Dear Friend:


Please take a few seconds to catch up on the latest news in Washington and the 13th Congressional District.


District Events


I enjoyed seeing everyone in Riverdale on Saturday for the grand opening of the Town Center.  There was a positive atomosphere from the thousands of people who came out to enjoy the nice weather and check out the city's progress.  I will continue to support Riverdale's efforts to bring economic development and quality of life for local residents.  The AJC ran a preview article about the event on Friday.


Recent House Votes

The House and Senate have passed H.R. 946, the Plain Language Act.  This bi-partisan bill will require the federal government to write new publications, forms, and publicly distributed documents in a “clear, concise, well-organized” manner that follows the best practices of plain language writing.  The Plain Langauge Act is a common-sense idea that will make government documents easier to understand.  H.R. 946 is now awaiting the President's signature in order to become law.


The House also passed the Medical Debt Relief Act (H.R. 3421).  The bill, which passed by a margin of 336 to 82, would prevent credit bureaus from using paid off or settled medical debt against consumers seeking home mortgages or car loans.  Medical debt collections are more likely to be in dispute, inconsistently reported, and can stay on a borrower’s credit report for seven years even if that bill is ultimately paid or settled.   This situation negatively affects a person's ability to buy a home, launch a business, or even obtain a job.  The bill would require that medical debt fully paid off or settled be removed from a consumer’s credit records within 45 days.  H.R. 3421 must now be debated in the Senate.


Consumer Information

Unfortunately, the number of foreclosures in the Metro-Atlanta continue at historic rates.  Back in July, I joined with the Treasury Department and HUD for a weekend foreclosure workshop.  Over 3,000 people were able to be assisted in some way.  Every day, my office works with constituents who are in danger of losing their home.  If you need assistance, please contact my office or visit the HUD online site for foreclosure assistanceat this link.  

Recovery Act Funding - To see how many projects in your area are funded by the Economic Recovery and Reinvestment Act, please visit recovery.gov and click on the interactive map. 
 

Military Academy Nominations


If you know of a student who wants to be nominated to a US Military Academy, please have them visit my website at this link or call for more information.  The deadline for applying through my office is October 29.

 Important Voter Information (Nov 2, Election)


Early voting is now underway.  To find out how you can vote, please visit the Secretary of State's website.   For members of the Armed Services stationed abroad, the Department of Defense has set up a website to help with the absentee voting process.


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