Robert C. "Bobby" Scott
DemocratU.S. Representative, VA-3| Age | 79 (b. 1947-04-30) |
| Gender | Male |
| In office since | 1993-01-05 (~33 yrs) |
| Race / ethnicity | African American and Filipino American |
| Religion | Episcopalian (St. Augustine's Episcopal Church, Newport News) |
| Education | Groton School (1965); B.A. in Government, Harvard College (1969); J.D., Boston College Law School (1973) |
| Prior occupation | Private practice attorney, Newport News, VA (1973–1991); co-founded Peninsula Legal Aid Center |
| Military service | Yes: Massachusetts Army National Guard and U.S. Army Reserve |
| Birthplace | Washington, D.C. |
| Residence | Newport News, Virginia |
| Notable relatives | Niece Marcia Price (Virginia state delegate); brother-in-law McKinley L. Price (former Newport News mayor); father Charles Waldo Scott (pioneering African American surgeon) |
Pending research: languages · marital status · children · openly lgbtq.
Career & politics
| First elected | 1992 |
| Previous offices | Virginia House of Delegates (1978–1983) · Virginia State Senate (1983–1993) |
| Committees | House Committee on Education and the Workforce (Ranking Member, 119th Congress) · House Committee on the Budget (119th Congress) |
| Caucuses | Congressional Black Caucus · Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus · Congressional Progressive Caucus · Congressional Equality Caucus · Climate Solutions Caucus · Medicare for All Congressional Caucus (founding member) · Congressional Voting Rights Caucus (co-chair) |
| Leadership | Chair, House Committee on Education and Labor (116th–117th Congresses, 2019–2023) · Ranking Member, House Committee on Education and the Workforce (2014–2019, 2023–present) · Dean of Virginia's congressional delegation (since 2019) |
| Ideology | Consistent progressive liberal; 95%+ ratings from Americans for Democratic Action, AFL-CIO, and Planned Parenthood. Founding member of Medicare for All Caucus. GovTrack ranks him among the most left-leaning members of the Virginia delegation. |
| Signature legislation | Every Student Succeeds Act (2015) — co-author replacing No Child Left Behind · Fair Sentencing Act (2010) — reduced crack/powder cocaine sentencing disparity · Death in Custody Reporting Act (2000, reauthorized 2014) · Juvenile Justice Reform Act (2018) · American Rescue Plan Act (2021) — education provisions · Raise the Wage Act (sponsored; passed House) · Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act (authored) · Second Chance Reauthorization Act (2024) |
Financial
Net worth: estimate
No holdings recorded yet (from official Financial Disclosure filings).
Top donors: International Longshoremen's Association PAC ($43,500 (career total through 2024))
Top industries: Education · Labor Unions · Health Professionals · Lawyers & Lobbyists · Transportation Unions
Scandals & crimes ledger
settled — FEC ADR 384: Bobby Scott for Congress Failure to Report Campaign Receipts business
The FEC's Reports Analysis Division referred Bobby Scott for Congress and Treasurer Charles Scott after their 2006 July Quarterly Report failed to disclose $55,880 in receipts. The committee filed an amended report on September 6, 2006 that corrected the omission; the error was attributed to a coding problem in the campaign's reporting software. The FEC opened ADR case 384 on March 22, 2007. The parties entered a negotiated settlement approved by the Commission on September 14, 2007 in a 5-0 vote. No civil monetary penalty was assessed; the settlement required only prospective compliance measures. The statutory basis was 2 U.S.C. §§ 434(a)(1) and 434(b)(2) and 11 C.F.R. §§ 104.1 and 104.3(a).