Greetings,

This month began with a visit to the White House. I joined my fellow House Committee Chairs in a visit to the Oval Office to meet with President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris to discuss the need for additional doses of the vaccine and federal relief for communities hit the hardest by the effects of COVID-19. 

I told the president, "We need to get this vaccine into the community, take it to them and utilize the existing structures within the community that they know: Black churches and schools. Then people are going to come." 

As we passed the grim milestone of 500,000 American lives lost to COVID-19 earlier this month, we are reminded that we must all do our part to slow the spread. I urge you to continue washing your hands often, wear a mask, and get the vaccine whenever it is available.

COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Event at Mundy’s Mill High School in Jonesboro, GA

This month, I was joined by Clayton County Senior Services and Clayton County Fire & Emergency Services at Mundy’s Mill High School in Jonesboro, GA to distribute 500 doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to Clayton County residents ages 65 and older.

We must take measurable steps to get vaccine doses into the arms of our people—particularly to help those who are most vulnerable to the virus. I am proud to partner with Clayton County Senior Services, Clayton County Fire & Emergency Services, Atlanta Black Nurses Association, Clayton County Public Schools, and Clayton County Police Department to provide this much needed relief, and I will continue to work feverishly in Washington to make sure that our district receives additional doses of the vaccine.

More information on COVID-19 vaccination sites can be found on my website. You can also locate COVID-19 vaccine sites near you at www.vaccinefinder.org.

Supporting the $1.9 Trillion COVID-19 Relief Plan

This month, I voted to pass H.R. 1319, the American Rescue Plan in order to provide critical support to the millions of families, workers, and communities suffering from the coronavirus pandemic.

This bill provides relief for hungry people and for our agricultural producers, including $5 billion tailored to assist those Black, Hispanic, Native American, and other farmers of color who did not proportionately benefit from the tens of billions of dollars in COVID relief paid out to farmers last year. As the first African American Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, I could not be prouder of the monumental step we are taking here today to correct this long-documented history of discrimination.

The American Rescue Plan Act delivers immediate relief by:

• Mounting a national vaccination program, increasing the pipeline of vaccine doses and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) going to state and local governments, and investing in high-quality healthcare, treatments, and telehealth services,
• Providing direct assistance to households across America with checks of $1,400 per person, and securing direct housing, rental, and utility assistance.
• Securing critical support for the hardest-hit small businesses, increasing unemployment insurance, expanding Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) eligibility, and by providing additional funding and resources for first responders, frontline public health workers, teachers, transit workers and other essential workers.

Celebrating Black History Month (February)

This month I was proud to celebrate #BlackHistoryMonth and to recognize African Americans’ central role in U.S. history. I encourage you to learn more about the 2021 #BHM theme: “Black Family: Representation, Identity and Diversity”, and the black diaspora in the United States.

Congressmen David Scott, Ritchie Torres, and Mondaire Jones Introduce Legislation to Support At-risk LGBTQ Youth

This month, Ritchie Torres (NY-15), Mondaire Jones (NY-17), and I filed legislation to strengthen America’s child welfare system and support at-risk LGBTQ youth. The Protecting LGBTQ Youth Act will better align federal support programs and prevention strategies to protect vulnerable children from abuse and neglect.

Click here to read the full Press Release

This Month In The News

I was proud to be featured in an AJC article on Black America with Rep. Sanford Bishop and Senator Raphael Warnock.

OPINION: Black Georgians dominate Ag power in Congress, By Patricia Murphy (Atlanta Journal Constitution)

“Rep. David Scott picked the cotton himself on his grandparents’ farm in Aynor, S.C., while his parents worked as live-in domestic help in New York.
 
“I picked the cotton, I suckered tobacco, I fed the hogs, I milked the cows,” said Scott, who eventually went on to get an MBA from the Wharton School of Business. “God was preparing me way back for this significant time.”

“The “significant time” is this moment in American history, with the COVID-19 pandemic ravaging minority communities especially, 17 million children living in hunger, rural communities struggling without broadband access, and Black farmers, in particular, hit by natural disasters, trade wars and COVID hurdles.”

I was also glad to join Politico to discuss the importance of addressing climate change, tackling racial inequalities, and alleviating food insecurity.

POLITICO Pro Q&A: Rep. David Scott, the first Black House Ag chair, By Liz Crampton (Politico)

"As the first African American to chair this committee, it is important for me to be able to make sure that Black people are not discriminated [against.] That’s why I say keep your history in front of you.

"African Americans were the pioneer farmers, plowing the fields, cropping, harvesting. All the hard work that goes into farming, that was done by Black people."

Financial Services Hearing: “Game Stopped? Who Wins and Loses When Short Sellers, Social Media, and Retail Investors Collide”

When the CEOs of Robinhood and Reddit testified before the House Financial Services Committee, I questioned them about their involvement in rapid price swings and serious threats to our financial system. When tweets, social media posts, do more to move the market than material legitimate information, the risk is enormous.

Congressman David Scott and Georgia Delegation Express Concerns About Recent Voting Legislation in State House and Senate

This month, I led members of the Georgia delegation in a letter to Georgia legislature leadership expressing our profound concerns with recently introduced legislation relating to voting procedures. 

“2020 showed the largest voter turnout ever for Georgia, with minority groups making up a larger share of the state’s electorate than ever before. And it is critically important at a time when our democracy has been threatened by the events on January 6th to ensure the people of Georgia have faith in our elections."

The full text of the letter can be viewed here.

Click here to read the full Press Release

Healthcare Special Enrollment Period Opens (Feb. 15 - May 15)

There’s a new Special Enrollment Period to sign up for Affordable Care Act plans in 2021. The enrollment period began on February 15, and it is open through May 15, 2021. Visit www.healthcare.gov to register if you are not yet covered.

New Rental and Utility Assistance in Cobb and Fulton Counties

Beginning in March, Fulton County is launching a new COVID-19 rental and utility assistance program based on $18 million in federal funding. Eligible residents outside the City of Atlanta are able to apply for rent, rental arrears, landlord assistance, and utility payment assistance through an online application.

Eligible residents must meet the following requirements: 

• Income up to 80% of area media income (AMI) and/or households affected by unemployment for 90 days or more.
• One or more individuals in the household has qualified for unemployment benefits or can attest in writing that they have experienced a reduction in overall household income due to the COVID-19 pandemic; and
• One or more individuals in the household can demonstrate a risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability (including a past due utility or rent notice or eviction notice); or unsafe living conditions that pose risk.

For more information, visit https://fultoncountyga.gov/renthelp.

Cobb County's Commission recently approved $23 million in federal rental assistance funding.

Eligible Households will be defined as a renter household in which at least one or more individuals meet the following criteria:

• Qualifies for unemployment or has experienced a reduction in household income, incurred significant costs, or experienced a financial hardship due to Covid-19
• Demonstrates a risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability; and
• Has a household income at or below 80 percent of the area median

The funds will be divided five ways between nonprofits Star-C Programs, MUST Ministries, HomeFree-USA, the Center for Family Resources, and Sweetwater Mission. Each non-profit will be tasked with doling out over $4 million in funding to landlords and utility service providers, on behalf of struggling tenants.

Visit https://cobbhomesaver.org/renters/ for more information.

Please note: If you are located in a county other than Cobb or Fulton, and you are seeking Rental Assistance, additional information is forthcoming. For more information, please call my offices in Smyrna or Jonesboro.

As you may know, there are over 818,516 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Georgia. With this virus still affecting our daily lives, I ask that you continue to stay socially distanced, wear a mask, and seek the vaccination as soon as possible.

For more information on COVID-19 vaccines in Georgia’s Thirteenth District, please visit https://davidscott.house.gov/coronavirus/.

Thank you for checking in with me. I encourage you to stay up to date with me on key happenings in the Thirteenth District and in Washington.

You may also be interested in following me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, and you can learn more on my website. As always, please don’t hesitate to reach out if my staff and I can ever be of assistance to you and your family.

Sincerely,

Congressman David Scott