Bobby Scott (politician) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bobby Scott
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| Ranking Member of the House Education Committee | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2023 |
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| Preceded by | Virginia Foxx |
| In office January 3, 2015 – January 3, 2019 |
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| Preceded by | George Miller |
| Succeeded by | Virginia Foxx |
| Chair of the House Education Committee | |
| In office January 3, 2019 – January 3, 2023 |
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| Preceded by | Virginia Foxx |
| Succeeded by | Virginia Foxx |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia's 3rd district |
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| Assumed office January 3, 1993 |
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| Preceded by | Thomas Bliley |
| Member of the Virginia Senate from the 2nd district |
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| In office January 12, 1983 – January 3, 1993 |
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| Preceded by | Herbert Bateman |
| Succeeded by | Henry Maxwell |
| Member of the Virginia House of Delegates | |
| In office January 11, 1978 – January 12, 1983 Serving with Ted Morrison, Alan Diamonstein
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| Preceded by | Lewis McMurran |
| Succeeded by | Mary A. R. Marshall |
| Constituency | 49th district (1978–1982) 48th district (1982–1983) |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Robert Cortez Scott
April 30, 1947 Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | Harvard University (BA) Boston College (JD) |
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Robert Cortez Scott (born April 30, 1947), known as Bobby Scott, is an American lawyer and politician. He has been a U.S. Representative for Virginia's 3rd district since 1993. He is a member of the Democratic Party.
Bobby Scott is the longest-serving member of Virginia's group of representatives in Congress. He is also the first American of Filipino background to be a voting member of Congress. His district covers most of the areas in Hampton Roads where many African Americans live. This includes cities like Norfolk, Newport News, Hampton, and Portsmouth. From 2019 to 2023, he was the leader of the House Education and Labor Committee. Since 2023, he has been the top minority member on that committee.
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Early Life and Education
Bobby Scott was born in Washington, D.C.. He grew up in Newport News, Virginia. His family has both African American and Filipino roots. His father, Charles Waldo Scott, was a skilled surgeon (a doctor who performs operations). In 1952, his father became the first African American to join the Newport News school board in the 20th century. Bobby's mother, Mae Hamlin-Scott, was a science teacher in Newport News public schools. She studied chemistry at the University of Michigan.
Scott finished high school at Groton School in 1965. He then earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in government from Harvard College in 1969. He later received his law degree (Juris Doctor) from Boston College Law School in 1973. He is also a member of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity.
Before becoming a politician, Scott served in the military. He was part of the Massachusetts Army National Guard from 1970 to 1973. He also served in the Army Reserve from 1974 to 1976. After law school, he worked as a private lawyer in Newport News from 1973 to 1991.
Serving in the Virginia Legislature
Scott began his political career in Virginia. He was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates in 1977 as a Democrat. Later, in 1982, he was elected to the Senate of Virginia.
While serving in the Virginia legislature, Scott worked on important issues. He helped make it easier for poor people and children to get health care. He also supported increasing the minimum wage, which is the lowest amount of money workers can be paid. He also worked to improve job training programs. He even wrote laws that gave tax breaks to businesses that helped local communities prevent crime or improve social services.
U.S. House of Representatives
Becoming a Representative
Bobby Scott first tried to become a member of Congress in 1986. He ran in Virginia's 1st district but lost.
In 1992, after a new population count (census), a special district was created in Virginia. This new 3rd district was designed to have a majority of Black residents. Scott won the Democratic primary election with a large number of votes. This made it almost certain he would win the main election, which he did with 79% of the vote.
Since 1992, Scott has been reelected many times. He has won most of his elections with a very high percentage of the votes. His district is known for being strongly Democratic.
Key Work in Congress
Bobby Scott is the first African American to represent Virginia in the U.S. House of Representatives since the Reconstruction period after the Civil War. He is also the first American of Filipino background to serve as a voting member of Congress.
Scott has a long history of supporting progressive ideas in Congress. He has voted to increase the minimum wage. He has also worked to end unfair treatment of people in the workplace based on their sexual orientation. In 2010, he helped create a bill to support people who had been unemployed for a long time.
Scott supports LGBT rights. In 2009, he voted for a law that made crimes based on a person's gender identity a federal hate crime. In 2010, he voted to end the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, which prevented openly gay people from serving in the military. In 2019, he supported the Equality Act, a bill that would ban discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
Scott was a strong critic of the Bush administration. He did not support the Patriot Act, a law passed after 9/11, because he worried it could lead to officials misusing their power. He also voted against the resolution to go to war in Iraq in 2002.
As the chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, Scott was recognized for his good work in overseeing government activities. He also voted against the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023, which was a bill about government spending.
Scott has often voted in line with President Joe Biden's positions. In the 117th Congress, he voted with President Biden's stated position 100% of the time.
Legislation He Supported
In 2013, Bobby Scott introduced a bill called the Death in Custody Reporting Act of 2013 (H.R. 1447; 113th Congress). This bill would require the U.S. Department of Justice to collect information about people who die while in police custody in states and territories. States that don't follow this rule could face money penalties. Federal agencies would also have to report on deaths of prisoners in their care.
His Committee Roles
- Committee on Education and Labor (He is currently the top minority member)
Groups He Belongs To
Scott is part of several groups in Congress, called caucuses. These include:
- Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus
- Congressional Black Caucus
- Congressional Arts Caucus
- Congressional Cement Caucus
- Climate Solutions Caucus
- Medicare for All Caucus
See also
- List of African-American United States representatives
- List of Asian Americans and Pacific Islands Americans in the United States Congress
