementary school teacher and then as a school principal, assistant superintendent, and most recently as Connecticut’s Commissioner of Education.
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Robert C. “Bobby Scott (VA-03), the Chairman of the Committee on Education and Labor, released the following statement in response to the House passage of the Fiscal Year 2021 (FY21) Omnibus spending package and coronavirus relief proposal. “Today, the House passed a bold spending package and coronavirus relief bill that reflects the priorities of House Democrats: Advancing equity in education, supporting America’s workers, and expanding access to affordable health care.
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, following the release of the Fiscal Year 2021 (FY21) Omnibus bill text, Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Investment Chair Susan Davis (CA-53), and Subcommittee on Workforce Protections Chair Alma Adams (NC-12) celebrated the major Democratic priorities for higher education included in the spending bill. The bill expands the Pell Grant program, which will result in hundreds of thousands of students becoming newly eligible for Pell and millions of current recipients receiving larger awards. The bill also repeals the ban on Pell eligibility among incarcerated students and restores Pell Grant eligibility for students defrauded by their institutions.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine: “In order to ensure the continuity of government, the Attending Physician of the United States Congress has recommended that Members of Congress begin receiving the FDA-approved Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. I am no more important than any of the people I was elected by and have the privilege to serve in Congress. However, recognizing the importance in boosting the public’s confidence in the safety and efficacy of this vaccine and ensuring that Congress is able to continue to fully function in light of this surging pandemic, I decided to follow the Attending Physician’s recommendation and was vaccinated earlier today.
Issues:COVID-19
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - More than two dozen members of the U.S. Congress on Wednesday called on federal prison and health officials for details about how inmates will be vaccinated for COVID-19, questioning whether the most vulnerable prisoners will have priority access. In a letter to Federal Bureau of Prisons director Michael Carvajal and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention chief Dr. Robert Redfield, 26 lawmakers, led by Democratic Representative Bobby Scott, expressed concerns about the prison system’s existing plan for vaccine distribution.
Issues:COVID-19Civil Rights
NEWPORT NEWS, VA – Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03) announced the winners of the annual Congressional App Challenge in Virginia’s Third Congressional District. Abdalla Elrahhal, a junior at Denbigh High School and New Horizons Regional Education Center, was selected as the winner. Elrahhal submitted “SpeedyCPR,” an app designed to call 911 while displaying video instructions and demonstrations for performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03) led 25 Members of Congress in sending a letter to Robert Redfield, the Director for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Michael Carvajal, the Director for the Federal Bureau of Prisons, urging them to include incarcerated individuals as a priority population in the COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan. “The national vaccine distribution strategy will place competing priorities on our collective resources and public health system,” the Members wrote. “However, ignoring the growing COVID-19 infection crisis in American jails and prisons would be a dire mistake and undermine any national effort to contain the virus. COVID-19 is spreading four times faster in prisons than the general public.”
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Robert C. “Bobby" Scott (VA-03), chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, and Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee released the following statement in response to the Department of Labor announcing its final fiduciary rule. “This weak rule will hurt workers, retirees, and families across the country by letting unscrupulous financial advisors put their own interests ahead of their clients.
WASHINGTON, DC – Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General (OIG) released the findings of its investigation into the Department’s rulemaking process for its 2017 proposed tip rule. The report found that, among other errors, the Department improperly withheld information regarding the expected impact of the rule on tipped workers. The 2019 proposed tip rule places no limitation on the amount of time a tipped employee can perform related, non-tipped activities and still be paid the subminimum wage.
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.