October 9, 2022

Dear Georgian,

90% of America’s food supply comes from 12% of the farms, and we’ve seen these past few years how critical our farmers are to our supply chains and the food and fiber we depend on daily.

I'm honored to receive the Friend of Farm Bureau Award from the American Farm Bureau Federation for having a voting record in the 117th Congress that supports our nation’s farmers. Food security is national security, and I am proud to represent Georgia’s farmers in Congress.

Remember when Biden canceled the Keystone Pipeline, raided America's strategic petroleum reserve for political purposes, and then went to Saudi Arabia to ask the Prince not to let OPEC cut oil production before the November election? Well, this week, the Saudis and the Russians decided to join together and cut oil production, which will raise gas prices again. These countries do not share our interests or values, and giving them control of our energy supply has cost Americans billions.

Medicare Open Enrollment begins soon, and my office is here to help! Medicare Part D plans change each year, and reviewing your options during this period will ensure you are enrolled in the plan that best suits your needs. If you are interested in reviewing available options, contact either my Tifton office at (229) 396-5175 or Warner Robins office at (478) 971-1776 to make an appointment for Part D open enrollment assistance.

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,

Congressman Austin Scott

Advocating for Rural Pharmacies

Our service members dedicate their lives to serving our nation, and they deserve accessible care in every corner of the homeland that they selflessly defend. The Department of Defense recently announced that the pharmacy benefit manager (PBM), Express Scripts, will strip pharmaceutical access away from TRICARE patients and their families, unfairly targeting community pharmacies in our district and rural areas across the country.

I joined colleagues in sending a letter to the Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, Seileen Mullen, requesting more information about their decision and expressing the importance of independent community pharmacies.

You can read more here.

Inquiring About Vaccine Mandates

As someone who was hospitalized with COVID-19 early in 2020, I believe vaccines work, but I do not believe that people should be forced to get them. Many members of our Armed Forces were mandated to get the COVID-19 vaccine before it was FDA-approved, even if they had a prior recognized religious exemption. Some were terminated for not getting it.

Since President Biden said on national news that the pandemic is over, my colleagues and I wrote to the Department of Defense requesting a briefing on the vaccine mandate timeline and a review of ongoing litigation regarding enforcement.

You can read more here.

Keeping Foreign Adversaries Out of Our Farmland

Foreign adversaries have no place purchasing U.S. farmland, especially in proximity to our military bases. According to the USDA, foreign ownership and investment in U.S. agricultural land have nearly doubled over the past decade, with countries like China and Saudi Arabia both increasing U.S. land ownership.

My colleagues and I wrote to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) asking that they analyze this alarming trend and ensure accurate disclosure of foreign-owned agricultural land.

You can read more here.

The Albany Herald | Austin Scott receives Friend of Farm Bureau award

"U.S. Representative Austin Scott, R-Ga., received the Friend of Farm Bureau Award from the American Farm Bureau Federation recently for having a voting record in the 117th Congress that supports the nation’s farmers."