Dear Friend:

As we embark on a new decade, it is important to celebrate the significant strides my colleagues and I have made in achieving equality and justice for all. This year, I worked with my colleagues to improve labor standards, strengthen election security, and improve access to affordable housing and banking services. I supported national efforts to combat the poisonous effects of climate change, supported gender equity, and fought for LGBTQ protections. I take my role as a Georgian Member of Congress with honor and integrity and will hold our institutions accountable so Georgia’s children have access to a quality education, have food at every meal, and are protected from toxic air pollutants while playing outside.

I am proud to serve you in Congress and to share the enclosed report highlighting key achievements I delivered for Thirteenth District families over the past year. And, as always, please call on me when I can help you and your family.

Sincerely,

Congressman David Scott

Constituent Services Report:

·         $120,726,158 in federal grants awarded to the Thirteenth District in 2019.

·         $3,391,513 in casework savings obtained for constituents.

·         Opened 1,077 new constituent cases and closed 1,164 cases for constituents.

·         Over 8,000 job seekers attended and 149 of Georgia’s top employers participated to fill 10,517 open positions at our 16^th Annual Jobs Fair.

·         108 health care providers participated in our 15^th Annual Health Fair and provided free health care for more than 3,000 constituents. 

·         Awarded $37,000 in scholarships to top student winners of 17^th Annual Congressional Art Competition.

·         64 students competed in 17^th Annual Congressional Art Competition.

·         Awarded 24 congressional nominations to students including:  5 to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point; 7 to the U.S. Naval Academy; 10 to the U.S. Air Force Academy; and 2 to the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.

·         Awarded $8,200 in scholarships to students through the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation.

·         Provided 47,083 responses to constituents’ Letters, Emails, and Calls.

Legislative Initiatives:

·         275 Bills Sponsored or Cosponsored.

·         2 Bills Passed in the House; 1 Bill Signed into Law.

·         692 Votes on the House Floor.

·         Attended more than 40 Committee hearings in Financial Services and Agriculture.

·         69 Bills marked up in the Financial Services Committee.

Environment: This year, a chemical plant in Smyrna instilled fear in the hearts of my constituents as toxic pollutants were released into local neighborhoods and community areas. In response, I joined the Ethylene Oxide (EtO) Taskforce, from where I have led in holding institutions accountable to their inactions, supporting legislation to manage EtO as a carcinogenic chemical, holding the Environmental Protection Agency accountable, and overall supporting clean air standards so that Georgians can enjoy fresh and clean air.

Banking: More than ten years following the Great Recession, families and communities still face barriers to recovery in banking and housing.  As a Senior Member on the Financial Services Committee, I sponsored H.R. 1988, the Protecting Affordable Mortgages for Veterans Act to stamp out predatory loan churning.  This bill was signed into law in July 2019, ensuring that the dream of homeownership continues to be preserved for those who deserve it most—our nation’s veterans. 

Veterans: For our country’s military families, I voted in support of the NDAA Conference Report, which gives military service members a 3.1.% pay raise; repeals the SBP-DIC offset – also known as the widow’s tax – over the next three years for surviving military spouses; and provides 12 weeks of paid parental leave to all federal civilian employees.

Elections: I was honored to work with my Democratic colleagues in the House of Representatives to pass H.R. 1, the For the People Act, a comprehensive election security and reform package that represents a major step forward in increasing election transparency and accountability and rooting out corruption.  In addition, I joined my colleagues in standing up against voter discrimination by passing H.R. 4, the Voting Rights Advancement Act, which would reinstate Federal courts’ ability to protect against flawed and oppressive changes to voting systems.  By ensuring that elections are fair and Americans are free to exercise their right to vote, by reforming our campaign finance system, and by demanding accountability from our elected officials, H.R. 1 and H.R. 4 take needed action to restore our democracy for the American people. 

Healthcare: In December, I voted to pass H.R. 3, the Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act, which will help bring down the cost of prescription drugs by giving Medicare the power to negotiate directly with drug companies and allows private health insurance companies to make these same low prices available to their consumers.

Gun Safety: I also cosponsored and voted in support of H.R. 8, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019 and H.R. 1112, the Enhanced Background Checks Act of 2019. Such senseless tragedies caused by gun violence are of grave concern to me, and we must continue to work to craft better gun control laws to identify and detain these criminals before they carry out these attacks. Both of these bills have passed in the U.S. House of Representatives and have yet to be considered for a vote in the U.S. Senate.

Education: Education is the single greatest economic equalizer for lower-income communities and communities of color to reach new economic heights. Whether it is apprenticeship programs, vocational schools, or 4-year university degrees, these programs play a critical role in graduating students into the workforce of tomorrow. I am a proud cosponsor of H.R. 4674, the College Affordability Act to bring drastic reform and modernization to the higher education system. The College Affordability Act increases financial aid awards to lower-income students, provides significant funding and support to Minority Serving Institutions, ensures homeless and hungry students are fed and housed, and increases federal funds to programs like GEAR UP and TRIO which have been fundamental in elevating African-American students in Georgia.

Weekly Review:

Funding Bills Sail Through Congress
Earlier this week, I joined with my colleagues in the House of Representatives to pass two bills which, when combined together, will fund our many critical government programs and agencies through the remainder of fiscal year 2020.  These bills take important steps to improve gun safety research, invest in America’s infrastructure, support agricultural services and rural development, and expand access to safe, affordable, and fair housing.  I am pleased that Congress came to an agreement that supports the critical programs and services that millions of Georgians rely upon every day.  And for the 47,000 federal, postal, and military employees living and working to serve the public in the metropolitan Atlanta area, this spending package provides certainty and stability for the year to come.  

House Votes on Articles of Impeachment
In September, I announced my support for the opening of an official impeachment inquiry in the U.S. House of Representatives. Recent communications between President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine weigh very heavily and have serious national security implications. While a basic tenet in our democracy is that a person is innocent until proven guilty, no one is above the law. This week, because of the solemn oath I swore to protect and defend the Constitution, I voted in favor of both articles of impeachment. This is not a decision I made lightly, but it is critical that we hold the President accountable for his actions, especially actions taken at the expense of our national security. While it is important that the U.S. House of Representatives was able to fulfill its Constitutional duties throughout this year’s formal impeachment inquiry, I look forward to continuing to work across the aisle to address the issues that impact the communities in Georgia 13th District.