Dear Friend:

This past weekend Congress remained in session and debated ways to address our budget deficit and national debt. Fortunately a compromise was finally reached. However, the compromise is far from perfect. The good news is that the US will not default on the country's obligations. Also, Social Security and Medicare were not gutted as many had feared.

You can read a summary of the agreement at this link.

I am not pleased though that the deficit agreement does not include revenues. If Congress is serious about debt and deficit reduction, then we must end corporate earmarks through the tax code and stop borrowing money to provide tax breaks for millionaires. We also must stop borrowing money to run two wars.

I voted for this bi-partisan compromise for one reason: I was not willing to play Russian Roulette with our economy. Some hard-Right ideologues were willing to go into default and drive our economy over a cliff in order to prove their ideological purity. Rather than rant because I did not get everything that I wanted, I worked to get the best deal possible, and now we must move on. We must spend every minute left in this session talking about jobs. I will continue to fight to improve our economy, and at the same time protect Social Security and Medicare. Nothing else matters.


Please, take a few minutes to read about the latest news in the district and D.C

TODAY: Congressman Scott gave an interview to FOX5 Atlanta from a Kroger parking lot.  Watch their afternoon newscast to see what he said about the debt agreement. He also gave an interview with WSB-TV 2 about Rep. Gabriel Gifford's return to Congress.  That story should run this afternoon.  The  Congressman also gave an interview about the debt deal to the Marietta Daily-Journal. Pick up a copy of tomorrow's edition to read the full story.

-WSB-TV interviewed Congressman Scott on August 1, about the budget votes.  The Congressman expressed his primary concerns that Social Security and Medicare be protected from Draconian cuts.  You can watch the interview at this link.

-On August 1, The Hill blog mentioned Congressman Scott's position on the budget agreement. 

"It's a choice between this proposal and catastrophic default tomorrow," he said. Rep. David Scott (D-Ga.) seemed to agree with Connolly's analysis, and stressed the need to avoid a default.

You can read the article at this link.

-11 Alive, WXIA, interviewed Congressmen Scott and Lynn Westmoreland on July 29.  The long, uncut version of that interview is available for viewing at this link.

-BET quoted the Congressman on July 28, in regards to the debt deal.

“It’s time for the president to be bold and decisive and understand that he’s done all that he can do. He’s bent over backwards,” Scott said. “These people don’t want him to succeed. They’ll bring the country down if they think another way would give him success. They see a default as making the president look bad. They don’t want him to be re-elected. He needs to see that."

You can read the entire article at this link.

Keep up with the Congressman's upcoming media appearances by following him on Twitter: @RepDavidScott.

Health Fair - Congressman Scott brings together area hospitals, government agencies, non-profit organizations, and leaders of the healthcare industry to host his annual health fair for residents of the 13th Congressional District. This year’s event will offer an array of free health screenings. For more information and to register for the prostate exam, visit our website at this link.

WHEN: Saturday, August 13, 10:00 AM to 2:30 PM

WHERE: Mundy's Mill High School
9652 Fayetteville Road, Jonesboro, GA 30238


Georgia "For the People" Jobs Initiative. The Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) is hosting a national dialogue about jobs.  Included in this initiative are a series of jobs fairs, town hall meetings and workshops to help employ people. For more information about the "For the People" Jobs Initiative, visit this link.  Be sure to share your experiences about the labor market.

Georgia Event -- August 18
Atlanta Technical College
Job Fair: 8am – 5:30pm
Town Hall: 6:00pm -8pm

Below are the results from the web survey posted on the Congressman's website.  You can view the survey at this link.

Do you support Republican plans to turn Medicare into a voucher program to purchase private insurance?
No 198 (60.9%)
Yes 127 (39.1%)

Do you support Republican plans to turn Medicaid into a block grant program to states?
No 193 (60.5%)
Yes 126 (39.5%)

Do you support raising the Social Security retirement age?
No 178 (54.4%)
Yes 149 (45.6%)

Do you support raising the tax rate on incomes over $250,000 for an individual tax filer?
No 124 (37.9%)
Yes 203 (62.1%)

Do you support a reduction in US forces from Iraq and Afghanistan?
No 60 (18.3%)
Yes 268 (81.7%)


Thank you for taking time to read my newsletter.  If I can be of assistance, please contact me through one of the addresses located at the end of this message. We can also connect via Facebook, YouTube, Twitter or LinkedIn. 


Sincerely,

David Scott
Member of Congress