July 21, 2025

Dear Georgian,

Last week was a very busy week in Washington D.C. We were able to secure some big wins for Georgia's Eighth Congressional District.

The House Armed Services Committee marked up, and passed, the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act. In this annual legislation were some major wins for our district, including 18 of my amendments that were adopted into the legislation and another 10 included in the base text. Among these were strengthening support for the missions at Moody AFB and providing for our current and future needs at Robins AFB.

Georgia's military installations play a key role in implementing President Donald Trump’s strategy of peace through strength. I am proud to continue working hard for our men and women in uniform, and the FY26 NDAA is a fantastic way for us to continue supporting and equipping our servicemembers.

As always, my staff and I are here to help. If you need assistance with a federal agency or have comments or concerns to share with me, please do not hesitate to call my Warner Robins, Tifton, or Washington, D.C. offices. To receive frequent updates, I encourage you to visit my website, like my Facebook page, follow me on YouTube, and follow me on Twitter.

Keep reading for the full update.

Sincerely,
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Congressman Austin Scott


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Securing wins for our Servicemembers

Last week, the House Armed Services Committee held a markup of the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act. I am proud to report that there were many big wins for Robins Air Force Base, Moody Air Force Base, and servicemembers around the country. It is our duty to ensure that America's warfighters are fully equipped and supported in their mission, and that's exactly what we did last week. 

PROVIDING FOR CURRENT AND FUTURE NEEDS AT ROBINS:

The Chairman’s mark of the FY 26 NDAA contained two provisions that will provide support to Robins AFB throughout the drafting of this bill. 

First, Section 1102 of the bill would allow for retired members of the Armed Forces to be appointed to competitive or excepted service positions in the Department of Defense without a waiver. This will allow more retired military personnel to continue to serve our country as civilians at Robins Air Force Base.

Furthermore, included in the bill was an extension of the authority for depot working capital funds, like Warner Robins Air Logistics Complex (WR-ALC), to be used for unspecified minor military construction from September 30, 2025 to September 30, 2027. This will enable WR-ALC to continue to modernize their facilities.

SUPPORTING MISSIONS AT MOODY:

We also secured an amendment to delay the full retirement of the A-10C “Warthog” aircraft, several dozen of which are based at Moody Air Force Base in Valdosta, GA. This amendment requires the Air Force to maintain a minimum of 96 A-10 aircraft in FY 26. The A-10C provides close air support and combat search-and-rescue capabilities unmatched by any other aircraft in the Air Force’s inventory.

Also included was an amendment I sponsored that would extend the intergovernmental support agreements (IGSA) pilot program until September 30, 2030. Moody AFB has benefitted greatly from partnership tools, particularly the IGSA. The agreements provide additional flexibility in some areas for the base and keeps funds local. Moreover, Moody enjoys tremendous support from the Lowndes County community and government to include three IGSAs signed between Moody and Lowndes County.

Some more wins included in the FY26 NDAA were:

  • Established a pilot program to provide service personnel with a voluntary option to enroll in a low-premium supplemental insurance plan to help protect against uncovered out-of-pocket expenses resulting from a cancer diagnosis in the family.
  • Renamed Fort Gordon in Augusta, GA as Fort Shughart Gordon. MSG Gary Gordon and SFC Randy Shughart were two Delta snipers that fought and died in the October 1993 Battle of Mogadishu. They were both posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor and their names deserved to be linked forever in history.
  • Strengthened deterrence against Russia in the Baltics by requiring the Secretary of Defense to identify and mitigate obstacles to the deployment of HIMARS platforms and munitions among Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania in crisis scenarios.
  • Modified and extended annual reporting on military and security developments involving the Russian Federation to include Russia's strategic goals, force posture, and military spending.
  • Expanded training of partner and allied forces to include space domain awareness.
  • Enhanced congressional oversight of the U.S. Africa Command.

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Fighting for Government Transparency

House Republicans on the Rules Committee fought back against a reckless Democrat amendment that would not have protected victims of Jeffrey Epstein's horrible crimes. It's sad that these victims were the subject of a political stunt that would've done nothing to protect their identities. The American people deserve better.

So last week, Rules Committee Republicans passed a resolution that gives the White House 30 days to release all credible documents, records, and communications related to the investigation of Jeffrey Epstein. 

I was proud to sponsor and support this resolution which will require the release of credible information, protect whistleblowers and victims of sexual abuse, and finally shine a light on the full details of everyone involved in the despicable acts connected to Jeffrey Epstein. The American people deserve the truth and the victims deserve to be protected, not used as a political stunt as they were all last week.

This resolution delivers on our promise to Americans for increased government transparency, something that has been missing from the White House for the last four years. We owe it to all Americans to provide transparency and dispense justice to anyone guilty of these awful and horrifying crimes.

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Delivering Savings for the American People

Last week, the House sent a rescissions package that will deliver $9 billion in savings to the President's desk. Cutting unnecessary spending from the federal government is a priority for the American people, the President, and Congress. We will continue to deliver on that priority. Hopefully, this will be the first of many rounds of spending cuts as we work to remove bureaucratic bloat from the federal government and ensure taxpayer dollars are spent wisely and responsibly.

Among the cuts were funding for transgender comic books in Peru and many other radical, woke policies. Taxpayer funds will no longer be used to pay for partisan media outlets.

I was proud to speak on the Floor of the House in favor of these important cuts, and I look forward to more to come.

 

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Lawmakers Hear Farmers’ Plea for Better Credit Access

WASHINGTON, DC – A House Agriculture Subcommittee hearing Wednesday focused on the growing pressure family farmers face accessing affordable credit and managing financial risk. The session was part of a series examining farm finance and included testimony from rural bankers, ag lenders, and Montana producer John Wicks.

Wicks, a fourth-generation farmer, emphasized the strain rising input costs and low commodity prices place on family farms. He said that while credit and risk management programs are essential, farmers also need more competitive markets and stronger farm safety net protections to stay viable.

Suggestions from the hearing included increasing loan limits through the Farm Service Agency, streamlining debt restructuring processes, and ensuring programs meet the needs of diverse farm types. Ag lenders warned that higher interest rates are compounding risk for borrowers, even as operational costs climb.

Witnesses from AgWest Farm Credit and First National Bank in Sioux Falls urged Congress to invest in stronger lending tools that reflect today’s economic realities. Their message was clear: current programs are outdated and must evolve if small and midsize producers are to survive and grow.

Read the full article here.


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