MACON, Ga. — As Rep. Austin Scott throws his hat into the race for House Speaker, newfound attention is being heaped on the little-known Congressman. Many people are asking the question: who is Austin Scott?
Background:
Scott has been serving in Congress since 2011 and serves Georgia's 8th Congressional District. That covers parts of Central Georgia but it also extends all the way down to the Florida-Georgia line.
However, Scott has kept a relatively low profile in Congress and even in Georgia politics.
He lives in the city of Tifton, a town of 17,000, which is about a 45-minute drive to Valdosta and a 1.5 hour drive to Macon. He has a wife, Vivien, and they have three kids.
Scott graduated from the University of Georgia, and he owned and operated an insurance brokerage firm for 20 years in Tifton.
At age 26, Scott was elected to the Georgia House of Representatives in 1996 and served there until 2011 years.
During his time in Georgia's House of Representatives, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that Scott was the first Republican to join Democrats to try and remove the Confederate battle emblem in Georgia's flag.
When he first ran for Congress, Scott defeated incumbent Rep. Jim Marshall in 2010, a Democrat.
Positions:
As Scott ran for reelection in 2022, he spoke to us at 13WMAZ about his philosophy. He sought to emphasize his belief in small government.
"I believe in personal freedom and individual liberty and economic opportunity and if you look at what the Democratic Party wants they want to micromanage all aspects of our lives; and so they very much believe in federal control," Scott said.
He pointed to areas that he believed the government shouldn't be getting involved in.
"Federal control of the health care system. Federal control of the education system. Federal control of all aspects of our lives," Scott said.
He emphasized that he believes the Constitution is focused on protecting freedom.
"I believe that we are a free country, and we are free people, and we need to protect those freedoms. That's what the Constitution gives us," Scott said.
On social issues, however, he expressed worries about the direction of society. Back in 2022, when 13WMAZ asked if candidates had any final statements, Scott offered up a few words.
"I will tell you what's happening on the social aspect of America is very concerning to me," Scott said. "When you look at the far-left is doing where they are demanding that transgender surgeries be allowed to be performed on minors. I think that's absolutely ridiculous."
Scott has been a fierce supporter of the U.S. military, in large part because the 8th District has not only Robins Air Force Base but also Moody Air Force Base.
"Scott fights to ensure we have the best equipped and trained military in the world, including capabilities to combat adversaries like China, Russia, and Iran," his house biography said.
They emphasized that Scott works with leaders in the U.S. military to "provide the tools our warfighters need to keep our country safe," his website says.
Current Committee Assignments:
Austin serves on three committees that reflect certain political interests.
According to his house website, Scott is a member of the House Committee on Agriculture, where he serves as a Vice Chairman. He is also chair of their General Farm Commodities, Risk Management and Credit Subcommittee.
Additionally, he is a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence where he is on the CIA Subcommittee and the NSA and Cyber Subcommittee.
He also is on the House Armed Services Committee where he also serves on the Subcommittee on Intelligence and Special Operations and the Subcommittee on Readiness.