An Update from Congressman Austin Scott
April 20, 2026
Dear Georgian,
Last week, the House of Representatives passed several pieces of legislation that rolled back overreaching, Biden-era, regulations.
House Republicans passed the FENCES Act that will ensure fair and consistent air quality designations so states will not be penalized for emissions outside of U.S. borders. We also passed the FIRE Act, which will fix how wildfires are treated under air quality law and removes barriers, allowing for more proactive forest management.
House Republicans also passed a 10-day Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act extension that will allow more time for negotiation on this critical national security legislation and protect Americans’ civil liberties, while also combatting terrorists and narco-terrorists.
April 15th was Tax Day in America and, thanks to the Working Families Tax Cuts, American families and small businesses are bringing home more money. The average refund this filing season is over $3,400, an 11% increase compared to last filing season. It was also much simpler this season, with over 105 million filers having claimed the permanently doubled standard deduction. This simplified tax filing for millions across the country.
As always, my staff and I are here to help. If you need assistance with a federal agency or have comments or concerns to share with me, please do not hesitate to call my Warner Robins, Tifton, or Washington, D.C. offices. To receive frequent updates, I encourage you to visit my website, like my Facebook page, follow me on YouTube, and follow me on Twitter.
Keep reading for the full update. 
Sincerely,
Congressman Austin Scott
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Joining Members of European Parliaments for a Policy Roundtable Discussion
Last week, I spoke at a policy roundtable with members from various European countries’ governments including Italy and Portugal, to discuss our cooperation.
We discussed the importance of the United States being made exempt from the European Union Deforestation Regulation that is directly harming growers in Georgia’s 8th Congressional District and in districts across the country. We also discussed how continued efforts in the continent of Africa are important towards combatting Russian and Chinese influence in the region.
Meeting with the Sportfishing Industry
Last Tuesday, I met with southeast members of the sportfishing industry, including a member from Georgia.
We discussed issues impacting this major industry such as mitigating whale vessel strikes, red snapper fishing, and the Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Program.
Speaking with the Land Trust Alliance: Georgia-Alabama Land Trust
Last Wednesday, the Land Trust Alliance stopped by the office with members of the Georgia-Alabama Land Trust.
We discussed the future of land conservation and the role both their respective land trust and the greater land trust community play in strengthening land conservation by helping families conserve their land in Georgia’s 8th District and across America.
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Speaking at House Rules Committee hearing
Watch my full remarks on President Trump’s recent social media posts here.
Speaking at House Armed Services Readiness Subcommittee hearing
I asked General Christopher LaNeve, Vice Chief of Staff for the Army and Acting Army Chief of Staff, about the forced retirement of General Randy George.
Watch my full line of questioning here.
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Georgia Republican says ouster of Gen. George will have ‘chilling effect’ on military
Rep. Austin Scott (R-Ga.) said during a hearing on Wednesday that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s recent ouster of Gen. Randy George, the U.S. Army’s former chief of staff, will have a “chilling effect” on the way the armed services operate.
Scott, who praised George as “well respected, well liked by many of us,” asked Gen. Christopher LaNeve, the acting Army chief of staff, why his predecessor was removed earlier this month.
“That’s a question for Secretary Hegseth,” LaNeve, who was Hegseth’s senior military assistant at the Pentagon last year, said in response. “I’ve been the vice for a couple of months now. We honored the service of Gen. George and his wife.”
“I would like for Secretary Hegseth to answer the reason why they were dismissed. And I think that the way Gen. George and his wife Patty were treated will have a chilling effect on the way our services operate in the future,” Scott said during the House Armed Services subcommittee hearing on “Military Readiness for FY27.”
When reached for comment, the Pentagon pointed The Hill to the department’s chief spokesperson, Sean Parnell, who confirmed George’s retirement in a statement.
“The Department of War is grateful for General George’s decades of service to our nation. We wish him well in his retirement,” Parnell wrote on April 2.
George, who spent more than four decades in the Army and is well respected by his peers, was ousted at Hegseth’s direction. Shortly after, some Republicans rallied in support of George, whose exit came as the U.S. was actively striking military targets inside Iran.
A Pentagon official told The Hill on Wednesday that the department has been in touch with Scott’s office since George was removed. The Hill has reached out to Scott’s office for comment.
Scott then asked LaNeve if Hegseth removed four senior Army officers — two Black men and two women — from the promotion list for one-star generals.
“I think the list is still moving forward. The process has been followed through. The Army provided the list of the secretary of War’s office, and it has gone forward, whether those officers have been split from the list, higher, I’m not sure at this time,” the general said.
“This is a team sport. The officer and the spouse are in this together, and I think that Gen. George and his wife Patty, I think they were very unfairly treated,” Scott said, adding that he would “appreciate” it if Hegseth would be “forthcoming with whether or not four names were removed from the list.”
During the hearing, Rep. Marilyn Strickland (D-Wash.) also praised George and his wife for dedicating their lives to “serving our country” and added that Hegseth should not be removing officers from the promotion lists “because their records have been highly vetted, highly scrutinized, and these people are qualified for the jobs.”
“We look forward to hearing an explanation from Secretary Hegseth when he meets with the full House Armed Services Committee on April 29,” Strickland said.
Rep. Sarah Elfreth (D-Md.) echoed Scott’s comments about George, saying, “I’ve only been on committee 15 months, but he was incredibly forthright and solutions-oriented with this committee.”
“I think the committee, Congress and the American people deserve an explanation as to how he was treated,” Elfreth said in her opening remarks.
Read the full article here.
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