A version of this column ran in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. As Congressman for Georgia’s 13th District and on behalf of the citizens of Clayton County, I urge the county Board of Commissioners to approve a referendum for a full penny sales tax on the November ballot this year. With the loss of CTRAN bus service, too many Clayton residents lost access to jobs, schools and medical facilities. Placing a half-cent sales tax on the ballot is not a viable solution for restoring transit. It will ...
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Congressman David Scott submitted this editorial about cuts to the SNAP program to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The paper published his views this morning. Shameful cuts to vital food program By David Scott Republicans in the House of Representatives recently voted to cut $40 billion from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). These cuts target our most vulnerable citizens, like seniors, children, veterans and disabled persons. In fact, veterans are the fastest-growing group ...
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On the dawn of New Year’s Day 2013, America will either wake up clear-headed and positive with better days on the horizon or start the New Year with a nauseating hangover called the fiscal cliff. Our nation, is indeed, facing a financial crisis of soaring magnitude. Right now, Congress is gridlocked in addressing the national debt. Businesses face great uncertainty. Continued bickering and gridlock in Congress could ruin our fragile economic recovery and plunge our economy into a deepening and l...
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A version of this column ran earlier in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Click here to read it in that format. The Budget Control Act of 2011was drafted to match spending cuts with targeted revenue increases to prevent the federal government from defaulting on its debts. A short-term solution of $1 trillion in spending cuts was approved, but our long-term budget problems were not solved. Unless Congress finds another way, larger automatic cuts will start. At the end of 2012, massive automatic c...
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*A version of this column was submitted to The Hill newspaper, which will soon post it on their Congress blog at this link. Three years since Secretary of State Hillary Clinton famously pushed for a reset of relations between the United States and Russia, the two nations have made progress. International relations being not unlike a dance where both partners like to take the lead, strides and swings forward do not come without a misstep or two. With Russia’s accession to the World Trade Organiza...
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UPDATE: On 11/16, the jobs and training related sections discussed below officially passed both Houses of Congress (added to H.R. 674) and will be sent to the President for his signature into law. On this Veterans Day, we take comfort in knowing that our wartime commitment in Iraq will soon end. And while America’s fighting men and women will no longer be in harm’s way in Iraq, new veterans are joining civilian life in a weak economy here at home. One way what we can honor our veterans is by hel...
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As we commemorate this Veterans Day, we must do more than simply reflect and praise the courageous and patriotic service of those who have provided our nation’s defense. We must always make sure that our country is fulfilling its obligation to support those who have sacrificed. I have long supported the needs of our active-duty soldiers and veterans who have served honorably; working diligently to ensure access to health care, and to improve funding for special VA programs such as post-traumatic...
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Congressman Scott is pleased to announce the opening of the HOPE for Homeowners program (H4H), a federal relief effort designed to provide hardworking homeowners with a way to refinance their homes and avoid foreclosure. As a member of the House Financial Services Committee, he helped draft the Housing and Economic Recovery Act, which created this important foreclosure relief measure: What is the HOPE for Homeowners Program? This is a new program for borrowers at risk of default and foreclosure....
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As we recognize April as Financial Literacy Month, it is more important than ever that Americans get on track with their retirement savings—especially if they have desires to be among the few who can retire early and truly enjoy it. Personal finance professionals often refer to Social Security, private pensions, and personal savings as the “three legged” stool of retirement income, but for many workers at least one of these legs is missing. Most commonly, retirees come to rely too heavily or sol...
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