Bobby Scott

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, pursuant to section 3 of House Resolution 716, I rise to offer amendments en bloc No. 1.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, there are six amendments in this en bloc. Mr. Kahele has offered an amendment which establishes the Native Hawaiian Resource Center on domestic violence. Ms. Ocasio-Cortez has offered an amendment to amend the definition of a child to include any child under 18, including emancipated minors. Mr. Cohen has offered an amendment to clarify grant eligibility for legal aid organizations. Ms. Newman has offered an amendment to clarify that domestic violence coalitions may partner with mental health and substance abuse disorder providers. Ms. Jackson Lee has offered an amendment requiring the GAO study required in the underlying bill to include information on outreach to racial and ethnic minorities. Ms. Bush has offered an amendment to clarify that domestic violence coalitions can provide training to housing service providers. These amendments make meaningful improvements to the bill. I urge a ``yes'' vote on the amendments en bloc No. 1, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee), the chair of the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the gentlewoman from Texas.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, again, these amendments included in the amendments en bloc make meaningful improvements to the bill. I urge a ``yes'' vote on en bloc No. 1, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, there are two amendments in this en bloc. First, as it has been explained, the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Foxx) has offered an amendment to reinstate the State match requirement, and the gentlewoman from Louisiana (Ms. Letlow) has offered a substitute amendment, leaving out the majority of the programming improvements in H.R. 2119 and adding a problematic provision regarding abortion. These amendments undermine the bipartisan, bicameral progress included in H.R. 2119 and neglect to make any changes or enhancements to FVPSA programs. These amendments en bloc fail to meet the moment. There are a number of things they do: They halt the creation of a new resource center on disability and domestic violence needed to counter the disproportionate rates of intimate partner violence among people with disabilities. They prevent Tribal governments from getting the resources they need to combat domestic violence, which occurs at alarming rates in Tribal communities. They strike grants that support survivors from racial and ethnic minority groups. Communities of color face disproportionate rates of domestic violence and sexual assault and often experience barriers to accessing services. They remove the addition of new prevention grants to ensure prevention funding goes to every State, Tribe, and territory, despite the fact that currently only 10 States receive funding to do any prevention work, and this amendment maintains that status quo. These amendments would also reinstate State matching fund requirements. Particularly during the ongoing pandemic and economic crisis, this would create significant operational challenges for service providers. For example, nonprofit organizations do not have the benefit of guaranteed funding and may struggle to meet match requirements. Ultimately, this means fewer services available for survivors. The amendments en bloc also include a partisan attack on abortion, undermining a comprehensive reauthorization that can meaningfully improve the lives of survivors of intimate partner violence. These amendments inject needless political controversy into this debate, undermining the hard work we have done to develop a comprehensive reauthorization. Instead of acknowledging the complexities of medical decisions for both women and their providers, abortion opponents use these bills and amendments like these as a distraction. These amendments threaten the progress we have made on the bill, and therefore I urge a ``no'' vote on amendments en bloc No. 2. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance my time.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I believe I have the right to close. I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close. Madam Speaker, again, the amendments included in this en bloc weaken the bill. I urge a ``no'' vote on en bloc No. 2. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Michigan for his hard work on the Education and Labor Committee and for his strong support for working men and women in Michigan and across the country. I rise today in honor of Richard Trumka, the late AFL-CIO president and one of the Nation's fiercest and most effective champions for workers and their families. As a former coal miner and leader of the storied United Mine Workers of America, Richard Trumka deeply understood the power of the labor movement and the importance of defending workers' rights to organize. His commitment to improving the lives of workers and their families never waned and has inspired countless people from all walks of life. To honor Mr. Trumka's legacy, I remain committed to championing legislation that supports hardworking Americans and strengthening their rights in the workplace. To that end, the House has twice passed the Protecting the Right to Organize Act. Our Nation's labor unions are critical to rebuilding the middle class in America, but decades of antiunion attacks have eroded workers' basic rights to organize and negotiate for better wages, benefits, and working conditions. Among other things, this legislation would ensure effective sanctions for those who violate the law by retaliating against those who exercise their legal rights; and require workers whose rights have been violated to be temporarily reinstated while their cases are pending. The bill would lift restrictions on workers' First Amendment rights to engage in boycotts and strikes; and ensure workers can win a first contract, if they vote to support a union. It is a fitting tribute that the PRO Act will be named after him. The next most important step to honor his legacy is for the Senate to pass this historic legislation. I look forward to the day when the Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act is signed into law. But we also have an opportunity to strengthen and protect our workforce through the Build Back Better plan. Notably, the Committee on Education and Labor's section of the plan will increase enforcement of labor law and civil rights violations and set meaningful civil monetary penalties for violations of wage and hour, worker safety, and labor laws. The plan also includes a major investment in proven workforce development programs to ensure that Americans can access the training they need to find a rewarding career and earn fair wages. These historic provisions advance Mr. Trumka's vision: to ensure that all workers have a good job and the power to determine their wages and working conditions. Even up to his final days, Mr. Trumka was fulfilling that mission, rallying workers across the country and demonstrating the spirit and solidarity that defined his tenure as president of the AFL-CIO. I hope my colleagues in the House and the Senate will join me in honoring Mr. Trumka's legacy by passing both the Richard L. Trumka PRO Act and the Build Back Better Act. I thank the gentleman from Michigan for his hard work and dedication.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 716, I call up the bill (H.R. 3110) to amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to expand access to breastfeeding accommodations in the workplace, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. Underwood), the co-chair of the Black Maternal Health Caucus.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material on H.R. 3110, the PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, today the House has an opportunity to pass H.R. 3110, the Providing Urgent Maternal Protections for Nursing Mothers Act, or the PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act, a bipartisan bill that would strengthen workplace protections for nursing mothers. Nursing mothers should have a clear right to break time and a clean, private space to pump breast milk at work. As we have heard from health experts and worker advocates across the country, these basic accommodations ensure that nursing mothers can balance their work, their health, and the health of their babies. Regrettably, many nursing mothers still do not have these protections. Under current law, millions of workers--including farmworkers, transportation workers, and teachers--are currently excluded from Federal protections for nursing employees. The nursing mothers who are covered by existing law have limited recourse when their rights are violated. To close these gaps, the PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act expands existing protections for nursing mothers for nearly 9 million employees who are currently left out. It provides nursing workers with access to meaningful remedies when employers fail to provide appropriate time and pumping space. Importantly, this bill includes an amendment to clarify that congressional employees are covered by these protections and to address safety concerns by including airline crew members break time to pump during a flight. No working American should be forced to choose between going to work and staying healthy, so we must take this urgent step to support nursing workers and strengthen our economy. Madam Speaker, I include in the Record a Statement of Administration Policy in support of H.R. 3110. Statement of Administration Policy H.R. 3110--PUMP FOR NURSING MOTHERS ACT--Rep. Maloney, D-NY, and 8 cosponsors The Administration strongly supports House passage of H.R. 3110, the Providing Urgent Maternal Protections (PUMP) for Nursing Mothers Act. No new mother should face unfair treatment in the workplace because their employer refuses to provide them with reasonable break time and private, clean space needed to adequately express breast milk while at work, forcing them to choose between their health and the health of her child, and earning a paycheck. Yet millions of new working mothers, disproportionately working mothers of color, face this challenge every day. Congress recognized the importance of ensuring that workers are able to have the time and space they need to express breast milk by passing section 4207 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, also known as the 2010 Break Time for Nursing Mothers Act. The PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act would ensure that millions of working mothers previously excluded from the 2010 Break Time law are protected. By closing this gap, the PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act will ensure millions of nursing mothers have a clear right to pump at work. Without these protections, nursing mothers face serious health consequences, including risk of painful illness and infection, diminished milk supply, or inability to continue breastfeeding. H.R. 3110 is a bipartisan bill that would also require employers to pay an hourly employee for any time spent pumping if the employee is also working. The legislation would ensure that nursing mothers have access to remedies available for other violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act. Finally, the PUMP Act also gives employers flexibility to identify solutions that work for their specific business environment. For example, the bill requires employees to inform their employers about inadequate space to express breast milk 10 days before filing suit for violating the requirement. The Administration encourages the House to pass this bipartisan, commonsense legislation and looks forward to working with the Congress to fill the gaps in the law so that all new mothers who choose to breastfeed are guaranteed the workplace protections they deserve.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I urge support of the legislation and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Carolyn B. Maloney), chair of the Oversight and Reform Committee and the lead Democratic sponsor of the bill.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Washington State (Ms. Herrera Beutler), the co-chair of the Maternity Care Caucus and the lead Republican sponsor on the bill.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Washington.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Roybal-Allard), the co-chair of the Maternity Care Caucus.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Oregon (Ms. Bonamici), the chair of the Civil Rights and Human Services Subcommittee of the Committee on Education and Labor.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I include in the Record letters in support of the bill from the AFSCME and the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA. American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, AFL-CIO, Washington, DC, October 21, 2021. House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Representative: On behalf of the 1.4 million members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), I urge you to vote yes on the PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act (R.R. 3110). This bill prioritizes both the physical and economic needs that new mothers must balance upon returning to work. It strengthens federal employment standards that protect working women who need break time and a private space, other than a bathroom, to express breast milk. The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) currently requires employers with more than 50 employees to provide a space for mothers to either nurse or express breast milk. Covered employers must also provide reasonable breaks for workers to nurse. An estimated 8.65 million women of childbearing age are excluded from these nursing mother protections because they are not covered by wage and hour standards under the FLSA. Current law also lacks broader enforcement mechanisms for workers denied these protections. H.R. 3110 improves current protections by: Expanding the number of nursing workers protected by the law. Extending the duration of the protections from one year after the child's birth to two years after the employee gives birth or begins providing breast milk for a nursing child. Limiting undue hardship exemption to employers with fewer than 25 employees, rather than employers with fewer than 50 employees under current law. Clarifying that banned workers can seek legal and equitable relief for their employer's failure to provide them with the needed break times and private space to express milk. We urge you to stand with working women and their families by voting to pass H.R. 3110. Sincerely, Bailey K. Childers, Director of Federal Government Affairs.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Madam Speaker, it has now been more than a decade since Congress passed critical protections to guarantee nursing workers break time and private space to express breast milk at work. As we have heard today from Members on both sides of the aisle, these protections are essential to protecting the health of nursing workers and their families, yet nursing workers are continuing to suffer from gaps and weaknesses in the Federal law. The need to address these gaps is even greater today as our economy recovers from COVID-19. Millions of workers, particularly working mothers, are looking to re-enter the workforce after being forced out of their jobs during the pandemic. The PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act would provide workers with the peace of mind that they will not have to choose between returning to work and protecting themselves and their babies. Madam Speaker, we have an opportunity to deliver on our promise to help all workers recover from the pandemic, stay safe, and succeed in their careers. This legislation will strengthen existing law, improve the lives of nursing workers across the country, and help our economy get back on its feet. We know this program works because the provisions in this bill are already law on the Federal level and in several States, without the kind of problems that have been suggested that might happen--those have not occurred under present law--and without any explosion of lawsuits. These provisions are already law, and there have not been lawsuits. The substitute offered by the minority does not expand to as many mothers as this bill does, and it would actually roll back some protections they already have. Madam Speaker, I want to thank the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Carolyn B. Maloney) and the gentlewoman from Washington State (Ms. Herrera Beutler) for their leadership on this bipartisan legislation. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act, and I yield back the balance of my time.