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Hurricane and Tropical Storm Preparedness
Southeast Virginia is expected to get some tropical weather this weekend from Tropical Storm Hermine. Be sure that you and your family are prepared. -
Scott Speaks During Sit-In on House Floor
Rep. Bobby Scott speaks during the sit-in on the House Floor demanding that House Republicans act on gun violence prevention legislation. -
Segregation in U.S. Schools
Rep. Bobby Scott appears on C-SPAN's Washington Journal to discuss a recent Government Accountability Office report, released on the anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision, that shows U.S. schools are segregated by race and socioeconomic status. -
Scott Discusses Concerns with Pending Criminal Justice Reform Bills
Rep. Bobby Scott discusses his principals for criminal justice reform and outlines his concerns with legislation recently reported by the House and Senate Judiciary Committees.
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September 4, 2016
In The News
IN THE 1964 LANDMARK decision Wesberry v. Sanders, the U.S. Supreme Court stated that “[n]o right is more precious in a free country than that of having a voice in the election of those who make the laws under which, as good citizens, we must live. Other rights, even the most basic, are illusory if the right to vote is undermined.”
Sadly, many state and local governments responded to this assessment by continuing their sordid history of blocking access to the ballot box. To ensure that American citizens were not stripped of this precious constitutional right, Congress passed and President Lyndon Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
Issues:
September 2, 2016
Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, VA – Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement on Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring’s request that the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division open a pattern-or-practice investigation of the Hampton Roads Regional Jail:
“I commend Attorney General Herring for requesting a federal pattern-or-practice investigation of the Hampton Roads Regional Jail. The circumstances surrounding the death of Jamycheal Mitchell last year and the recent death of Henry Clay Stewart raise serious questions and concerns about this facility. These investigations can determine whether or not the constitutional rights of the incarcerated, as well as federal law, have been violated.
Issues:
September 2, 2016
Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) released the following statement to workers today in recognition of Labor Day, which is Monday, September 5th:
“Labor Day is a time to recognize the incredible achievements of hardworking Americans. It is also a time to acknowledge that far too many people are working harder than ever, but still struggling to make ends meet. America has made significant strides toward economic recovery, with 77 consecutive months of uninterrupted private sector job growth. But too many working people are still going without the basics – decent housing, reliable child care, and time off work to recover from illness or care for a loved one.
July 8, 2016
Floor Statements
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride that I rise today to congratulate Judge Roger L. Gregory on his ascension to the rank of Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit on Saturday, July 9, 2016. As the highest ranking judge of the Richmond-based Fourth Circuit, Judge Gregory will preside as ``first among equals'' over 15 active and two senior judges that are responsible for appellate cases rising from Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina--a jurisdiction that includes almost 30 million people.
July 5, 2016
Floor Statements
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4539. The 400 Years of African-American History Commission Act was introduced earlier in the Senate by Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner, and I was proud to introduce the House version with the support of Representatives Rigell, Butterfield, Forbes, Beyer, Wittman, Lewis, and many others.
I would like to thank Chairman Chaffetz, Ranking Member Cummings, and the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Brendan F. Boyle) for their assistance in bringing the bill to the floor today.
Issues:
May 16, 2016
Floor Statements
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. I appreciate the gentleman from New York and certainly the gentlewoman from Ohio for organizing this Special Order to discuss the need for criminal justice reform.
Mr. Speaker, we have serious, fundamental problems with our criminal justice system today. For too long, policymakers have chosen to play politics with crime policy by enacting so-called tough on crime slogans and sound bites, such as three strikes and you are out, mandatory minimum sentences, and--if you get it to rhyme, apparently, it is better--if you do the adult crime, you do the adult time. As appealing as these policies sound, their impacts range from a negligible reduction in crime to actually increasing the crime rate.