David Scott | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2019 | |
| Ranking Member of theHouse Agriculture Committee | |
| In office January 3, 2023 – January 3, 2025 | |
| Preceded by | Glenn Thompson |
| Succeeded by | Angie Craig |
| Chair of theHouse Agriculture Committee | |
| In office January 3, 2021 – January 3, 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Collin Peterson |
| Succeeded by | Glenn Thompson |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromGeorgia's13th district | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2003 | |
| Preceded by | Constituency established |
| Member of theGeorgia State Senate from the36th district | |
| In office January 10, 1983 – January 3, 2003 | |
| Preceded by | Jack Stephens |
| Succeeded by | Sam Zamarripa |
| Member of theGeorgia House of Representatives from the 37th district | |
| In office January 13, 1975 – January 10, 1983 | |
| Preceded by | Bill Stephens |
| Succeeded by | Georganna Sinkfield |
| Personal details | |
| Born | David Albert Scott (1945-06-27)June 27, 1945 (age 80) Aynor, South Carolina, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives | Hank Aaron (brother-in-law) |
| Education | Florida A&M University (BA) University of Pennsylvania (MBA) |
| Website | House website Campaign website |
Scott supporting his legislation, the 2013 NARAB Reform Act. Recorded September 10, 2013 | |
David Albert Scott (born June 27, 1945) is an American politician and businessman who has served as theU.S. representative forGeorgia's 13th congressional district since 2003. Scott's district includes all ofRockdale County, as well as portions ofClayton,DeKalb,Gwinnett,Henry, andNewton counties. Before his election to Congress in 2002, Scott served as aDemocratic member of both chambers of theGeorgia Legislature and operated a small business. In 2023, he succeededGlenn Thompson as ranking member of theHouse Agriculture Committee.
Scott was born inAynor, South Carolina, and attended high school inDaytona Beach, Florida. He received a bachelor's degree in finance fromFlorida A&M University and aMaster of Business Administration from theWharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Scott is a member ofAlpha Phi Alpha fraternity.[1]
In 1978, Scott founded Dayn-Mark Advertising (from the names of his two daughters, Dayna and Marcie), which places billboards and other forms of advertising in the Atlanta area. Scott's wife, Alfredia, now heads the business. In May 2007, it was reported that the business owed more than $150,000 in back taxes and penalties.[2] Scott's campaigns paid the company more than $500,000 from 2002 to 2010, including expenses for office rent, printing, T-shirts, and other services. He has also paid his wife, two daughters, and son-in-law tens of thousands of dollars for campaign work such as fund raising and canvassing.[3]
Scott served in theGeorgia House of Representatives from 1974 to 1982 and in theGeorgia State Senate from 1982 to 2002.
When Georgia picked up an additional district as a result of the 2000 census, Scott entered a five-way Democratic primary for the seat, winning with 53.8% of the vote.[4] He then defeated Republican Clay Cox in the general election with 59% of the vote.[5] He has never faced another contest that close, and has been reelected eight times, running unopposed in 2004, 2014 and 2016.
In 2007, the political watchdog groupCitizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington named Scott one of the 25 most corrupt members of Congress.[6][3]
During his first two terms, Scott represented a district that twisted and wound its way through parts of nine counties and was barely contiguous in some areas. In a mid-decade redistricting held after the 2004 elections, the district was redrawn to be somewhat more compact, with its population centered in Clayton, Douglas and Fulton Counties. Redistricting after the 2010 census gave the district all of Douglas County and pushed it further into Clayton.
For the119th Congress:[7]
Scott was ranked as the 18th-most bipartisan member of the U.S. House of Representatives during the114th Congress (and the second most bipartisan member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Georgia) in the Bipartisan Index created by theLugar Center and theMcCourt School of Public Policy, which ranks members of the United States Congress by their degree of bipartisanship by measuring how often each member's bills attract co-sponsors from the opposite party and each member co-sponsors bills by members of the opposite party.[18]
Scott voted for theAffordable Care Act (Obamacare). On August 6, 2009, he was confronted by a constituent who was also a local doctor. The doctor, who later appeared in subsequent debates with his opposition candidate, asked Scott why he was going to vote for a health care plan similar tothe plan implemented in Massachusetts and whether he supported a government-provided health care insurance option. Scott questioned whether the doctor was a resident of his district, although the local TV stationWXIA-TV confirmed that the doctor did live and work in the district.[19] Scott also said the doctor had not called Scott's office to set up a meeting about health care; this was not verified.[20]
Although Scott voted against the first version of the 2008 bailout, he backed the final version "after being assured the legislation would aid homeowners facing foreclosures. Scott crafted an added provision dedicating $14 billion to aid those homeowners."[21]
Scott supported two failed pieces of legislation in 2004 and 2006 that aimed to establish a constitutional amendment banningsame-sex marriage.[21][22] However, in May 2013 thinkprogress.org reported receiving an email from a spokesman of Scott saying, "Congressman Scott fully supports marriage equality."[23] TheHuman Rights Campaign's profile of Scott also contains this sentence as his statement under "position on marriage equality".[24]
Scott has announced his opposition to thenuclear deal withIran, saying, "It's a good deal for Iran, forRussia,China and probablyHezbollah, but is it not, definitely not a good deal for Israel or for the United States or our allies – especiallyJordan andSaudi Arabia".[25]
Scott was one of only five House Democrats who voted to allow the U.S. to continue selling arms toSaudi Arabia and to support theSaudi-led intervention in Yemen. His vote came just one day after the Senate, on December 13, 2018, invoked theWar Powers Resolution for the first time since its enactment in 1973 to assert congressional authority and move to end U.S. military involvement.[26]
Scott's brother-in-law was Baseball Hall of Fame memberHank Aaron.[27]
Scott allegedly received death threats over his support of the Affordable Care Act.[28] Aswastika was found spray-painted on a sign outside his district office.[29]
Rep. Scott's ethics issues stem from allegations of tax evasion and misuse of official resources for political campaign activity
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| New constituency | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromGeorgia's 13th congressional district 2003–present | Incumbent |
| Preceded by | Chair of theHouse Agriculture Committee 2021–2023 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Ranking Member of theHouse Agriculture Committee 2023–2025 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
| Preceded by | United States representatives by seniority 42nd | Succeeded by |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
