issues

Congressman David Scott Priorities and Leadership

Congressman Scott believes veterans deserve the utmost respect and admiration for their courage and sacrifice. He is working hard to ensure veteran families receive the best compensation and benefits available and for the Veterans Affairs (VA) Department to continue improving services. As a longtime advocate for expanding VA benefits, including GI bill, healthcare, retirement plans, housing accommodations, and improved quality of living standards, Rep. Scott will keep fighting to protect vital programs from being decimated by draconian spending cuts. Any attempt to reduce our national debt must not jeopardize access to critical services for our veterans.

VA Healthcare

• Introduced H.R. 3347, the Protect Lifesaving Anesthesia Care Act, bipartisan legislation to ensure physician anesthesiologists are not removed from the team of doctors providing surgical care in VA hospitals. The bill ensures Georgia veterans receive the exact same high-quality care as every other citizen—and not a lower standard than civilians receive.
• In August 2024, Rep. Scott led more than 50 Democrats and Republicans in sending a letter to Secy. McDonough urging him to protect anesthesia care for vulnerable veterans.
• Rep. Scott requested the highest possible FY2025 funding level of $300 million for the Healthcare for Homeless Veterans (HCHV) Program. HCHV’s central goal is to reduce homelessness among Veterans by conducting outreach to those who are most at-risk.
• Supported passage of a bill to rename the Atlanta VA Medical Center as the “Joseph Maxwell Cleland Atlanta Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center” in honor of the late Georgia Senator Max Cleland.

VA Services and Benefits   

• Requested $600 million in FY 2025 funding, the highest amount, for VA State Home Construction Grants, which help secure housing for more than 40,000 Georgia veterans.
• In May, Rep. Scott wrote an op-ed in the Atlanta Journal Constitution addressing ongoing political attacks by extreme House Republicans who threatened to cut Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for military families.
• Rep. Scott voted for H.R.1530, the Veterans Benefits Improvement Act, to bring much needed changes to the VA’s claim process and improves communications with veterans to ensure they can access the disability benefits they have earned.
• Cosponsored H.R. 1282, the Major Richards Star Act to eliminate the offset for military retirees whose careers were cut short due to combat-related injuries—allowing them to collect thousands of dollars per month which they have been denied up until now.
• Voted for H.R. 4016, the Veteran Fraud Reimbursement Act to ensure vets defrauded of their benefits can be reimbursed without having to jump through bureaucratic hoops.

Veterans Post-Service

• Voted for H.R. 1767, the Student Veteran Benefit Restoration Act, to protect student veterans who have been defrauded by predatory for-profit colleges. The bill restores GI Bill education and tuition benefits for student veterans.
• Rep. Scott voted for H.R.3738, the Veterans Economic Opportunity & Transition Admin. Act to increase the existing staffing and resource gap for VA transition assistance and vocational rehabilitation.
• Partnered with the Small Business Administration (SBA) to offer support for Georgia veterans as they enter the world of business ownership.
• Rep. Scott also voted for H.R.1606, the Veteran Entrepreneurship Training Act, to codify into law the successful Boots to Business (B2B) program—helping 500+ business in GA.
• Partnered with the Veterans Association of Real Estate Professionals to pass H.R. 3240, the VAREP Charter Act and expand the availability of homeownership and financial literacy for military families across Georgia.
• In May 2024, Rep. Scott voted for H.R. 8340, the Housing Unhouse Veterans Act, to get homeless disabled veterans into the housing built exclusively for them on veteran land.

Female Veterans

• Rep. Scott requested a FY 2025 funding level of $1.3 billion for Women Veterans Gender Specific Care—this amount ensures greater access to reproductive and mental health care.
• In May, Rep. Scott worked with the VHA to increase funds for Women Veterans Peer Support Specialists in GA. The PSS program offer individuals invaluable assistance to navigate complex challenges, build lasting relationships, and process shared experiences.
• Rep. Scott became an original cosponsor of H.R. 3303, the Maternal Health for Veterans Act, a landmark bill to address the maternal mortality crisis among women Veterans
• In May, Rep. Scott led a bipartisan FY 2025 funding letter directing the VA to ensure its research programs adequately study the unique needs and concerns of female veterans with endometriosis.