Austin Scott (politician)

James Austin Scott (born December 10, 1969) is an American politician who has been the U.S. Representative for Georgia's 8th congressional district since 2011. He is a member of the Republican Party. Scott served in the Georgia House of Representatives before being elected to the House of Representatives.

Austin Scott
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Georgia's 8th district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 2011
Preceded by	Jim Marshall
Member of the Georgia House of Representatives
In office 1996–2011
Preceded by	Henry Bostick
Succeeded by	Tony McBrayer
Constituency	165th district (1996–2003) 138th district (2003–05) 153rd district (2005–11)
Personal details
Born	December 10, 1969 Augusta, Georgia, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Vivien Scott ​ (m. 2005)​
Children	3
Education	University of Georgia (BA)

Early life, education, and career

Scott's father, Jim, is an orthopedic surgeon and his mother, Becky, is a teacher in the public school system. Scott graduated from the University of Georgia with a B.B.A. in risk management and insurance. He passed the Series 7 Exam.[1]

Scott is president of the Southern Group, LLC and a partner in Lockett Station Group, LLC.[2]

Georgia Legislature

Scott was first elected to the Georgia House of Representatives at the age of 26. He was the chairman of the Governmental Affairs Committee. He also served on the Appropriations, Rules, and Ways and Means Committee, where he was the chairman of the Public Policy Subcommittee. The District he represented consists of Tift and Turner counties.

In 2001, Scott was the first Republican in the Georgia House to work with Democrats to remove the Confederate battle emblem from the state's flag.[3]

U.S. House of Representatives

Elections

2010

Austin Scott meets with members of the Carrollton, GA fire department on July 20, 2009 during the Walk of Georgia.

Scott, along with millions funded by National PAC's, challenged Democratic incumbent Jim Marshall in Georgia's eighth congressional district. He defeated Marshall in the general election on November 2, 2010, with 53% of the vote to Marshall's 47%.[4]

Scott originally planned to campaign for Governor of Georgia, announcing his campaign in January 2009. He made headlines for walking more than 1,000 miles around the state in his "Walk of Georgia",[5] introducing a bill to abolish tolls on Georgia 400, and leading the charge in pressuring Georgia State Attorney General Thurbert Baker to file a lawsuit against the federal government over the controversial health care reform bill passed in March 2010.[6][7][8][9] In April 2010, Scott withdrew from the race for Governor to instead run for U.S. Congress.

In 2010, Scott signed a pledge sponsored by Americans for Prosperity promising to vote against any global warming legislation that would raise taxes.[10]

2012

Scott's freshman portrait

Redistricting after the 2010 census made the 8th somewhat more secure for Scott. Notably, most of Macon and surrounding Bibb County (except for a sliver in the north) were drawn into the neighboring 2nd district. Macon had been the heart of the 8th and its predecessors for more than a century. To make up for the loss of population, the General Assembly pushed the 8th all the way to the Florida border, adding Thomasville and most of Valdosta from the old 2nd. The old 8th already had a significant Republican lean, with a Cook Partisan Voting Index of R+10. However, the new 8th had a CPVI of R+15, making it the 11th most Republican district in the Eastern Time Zone and one of the most Republican districts in the country.

Scott was unopposed in both the primary and general elections.[11]

2014

Scott was unopposed for a third term.

2016

In 2016, Scott faced a Democratic opponent for the first time since his initial run for the seat when private investigator James Neal Harris declared for the race. Scott turned back this challenge fairly easily, taking 67.6% of the vote and carrying every county in the district.[12]

2018

Scott was unopposed for a fifth term.

2020

On June 9, Scott defeated his Republican primary opponents, Vance Dean and Danny Ellyson, with 89.81%.[13] Scott went on to defeat his Democrat challenger, Lindsay Holliday, with 64.52% in the general election on November 3, 2020.[14]

Tenure

Scott was selected by his colleagues as freshman class president for the 112th Congress. [15]

National Security and Defense

Scott's district is home to two United States Air Force bases: Moody Air Force Base and Robins Air Force Base. As a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee, Scott supports pro-military and defense spending policies.[16] Scott is also a proponent of the United States Navy hospital ships.[17]

Scott was very vocal on the United States Air Force's decision not to replace the Northrop Grumman E-8 Joint STARS, which provide intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities. Many JSTARS are based at Robins Air Force Base in Warner Robins, Georgia. While Scott supports the forthcoming Advanced Battle Management System, or ABMS, he contends the Air Force should maintain the capabilities of the JSTARS until the new ABMS systems are in place.[18] In 2018, the Air Force announced that Robins Air Force Base would host the initial elements of the Advanced Battle Management System, a capability which will fuse global air and space intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance information.[19]

Scott opposed canceling the F-22.[20]

As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, Scott also focuses his work towards combating transnational criminal organizations and the international flow of drugs. [21]

Scott served on the Conference Committees for the Fiscal Year 2018, Fiscal Year 2019, and Fiscal Year 2021 National Defense Authorization Acts.[22]

For the 117th Congress, Scott is the only member from Georgia - Republican or Democrat in the House or Senate - to serve on a Congressional defense committee.

Agriculture

Scott served on the Conference Committees for both the 2014 and 2018 Farm Bills.[23]

Scott secured provisions in the 2018 Farm Bill to bring broadband investments to rural America.[24]

In August 2020, the U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer held two virtual hearings with to examine foreign trade policies harming American growers of seasonal and perishable produce, including one with Georgia producers. These hearings were the result of years of requests by Scott and other members of the Georgia and Florida Congressional Delegations to examine the dumping of foreign-subsidized fresh fruits and vegetables into U.S. agricultural markets below the cost of production domestically.[25]

Scott unsuccessfully ran against Rep. Rick Crawford and Rep. Glenn Thompson for the position of Ranking Member of the House Agriculture Committee for the 117th Congress. Thompson, senior to Scott on the Committee, was named Ranking Member by the Steering and Policy Committees of the United States House of Representatives in December 2020.[26]

Legislation

On June 15, 2018, President Donald Trump signed into law the Veterans Cemetery Benefit Correction Act (Public Law No: 115-184), a bill authored by Scott and supported in the United States Senate by U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson to require the Department of the Interior to provide outer burial receptacles for veterans' remains buried in a national cemetery administered by the National Park Service.[27]

Scott and Rep. Sanford Bishop together brokered federal assistance for farmers negatively impacted by 2018 and 2019 natural disasters, including $3 billion in agricultural relief for damages from storms and reprogrammed unused funds to be used for future relief efforts. This was included in a disaster assistance package President Donald Trump signed into law in June 2019.[28]

As a member of the Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus, Scott has sponsored and supported numerous sportsmen's and conservation bills. In the 115th Congress, Scott introduced legislation to modernize the Pittman–Robertson Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act to allow state fish and wildlife agencies to use Pittman-Robertson funds for public relations and for the construction, operation, and maintenance of public ranges,[29] which passed the House of Representatives during the 115th Congress.

Current committee assignments

• Committee on Agriculture
  • Subcommittee on Commodity Exchanges, Energy, and Credit (Ranking Member)
  • Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk Management
• Committee on Armed Services
  • Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities
  • Subcommittee on Readiness
  • Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations

Select Caucus memberships

• Republican Study Committee[30]
• Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus (House Vice-Chairman)[31]
• Congressional Cement Caucus
• United States Congressional International Conservation Caucus[32]

Political positions

Abortion

Scott is opposed to abortion and believes that human life begins at conception.[33]

Budget, Taxes, and the Economy

Scott is in favor of a Balanced budget amendment.[33]

He voted in favor of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017.[34]

Cannabis

He has a "D" rating from marijuana legalization advocacy organization the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) for his voting history regarding cannabis-related issues.[35]

Capitol Punishment

Scott is in favor of capital punishment.[33]

LGBT Issues

Scott opposes same-sex marriage and is in favor of a Federal Marriage Amendment.[33]

Second Amendment

He opposes gun control.[33]

Women's Issues

He voted against the 2013 renewal of the Violence Against Women Act.[33]

Texas v. Pennsylvania

In December 2020, Scott was one of 126 Republican members of the House of Representatives who signed an amicus brief in support of Texas v. Pennsylvania, a lawsuit filed at the United States Supreme Court contesting the results of the 2020 presidential election, in which Joe Biden prevailed[36] over incumbent Donald Trump. The Supreme Court declined to hear the case on the basis that Texas lacked standing under Article III of the Constitution to challenge the results of the election held by another state.[37][38][39]

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued a statement that called signing the amicus brief an act of "election subversion." Additionally, Pelosi reprimanded Scott and the other House members who supported the lawsuit: "The 126 Republican Members that signed onto this lawsuit brought dishonor to the House. Instead of upholding their oath to support and defend the Constitution, they chose to subvert the Constitution and undermine public trust in our sacred democratic institutions."[40][41] New Jersey Representative Bill Pascrell, citing section three of the 14th Amendment, called for Pelosi to not seat Scott and the other Republicans who signed the brief supporting the suit. Pascrell argued that "the text of the 14th Amendment expressly forbids Members of Congress from engaging in rebellion against the United States. Trying to overturn a democratic election and install a dictator seems like a pretty clear example of that."[42]

2021 Electoral College Vote

On January 7, 2021, Scott did not object to the Electoral College certification in the House of Representatives.[43] On January 5, 2021, he joined several Republican colleagues in sending a letter to Congressional Leadership stating that members of Congress did not have the authority to object to Electoral College votes sent to them by each state absent an investigation from a state legislature or a conflicting slate of electors.[44]

Scott condemned the violence at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.[45]

Scott attended the inauguration of President Joe Biden on January 20, 2021.

Personal life

Austin and his wife, Vivien, reside in Tifton, GA with their three children Wells, Gabriela and John Philip. The Scotts are members of First Baptist Church of Tifton. [46][47][48]

On November 30, 2020, it was announced Scott and his wife tested positive for COVID-19, making Scott the third Georgia congress member to test positive for the virus.[49]

References

1. "Austin Scott – Biography".
2. "Representative Austin Scott". Legis.state.ga.us. Archived from the original on 2009-03-22. Retrieved 2010-08-22.
3. "Rebel flag remains a hot topic in Congress".
4. "2010 Election results". Politico. 2010-11-05. Retrieved 2011-08-09.
5. "Walk of Georgia". Archived from the original on 2016-04-08. Retrieved 2019-05-30.
6. "Scott plans 1,000-mile 'Walk Around Georgia'". Tifton Gazette. 2009-06-24. Archived from the original on 2011-07-17. Retrieved 2010-08-22.
7. "Austin Scott Completes Walk of Georgia". SWGA Politics. 2009-08-29. Archived from the original on 2010-11-28. Retrieved 2010-08-22.
8. Badertscher, Nancy (2010-03-23). "Abolish Ga. 400 toll, candidate's bill proposes". ajc.com. Retrieved 2010-08-22.
9. Tharpe, Jim (2010-03-26). "Republican lawmaker wants state to 'direct' Baker to sue over health care". ajc.com. Retrieved 2010-08-22.
10. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-10-15. Retrieved 2014-10-08.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
11. "GA – Election Results". Retrieved November 17, 2012.
12. "Our Campaigns - GA District 08 Race - Nov 08, 2016". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved 2018-05-15.
13. "Election Night Reporting, REP - US HOUSE DIST 8". Retrieved 2021-02-05.
14. "Election Night Reporting, US HOUSE DISTRICT 8". Retrieved 2021-02-05.
15. "Austin Scott (R-Ga.)". Retrieved 2018-11-12.
16. "Defense & National Security". Retrieved 2018-11-12.
17. "Lawmakers criticize Navy's plan to retire one of two hospital ships". Retrieved 2018-11-12.
18. "A mission too critical to gap". Retrieved 2021-02-05.
19. "Robins to host Advanced Battle Management System". Retrieved 2018-11-12.
20. "A mission too critical to gap". Retrieved 2021-02-05.
21. "ICYMI: Rep. Austin Scott Advocates Support for SOUTHCOM in Combating Transnational Criminal Organizations". Retrieved 2018-11-12.
22. "Rep. Scott Legislative Accomplishments". December 3, 2020. Retrieved February 5, 2021.
23. "Rep. Scott Legislative Accomplishments". Retrieved February 5, 2021.
24. "Farm Bill Passes House, Includes Rep. Scott Provisions to Bring Broadband Investment to Rural America". Retrieved February 5, 2021.
25. "Rep. Austin Scott Commends USTR Report on Addressing Unfair Trade Practices that Harm Georgia Growers of Seasonal and Perishable Produce". Retrieved February 5, 2021.
26. Cole, John (December 3, 2020). "Thompson Elected Top Republican on Ag Committee". Politics PA. Retrieved December 7, 2020.
27. "Actions Overview H.R.4910 — 115th Congress (2017-2018)". Retrieved 2018-11-12.
28. "Rep. Austin Scott: Disaster Relief Heads to the President's Desk". Retrieved February 5, 2021.
29. "Changes to Pittman-Robertson Funds Are Designed to Save the Next Endangered Species: Hunters". Retrieved 2018-11-12.
30. "Member List". Republican Study Committee. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
31. "Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus Leadership: 115th Congress".
32. "Our Members". U.S. House of Representatives International Conservation Caucus. Archived from the original on 1 August 2018. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
33. "Austin Scott on the Issues". On The Issues. Retrieved 25 December 2017.
34. Almukhtar, Sarah (19 December 2017). "How Each House Member Voted on the Tax Bill". The New York Times. Retrieved 25 December 2017.
35. "Georgia Scorecard". NORML. Retrieved 25 December 2017.
36. Blood, Michael R.; Riccardi, Nicholas (December 5, 2020). "Biden officially secures enough electors to become president". AP News. Archived from the original on December 8, 2020. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
37. Liptak, Adam (2020-12-11). "Supreme Court Rejects Texas Suit Seeking to Subvert Election". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on December 11, 2020. Retrieved 2020-12-12.
38. "Order in Pending Case" (PDF). Supreme Court of the United States. 2020-12-11. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 11, 2020. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
39. Diaz, Daniella. "Brief from 126 Republicans supporting Texas lawsuit in Supreme Court". CNN. Archived from the original on December 12, 2020. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
40. Smith, David (2020-12-12). "Supreme court rejects Trump-backed Texas lawsuit aiming to overturn election results". The Guardian. Retrieved 2020-12-13.
41. "Pelosi Statement on Supreme Court Rejecting GOP Election Sabotage Lawsuit" (Press release). Speaker Nancy Pelosi. December 11, 2020. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
42. Williams, Jordan (2020-12-11). "Democrat asks Pelosi to refuse to seat lawmakers supporting Trump's election challenges". TheHill. Archived from the original on December 12, 2020. Retrieved 2020-12-12.
43. https://www.facebook.com/RepAustinScott/posts/3743502535714416. Retrieved 2021-02-05. Missing or empty |title= (help)
44. "Letter to leadership" (PDF). Retrieved 2021-02-05.
45. "Letter to leadership" (PDF). Retrieved 2021-02-05.
46. "Representative Austin Scott". Legis.state.ga.us. Archived from the original on 2009-03-22. Retrieved 2010-08-22.
47. "Representative Austin Scott Biography".
48. Staff (5 January 2011). "Ten Southern Baptists sworn in as new reps". Baptist Press. Archived from the original on 26 December 2014. Retrieved 25 December 2014.
49. Desk, Kelli Dugan, Cox Media Group National Content. "Coronavirus: U.S. Rep. Austin Scott tests positive for COVID-19". WFXT. Retrieved 2020-12-05.

External links

• Congressman Austin Scott official U.S. House website
• Austin Scott for Congress
• Austin Scott at Curlie
• Appearances on C-SPAN
• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Profile at Vote Smart
• Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Election Commission
• Legislation sponsored at the Library of Congress