BIOGRAPHY OF REP. ROBERT C. "BOBBY" SCOTT

Congressman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott began serving his eighth term as a Member of Congress on January 4, 2007.  Prior to serving in the U.S. House of Representatives, Rep. Scott served in the Virginia House of Delegates from 1978 to 1983 and in the Senate of Virginia from 1983 to 1993.

During his 15-year tenure in the Virginia General Assembly, Rep. Scott successfully sponsored laws that are critical to Virginians in healthcare, education, employment, economic development, crime prevention, social services and consumer protection.  His legislative successes included laws that improved healthcare benefits for women, infants and children, increased the Virginia minimum wage and created the Governor’s Employment and Training Council.  He also sponsored the Neighborhood Assistance Act, which provides tax credits to businesses for donations made to approved social service and crime prevention programs.

In November 1992, Rep. Scott was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.  Through this election, Rep. Scott made history by becoming the first African American elected to Congress from Virginia since Reconstruction and only the second African American elected to Congress in Virginia’s history.  Having a maternal grandfather of Filipino ancestry also gives Rep. Scott the distinction of being the first American with Filipino heritage to serve as a voting member of Congress.

Rep. Scott currently serves on the Committee on the Judiciary, where he is the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security. Rep. Scott also serves on the Committee on Education and Labor, the Committee on the Budget, and the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct.

In his 15 years in Congress, Rep. Scott has become known as a champion of the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights, fighting to protect the rights and civil liberties of all Americans.  In 1997, Rep. Scott fought to protect the right of all children with disabilities to obtain a free and appropriate education under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).  In 2000, Rep. Scott sponsored the Death in Custody Act, which was signed into law by President Clinton on October 17, 2000.  This bill requires states to report information regarding the death of any person in custody of law enforcement officials.  Rep. Scott is currently a leading critic against President George W. Bush’s warrantless wiretapping program.  He is also a leading opponent of efforts to permit employment discrimination based on race or religion in federally funded programs.

Rep. Scott has opposed the War in Iraq since the beginning, having voted against the initial resolution authorizing the President to use force against Iraq.  Since then, Rep. Scott has been an adamant opponent of the failed policies of the Bush Administration in Iraq and has voted to force the President to change course in Iraq and to bring our troops home.  At the same time, Rep. Scott is a strong supporter of our nation’s military readiness as well as our troops and their safety.  He is a leading advocate for improving and increasing funding for veterans’ benefits and health care, especially mental health care.

In the 110^th Congress, Rep. Scott is leading efforts to pass comprehensive juvenile justice reform and crime prevention legislation by sponsoring the Youth PROMISE Act, which provides resources to state and local governments to prevent juvenile crime.  He is also leading efforts to enact legislation designed to reduce high school dropout rates and increase access to a college education for all students with the Every Student Counts Act.  Rep. Scott is also a strong supporter of universal health care and has sponsored the All Healthy Children Act that would ensure that the 9 million uninsured children in the United States have access to quality health care.

Rep. Scott was born on April 30, 1947 in Washington, D.C. and grew up in Newport News, Virginia.  He is a graduate of Harvard University and Boston College Law School.  After graduating from law school, he returned to Newport News and practiced law from 1973 to 1991.  He received an honorable discharge for his service in the Massachusetts National Guard and the United States Army Reserve.

Rep. Scott is a member of St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church in Newport News and is a member of many professional, community and civic boards and organizations.

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