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    <title>Scott RSS Articles</title>
    <description>Scott RSS Articles</description>
    <link>http://www.davidscott.house.gov/</link>
    <lastBuildDate>Mon, 07 May 2012 04:00:00 GMT</lastBuildDate>
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    <item>
      <title>Summer Youth Jobs </title>
      <description>&lt;span style="font-family: times new roman; font-size: 18px;"&gt;Summer employment is critical to the success of young people, good for business, and important for our country. But today’s youth are struggling to get the work experience they need for the jobs of the future.&amp;nbsp; Just 48.8 percent of youth between the ages of 16-24 were employed last July - the month when youth employment usually peaks. This is significantly lower than the 59.2 percent of youth who were employed five years ago and 63.3 percent of youth who were employed 10 years ago.  &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Summer Jobs+ initiative has 90,000 paid jobs and thousands more mentoring programs, internships and other training opportunities for youth.&amp;nbsp; To locate an opportunity in your community, visit the Jobs+ initiative at:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: times new roman; font-size: 18px;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="https://webapps.dol.gov/summerjobs"&gt;https://webapps.dol.gov/summerjobs&lt;/a&gt; Employers are encouraged to join the effort at the site &lt;a href="https://www.dol.gov/summerjobs/Employers.htm"&gt;on this link&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Summer jobs are often a major life learning experience for young people.&amp;nbsp; What did you learn from your summer job?&amp;nbsp; What advice do you have for today's youth?&amp;nbsp; Please submit your thoughts below.&lt;/span&gt;</description>
      <link>http://www.davidscott.house.gov/Blog/?postid=294277</link>
      <guid>http://www.davidscott.house.gov/Blog/?postid=294277</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 07 May 2012 04:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Congressman David Scott Announces Two-Day "Help for Homeowners Community Events”</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;Congressman David Scott [GA-13], in partnership with the U.S. Departments of Treasury and Housing and Urban Development (HUD), will host the powerful two-day “Help for Homeowners Community Events”&amp;nbsp;on Friday, June 1, 1:00pm-8:00pm and Saturday, June 2, 9am-3pm.&amp;nbsp; These events will take place at the &lt;a href="http://www.gicc.com/map.asp"&gt;Georgia International Convention Center&lt;/a&gt; in College Park.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
These events are free opportunities for homeowners to meet one-on-one with mortgage lenders and HUD-approved housing counselors for mortgage assistance. To watch a video of Congressman Scott inviting constituents to the event, &lt;a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJKUJfLNtMU&amp;amp;list=UUgf28zRkLSqAUiPuJhGdF0w&amp;amp;index=3&amp;amp;feature=plcp"&gt;&lt;u&gt;visit his YouTube page at this link. &lt;/u&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;b&gt;“The Atlanta region has been hit hard by unprecedented home foreclosure rates, especially homeowners from my District in Cobb, Clayton, Douglas, South Fulton, South DeKalb, and Henry counties.&amp;nbsp; That is why I have been working hard with the U.S. Treasury Department to bring this powerful two day opportunity back to Atlanta,” &lt;/b&gt;said Congressman David Scott (GA-13).&lt;b&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;i&gt;Please bring the following documents: &lt;/i&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;-&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Monthly mortgage statement&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;-&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Information about other mortgages on your home, if applicable &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;-&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Two most recent pay stubs for all household members contributing toward mortgage&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;-&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; If self-employed, the most recent quarterly or year-to-date profit and loss statement and two years of tax returns &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;-&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Documentation of income you receive from other sources (alimony, child support, social security, etc.)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;-&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Three&amp;nbsp; most recent bank statements &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;-&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; A utility bill showing homeowner name and property address&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;-&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Unemployment insurance letter&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;b&gt;WHEN:&lt;/b&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;b&gt;Friday, June 1, 2012, 1:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;Saturday, June 2, 2012, 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
WHERE:&lt;/b&gt;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;a href="http://www.gicc.com/map.asp"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Georgia International Convention Center&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;b&gt; (GICC)&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;2000 Convention Center Concourse, College Park, GA 30337&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;·&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;b&gt;&lt;i&gt;Complimentary parking.&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;·&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;b&gt;&lt;i&gt;The GICC is available via the MARTA Airport station.&amp;nbsp; From the Airport station, please board the free ATL SkyTrain located across the street and proceed to the GICC SkyTrain station. &lt;/i&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;i&gt;Participating servicers:&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;i&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/i&gt;&lt;b&gt;American Home Mortgage Servicing&lt;br /&gt;
Aurora Loan Services&lt;br /&gt;
Bank of America&lt;br /&gt;
BB&amp;amp;T&lt;br /&gt;
Chase&lt;br /&gt;
CitiMortgage&lt;br /&gt;
Everhome Bank&lt;br /&gt;
Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA)&lt;br /&gt;
GMAC/ Homecomings&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/b&gt;&lt;b&gt;HSBC Mortgage&lt;br /&gt;
M&amp;amp;T Bank&lt;br /&gt;
Nationstar&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/b&gt;&lt;b&gt;Ocwen&lt;br /&gt;
One West Bank (Indy Mac)&lt;br /&gt;
PNC Mortgage&lt;br /&gt;
Regions&lt;br /&gt;
Select Portfolio&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/b&gt;&lt;b&gt;Seterus&lt;br /&gt;
State Home Mortgage&lt;br /&gt;
Sun Trust&lt;br /&gt;
U.S. Bank&lt;br /&gt;
U.S. Veterans Administration (VA)&lt;br /&gt;
Wells Fargo/ Wachovia&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;i&gt;Event Partners and Resources:&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;-&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Making Home Affordable&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;-&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; U.S. Department of the Treasury&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;-&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; HOPE NOW&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;-&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; NeighborWorks America&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;-&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;-&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Fannie Mae&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;-&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Freddie Mac&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;-&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; HUD-FHA&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;-&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; HUD-Approved Housing Counseling Agencies&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;-&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Veterans Affairs&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;-&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Hardest Hit Fund – Georgia HomeSafe&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
For more information, visit: &lt;u&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.makinghomeaffordable.gov/"&gt;www.MakingHomeAffordable.gov&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/u&gt; &amp;nbsp;or &lt;u&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.hopenow.com/"&gt;www.HopeNow.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/u&gt; or call 1-888-995-HOPE (4673).</description>
      <link>http://www.davidscott.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=294012</link>
      <guid>http://www.davidscott.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=294012</guid>
      <pubDate>Fri, 04 May 2012 04:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Mortgage Help is still Needed</title>
      <description>&lt;i&gt;A version of this column was submitted as part of the CBC weekly editorial. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/i&gt;Before President Obama took office, America was already in a recession.  Four years later, we are finally seeing a gradual recovery with lower unemployment rates and better returns on retirement plans.  Yet, we still see many communities struggling with mortgage foreclosure problems.  &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In the 1990s, we saw a big jump in the economic growth of metro Atlanta.  For several decades, Georgia was living up to its unofficial motto as the “Empire State of the South.” Now, Georgia ranks fourth in the nation for foreclosures and first in the nation for bank failures.  &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Georgia stands to receive a combined total of $526 million to assist struggling homeowners under both Treasury’s Hardest Hit Fund and the national mortgage settlement.  Yet, we unfortunately have encountered a lackadaisical attitude by the state in getting these funds out into our community and our economy. $339 million has already been received under the Hardest Hit Fund in Georgia.  However, nearly all of those funds remain unspent a year after the state established the HomeSafe program to distribute this money.  Georgia also stands to receive $186.7 million from the $25 billion national mortgage settlement reached earlier this year.  Georgia has decided to use its first allocation of $104 million from the settlement for a slush fund and not to help struggling homeowners.  This inaction means thousands of Georgians who are in need of assistance continue to suffer and risk losing their homes.  &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Hardest Hit Fund was established in 2010 to help unemployed homeowners at risk of losing their homes. The program, which runs through 2017, essentially provides an 18-month mortgage-payment bridge while homeowners seek new or better employment. The goal is to save 18,000 Georgians from foreclosure. But since HomeSafe Georgia's official launch in April 2011, the state has awarded just $23 million, helping fewer than 1,000 Georgians keep their homes. So far, only around 900 have been aided by the program.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
One reason for the slow start is that the state has not marketed the program. And of the people who have applied, too few meet the overly stringent guidelines the state established. The result is that the bulk of the money is sitting idle even as about 12,000 Georgians receive foreclosure notices each month.  This does not help homeowners and it does not help the economy.  &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Home prices around Atlanta dropped more sharply than in other cities this past February, dragging the region’s average to 1996 levels, according the Case-Shiller Home Price Indices report. About half of all Georgia home sales last year were foreclosed properties.  At some point, foreclosures must bottom out and more people will need to be attracted to the low prices and low interest rates to consider homeownership over renting.  &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
There are signs that the economic climate is improving.  Georgia’s unemployment rate dropped in March for the eighth straight month, falling to the lowest level since February 2009. The state’s jobless rate declined to 9 percent in March, but still lags the national rate of 8.2 percent.  Without more jobs, the foreclosure rate will not improve. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Just like my constituents of the 13th Congressional District of Georgia, I am frustrated by the slow and complex process to which homeowners in need are subjected in order to receive assistance, especially since many of them are currently close to losing their homes.  For this reason, I am joining with the Department of Treasury and the Department of Housing and Urban Development to host our second annual foreclosure prevention event in Atlanta on June 1-2.  You can watch a video invitation to the event &lt;a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJKUJfLNtMU&amp;amp;list=UUgf28zRkLSqAUiPuJhGdF0w&amp;amp;index=1&amp;amp;feature=plcp"&gt;at this link&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I will continue to use my position on the Financial Services Committee to fight for Americans who are struggling to pay their mortgages.  Many of those currently underwater were approved for mortgages they could not afford at the time of signing, and more often than not their financial situations have worsened since then.  We must aggressively fight for fairness and compassion in this economic climate, and put a stop to foreclosures if we are going to turn around the U.S. economy and get people back to work. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/i&gt;</description>
      <link>http://www.davidscott.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=292595</link>
      <guid>http://www.davidscott.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=292595</guid>
      <pubDate>Wed, 25 Apr 2012 04:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
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    <item>
      <title>Georgia's 2012 Military Academy Day - May 12</title>
      <description>Students, you're invited to meet representatives of America's Military Academies at Georgia's 2012 Academy Day on Saturday, May 12. You MUST register by 5:00 pm on April 30, 2012 online at &lt;a href="http://isakson.senate.gov/contactsad.cfm" onmousedown="UntrustedLink.bootstrap($(this), &amp;quot;tAQGA8a8t&amp;quot;, event, bagof(null));" target="_blank" rel="nofollow nofollow"&gt;http://isakson.senate.gov/contactsad.cfm&lt;/a&gt; or by calling Nancy Brooks at 770.661.0999. Applicants may also contact Congressman David Scott's District Office at 770-210-5073 for more information on how to obtain an appointment to a military academy.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;</description>
      <link>http://www.davidscott.house.gov/Blog/?postid=289773</link>
      <guid>http://www.davidscott.house.gov/Blog/?postid=289773</guid>
      <pubDate>Thu, 12 Apr 2012 04:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Small Business Startup Bill Becomes Law</title>
      <description>On April 5, the President signed the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act (H.R. 3606) into law (P.L. 112-106).&amp;nbsp; The "JOBS Act" will allow small businesses and start-up enterprises to raise capital from investors more efficiently. Congressman Scott voted for this bi-partisan bill and similar bills which were first considered in one of his committees - the Financial Services Committee. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The JOBS Act will help growing businesses access financing in several ways:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
•	Allowing Small Businesses to Harness “Crowdfunding”: startups and small businesses will be allowed to raise up to $1 million annually from many small-dollar investors through web-based platforms. All crowdfunding must occur through platforms that are registered with a self-regulatory organization and regulated by the SEC. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
•	Expanding “Mini Public Offerings”:&amp;nbsp; The JOBS Act will raise the "regulation A" exemption threshold to $50 million from $5 million for for smaller innovative companies to raise capital consistent with investor protections.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
•	Creating an “IPO On-Ramp”:  The JOBS Act makes it easier for young, high-growth firms to go public by providing an incubator period for a new class of “Emerging Growth Companies.” During this period, qualifying companies will have time to reach compliance with certain public company disclosure and auditing requirements after their initial public offering (IPO).  Firms currently have up to two years after the IPO to comply with certain Sarbanes-Oxley auditing requirements.  The JOBS Act extends that period to a maximum of five years.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Additionally, the JOBS Act changes some existing limitations on how companies can solicit private investments from “accredited investors.&lt;br /&gt;</description>
      <link>http://www.davidscott.house.gov/Blog/?postid=289349</link>
      <guid>http://www.davidscott.house.gov/Blog/?postid=289349</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 09 Apr 2012 04:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Congressman David Scott to Host Ninth Annual Jobs Fair</title>
      <description>&lt;p style="text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Congressman David Scott's &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;9TH&amp;nbsp;ANNUAL JOBS FAIR&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/em&gt;FRIDAY, MARCH 30, 2012, 10AM - 3PM&lt;br /&gt;
Georgia International Convention Center&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;2000 Convention Center Concourse - College Park, GA 30337&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt;Located off Camp Creek Parkway&amp;nbsp; on I-85 and I-285, near Hartsfield-Jackson Airport&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Once again, Congressman David Scott is teaming up with &lt;strong&gt;more than 100 of Atlanta's major corporations, small businesses, and government agencies&lt;/strong&gt; who are offering a rich variety of job opportunities.&amp;nbsp; Employers looking to participate should register by March 23&lt;sup&gt;rd&lt;/sup&gt;.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Participation is free.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
With many of our veterans heading home from Iraq and Afghanistan, this year’s jobs fair will also include &lt;strong&gt;job assistance resources for veterans.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/strong&gt;Attendees may&amp;nbsp; take &lt;strong&gt;MARTA&lt;/strong&gt; to the &lt;strong&gt;Airport Station&lt;/strong&gt; and then take the free ATL SkyTrain to the Convention Center. &amp;nbsp;&lt;strong&gt;MARTA&lt;/strong&gt; will also provide shuttles from the &lt;strong&gt;College Park Station&lt;/strong&gt; beginning at 8:30 a.m. and running every half-hour to the Georgia International Convention Center (GICC); the shuttle will also leave GICC and return to the College Park MARTA station every half-hour until 4:30 p.m.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;For more information, please call 770-432-5405. &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.gicc.com/map.asp"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Click here for directions&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Employers&amp;nbsp;participating this year include:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/em&gt;&lt;b&gt;A-Supreme Healthcare Services&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/b&gt;&lt;b&gt;Adams Plumbing&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/b&gt;&lt;b&gt;AD Tronic&lt;/b&gt;, &lt;i&gt;Account Executives, Sales&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/i&gt;&lt;b&gt;Advantage Staffing &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/b&gt;&lt;b&gt;Aflac Atlanta&lt;/b&gt;,&lt;i&gt; Account Executives, Sales&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/i&gt;&lt;b&gt;AirServ Corporation&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/b&gt;&lt;b&gt;Aloricares,&lt;/b&gt;&lt;i&gt; Disabled Veterans working from home&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/i&gt;&lt;b&gt;American General Life and Accident Insurance Co.,&lt;/b&gt; &lt;i&gt;Sales&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/i&gt;&lt;b&gt;American Red Cross&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/b&gt;&lt;b&gt;Amerigroup,&lt;/b&gt; &lt;i&gt;Sales&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/i&gt;&lt;b&gt;Art Institute of Atlanta&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/b&gt;&lt;b&gt;AT&amp;amp;T,&lt;/b&gt;&lt;i&gt; Veterans, IT,&lt;/i&gt; &lt;i&gt;Sales, Retail and Management&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/i&gt;&lt;b&gt;Atlanta Gas Light (AGL) Resources&lt;/b&gt;, Sales, Customer Service&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;b&gt;Atlanta Job Corps&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/b&gt;&lt;b&gt;Atlanta Metropolitan Black Chamber of Commerce&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/b&gt;&lt;b&gt;Atlanta Police Department&lt;i&gt;,&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;i&gt; veterans&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/i&gt;&lt;b&gt;Atlanta Technical College&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/b&gt;&lt;b&gt;Atlanta Workforce Development Agency&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/b&gt;&lt;b&gt;Avon-Melton&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/b&gt;&lt;b&gt;Bank of America&lt;/b&gt;, &lt;i&gt;Tellers, Personal Bankers, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/i&gt;&lt;b&gt;Belhaven University,&lt;/b&gt; &lt;i&gt;Professors, Admin Assistants, Recruitment/HR, Gov/Contract Specialist&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/i&gt;&lt;b&gt;Caterpillar, Inc.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/b&gt;&lt;b&gt;City of Douglasville Police&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/b&gt;&lt;b&gt;Clayton County Family Care&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/b&gt;&lt;b&gt;Clayton County Government – Human Resources Department&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/b&gt;&lt;b&gt;Clayton County Sheriff’s Office &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/b&gt;&lt;b&gt;Clayton County Water Authority&lt;/b&gt;, &lt;i&gt;Mechanics, Electricians&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/i&gt;&lt;b&gt;Cobb Works, Inc.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/b&gt;&lt;b&gt;Colonial Life&lt;/b&gt;, &lt;i&gt;Sales Agents&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/i&gt;&lt;b&gt;Columbus Police Department, &lt;/b&gt;&lt;i&gt;veterans&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/i&gt;&lt;b&gt;Corinthian Colleges, Inc. / Everest College&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/b&gt;&lt;b&gt;CSX Transportation,&lt;/b&gt; &lt;i&gt;Veterans,&lt;/i&gt; &lt;i&gt;Engineers, Management Trainees, Customer Service, Sales and Marketing&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/i&gt;&lt;b&gt;D&amp;amp;E, The Power Group&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/b&gt;&lt;b&gt;Decatur Career Center of Goodwill of North GA&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/b&gt;&lt;b&gt;DeVry University,&lt;/b&gt; &lt;i&gt;Professors, Admissions Reps&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/i&gt;&lt;b&gt;Divine Force Protection Services&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/b&gt;&lt;b&gt;Douglas County Fire/EMS Dept.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/b&gt;&lt;b&gt;Educate 1&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/b&gt;&lt;b&gt;Employment Seeker&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/b&gt;&lt;b&gt;Epstein, Weinberg and Associates,&lt;/b&gt; &lt;b&gt;LLC,&lt;/b&gt;&lt;i&gt; Sales, Telemarketing etc&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/i&gt;&lt;b&gt;Federal Air Marshals,&lt;/b&gt; &lt;i&gt;Air Marshall Service, Airport Security, Administrative,Instructors, Law Enforcement, veterans&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/i&gt;&lt;b&gt;Federal Aviation Administration – Human Resources, &lt;/b&gt;&lt;i&gt;veterans&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/i&gt;&lt;b&gt;Federal Bureau of Investigation,&lt;/b&gt; &lt;i&gt;Foreign&amp;nbsp; Languages ie&lt;/i&gt;; &lt;i&gt;Arabic, Farsie, Chinese, Spanish, Russian, Hebrew, Hindi, Intelligence, Computer Scientists, Engineers, Accountants, Financial Managers, Law enforcement-investigation&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/i&gt;&lt;b&gt;Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/b&gt;&lt;b&gt;FedEx Ground&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/b&gt;&lt;b&gt;Fulton County Schools Police, &lt;/b&gt;&lt;i&gt;veterans&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/i&gt;&lt;b&gt;Gate Gourmet&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/b&gt;&lt;b&gt;GEL Financial Services, LLC&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/b&gt;&lt;b&gt;Gentiva Health Services,&lt;/b&gt; &lt;i&gt;nursing, nurse management, sales, sales management or therapy&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/i&gt;&lt;b&gt;Georgia Dept. of Labor-Vocational Rehabilitation Program&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/b&gt;&lt;b&gt;Georgia Department of Public Safety&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/b&gt;&lt;b&gt;Global Media Empire&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/b&gt;&lt;b&gt;GLOCK, Inc.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/b&gt;&lt;b&gt;Green Grease, Inc.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/b&gt;&lt;b&gt;Gwinnett County Police Department, &lt;/b&gt;&lt;i&gt;veterans&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/i&gt;&lt;b&gt;Hands on Atlanta&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/b&gt;&lt;b&gt;Hartsfield-Jackson Development Program,&lt;/b&gt; &lt;i&gt;Construction Managers, Planners, Designers,&lt;/i&gt; &lt;i&gt;Blue Print Readers, Construction Laborers, Engineers&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/i&gt;&lt;b&gt;Internal Revenue Service (IRS)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/b&gt;&lt;b&gt;International Marketing Associates (Stinson and Associates)&lt;/b&gt; &lt;i&gt;Social Workers, Business Mentorship, Trainees&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/i&gt;&lt;b&gt;Katlaw Truck Driving School&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/b&gt;&lt;b&gt;Lift Community Development&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/b&gt;&lt;b&gt;Lincoln Heritage Life Insurance Company&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/b&gt;&lt;b&gt;Lockheed Martin Corporation&lt;/b&gt;, &lt;i&gt;Veterans, Assembly Laborers, Business Developers, Engineers, Finance, Scientists etc&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/i&gt;&lt;b&gt;Lonza&lt;/b&gt;, &lt;i&gt;Lab Technicians, Scientists&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/i&gt;&lt;b&gt;Lowe’s&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/b&gt;&lt;b&gt;MARTA, &lt;/b&gt;&lt;i&gt;veterans&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/i&gt;&lt;b&gt;Mary Kay&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/b&gt;&lt;b&gt;MSC Industrial Supply Company,&lt;/b&gt; &lt;i&gt;Warehouse Training Specialist, Facility Maintenance Supervisors, Seasonal Warehouse positions, Part-time Warehouse&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/i&gt;&lt;b&gt;NAARI Housing Counseling Agency&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/b&gt;&lt;b&gt;National Motor Club (NMC) Staffing Solutions&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/b&gt;&lt;b&gt;NID-HCA Housing Counselors&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/b&gt;&lt;b&gt;Primerica-Johnson&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/b&gt;&lt;b&gt;Project Real Life Y.O.T.C., Inc.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/b&gt;&lt;b&gt;Radio One Atlanta&lt;/b&gt; (Praise 102.5/Majic 107.5/97.5 and Hot107.9)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;b&gt;Regions Financial Corporation&lt;/b&gt;, &lt;i&gt;Tellers, Financial Service Specialists &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/i&gt;&lt;b&gt;Rollins, Inc. / Orkin Pest Control&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/b&gt;&lt;b&gt;Rush2compute.com&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/b&gt;&lt;b&gt;Schneider National, &lt;/b&gt;&lt;i&gt;veterans&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/i&gt;&lt;b&gt;Southwest Airlines and AirTran Airways&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/b&gt;&lt;b&gt;Southern Company/GA Power&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/b&gt;&lt;b&gt;Suniva&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/b&gt;&lt;b&gt;Suntrust Banks, Inc.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/b&gt;&lt;b&gt;The Home Depot, &lt;/b&gt;&lt;i&gt;veterans&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/i&gt;&lt;b&gt;The Homeowners Employment Corporation&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/b&gt;&lt;b&gt;Troops to Teachers, &lt;/b&gt;&lt;i&gt;Veterans&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/i&gt;&lt;b&gt;Tyco Fire Protection Products&lt;/b&gt; &lt;i&gt;Management, Supply Managers, Logistics Analysts, Summer Interns&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/i&gt;&lt;b&gt;United Parcel Service (UPS), &lt;/b&gt;&lt;i&gt;veterans&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/i&gt;&lt;b&gt;United States Air Force Reserves&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/b&gt;&lt;b&gt;United States Customs and Border Protection, &lt;/b&gt;&lt;i&gt;veterans&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/i&gt;&lt;b&gt;U.S. Department of Labor- Jobs Corps&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/b&gt;&lt;b&gt;U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/b&gt;&lt;b&gt;U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Atlanta Vet Center&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/b&gt;&lt;b&gt;U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, VA for Vets&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/b&gt;&lt;b&gt;United States Foods&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/b&gt;&lt;b&gt;United States General Services Administration (GSA),&lt;/b&gt; &lt;i&gt;Architects, Engineers, Construction Specialists, Building Managers, Realty Specialists&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/i&gt;&lt;b&gt;U.S. Immigration &amp;amp; Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE), &lt;/b&gt;&lt;i&gt;veterans&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/i&gt;&lt;b&gt;United States Peace Corps,&lt;/b&gt; &lt;i&gt;Prep for Overseas Assignments&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/i&gt;&lt;b&gt;United States Small Business Administration (SBA)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/b&gt;&lt;b&gt;United States Transportation Security Administration (TSA),&lt;/b&gt; &amp;nbsp;&lt;i&gt;Air Marshall Service, Airport Security, Administrative, Instructors, Law Enforcement, veterans&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/i&gt;&lt;b&gt;Value Village,&lt;/b&gt;&lt;i&gt; sales, marketing&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/i&gt;&lt;b&gt;Veterans Upward Bound and Education Opportunity Center&lt;/b&gt;&lt;i&gt; veterans&lt;/i&gt;&lt;b&gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/b&gt;&lt;b&gt;Verizon Wireless&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/b&gt;&lt;b&gt;Vodaplex, Inc.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/b&gt;&lt;b&gt;Waffle House, Inc.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/b&gt;&lt;b&gt;West Georgia Technical College&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/b&gt;&lt;b&gt;WORKTEC&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/b&gt;&lt;b&gt;WNGC,WGAU,WXKT, WRFC,WGMG, WPUP-COX&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/b&gt;&lt;b&gt;WVFJ-FM &lt;/b&gt;Radio Training Network&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;b&gt;WCLK-FM &lt;/b&gt;Clark Atlanta&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;b&gt;WABE-FM &lt;/b&gt;Public Broadcasting Atlanta&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;b&gt;&amp;nbsp;WSB-AM, WSBB-FM, WSRVFM, WALR-FM, WSB-TV&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Career Resources&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;- Find a local career center &lt;a href="http://www.dol.state.ga.us/find_career_centers.htm"&gt;at this link&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;br /&gt;
- Jobs posted in Georgia &lt;a href="http://www.dol.state.ga.us/js/job_info_system.htm"&gt;at this link&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
- Federal Government job listings&amp;nbsp; -&lt;a href="http://www.usajobs.gov/"&gt;http://www.usajobs.gov/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
- Unemployment insurance handbook &lt;a href="http://www.dol.state.ga.us/pdf/forms/dol414.pdf"&gt;at this link&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
- Resume Assistance - &lt;a href="http://careeronestop.org/ResumesInterviews/ResumesInterviews.aspx"&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
- Georgia Technical Colleges - &lt;a href="http://www.tcsg.edu/forstudents.php"&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
- Find out about HOPE Grants to attend Technical colleges - &lt;a href="https://secure.gacollege411.org/Financial_Aid_Planning/HOPE_Program/Georgia_s_HOPE_Grant_Program.aspx"&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
- Georgia WorkReady - &lt;a href="http://gaworkready.org/pages/view/what-is-georgia-work-ready"&gt;http://gaworkready.org/pages/view/what-is-georgia-work-ready&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
To watch a video of Congressman Scott inviting his constituents to the Jobs Fair, visit his YouTube page:&lt;a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/RepDavidScott"&gt; http://www.youtube.com/user/RepDavidScott&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>
      <link>http://www.davidscott.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=281967</link>
      <guid>http://www.davidscott.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=281967</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 19 Mar 2012 04:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Congressman David Scott Honors Student Artists</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;Today Congressman David Scott (GA-13) announced more than $25,000 in scholarships for the top winners of his tenth annual Congressional High School Art Competition.&amp;nbsp; Congressman Scott honored these outstanding young people and their families during a special ceremony Saturday at the Arts Clayton Gallery in Jonesboro.&amp;nbsp;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
“This year’s exhibit was extraordinary. &amp;nbsp;I am so proud of the students who participated and showcased their stunning artwork,”&lt;/b&gt; said Scott&lt;b&gt;.&amp;nbsp; “Our art competition presents an opportunity for our students to have their art professionally displayed and to earn scholarships.&amp;nbsp; I am honored to recognize our top winners for their exceptional artistic achievements, and I encourage all of this year’s participants to continue to set high goals for themselves.”&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
This year’s top winners include:&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul style="list-style-type: disc;"&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;&lt;b&gt;1&lt;sup&gt;st&lt;/sup&gt; Place– One Half Can Equal Whole&lt;/b&gt; by Emmanuel Rivas, Campbell High School&lt;b&gt;&lt;/b&gt; &lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;&lt;b&gt;2&lt;sup&gt;nd&lt;/sup&gt; Place – Captain of My Soul&lt;/b&gt; by Montavious Whiters, Mundy’s Mill High School&lt;b&gt;&lt;/b&gt; &lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;&lt;b&gt;3&lt;sup&gt;rd&lt;/sup&gt; Place – Speak Loud&lt;/b&gt; by Morgan Dallas, Strong Rock Christian Academy&lt;b&gt;&lt;/b&gt; &lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;&lt;b&gt;4&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; Place – Self Portrait &lt;/b&gt;by Akayla Hill, Pebblebrook High School&lt;b&gt;&lt;/b&gt; &lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;&lt;b&gt;5&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; Place – Divine Intervention&lt;/b&gt; by Torian Harris, Clayton County Fine Arts Magnet High School&lt;b&gt;&lt;/b&gt; &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In ten years of hosting the Arts Competition, Congressman David Scott has awarded over $320,000 in scholarships to local students.&amp;nbsp; This year’s top five winners will receive the following awards:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;First Place Winner - &lt;/b&gt;$10,000 Art Institute of Atlanta scholarship; $3,000 from Savannah College of Art and Design; 1-Year Young Patron Membership to the High Museum of Art ($200 value); artwork will hang in the U.S. Capitol for 1 year; &amp;amp; roundtrip airfare by Southwest Airlines to attend ribbon-cutting ceremony in Washington, D.C.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Second Place Winner - &lt;/b&gt;$5,000 Art Institute of Atlanta scholarship and artwork will hang in Congressman David Scott’s Washington Office for 1 year&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Third Place Winner&amp;nbsp; - &lt;/b&gt;$2,500 Art Institute of Atlanta scholarship and artwork will hang in Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Airport&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Fourth Place Winner - &lt;/b&gt;$1,000 Arts Clayton scholarship and artwork will hang in Congressman David Scott’s Jonesboro Office for 1 year &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;b&gt;Fifth Place Winner – &lt;/b&gt;a week of free art classes at the Art Institute of Atlanta and artwork will hang in Congressman David Scott’s Smyrna Office for 1 year &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Participating high schools this year include: Arlington Christian Academy, Campbell, Cedar Grove, Charles Drew, Clayton County Magnet, Forest Park, Jonesboro, Langston Hughes, Lithia Springs, McEachern, Morrow, Mt. Zion, Mundy’s Mill, New Creation Christian Academy, New Manchester, North Clayton, Pebblebrook, Riverdale, South Atlanta, Stockbridge, Strong Rock Christian Academy, and Woodland. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Students interested in participating in next year’s competition should contact Audra Bleecker at 770-210-5073. &lt;/p&gt;</description>
      <link>http://www.davidscott.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=285437</link>
      <guid>http://www.davidscott.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=285437</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 19 Mar 2012 04:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Improving Agriculture Trade with Russia</title>
      <description>*A version of this column was submitted to &lt;i&gt;The Hill&lt;/i&gt; newspaper, which will soon post it on their Congress blog &lt;a href="http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/economy-a-budget/214105-cultivating-our-trade-relations-with-russia"&gt;at this link&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Three years since Secretary of State Hillary Clinton famously pushed for a reset of relations between the United States and Russia, the two nations have made progress. International relations being not unlike a dance where both partners like to take the lead, strides and swings forward do not come without a misstep or two. With Russia’s accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO), we have an opportunity to create a more harmonious trade partnership where both nations play to their strengths and grow our markets. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The economic benefits for the United States are real. Russia’s accession creates a ripe opportunity to broaden market access for American agricultural products including beef, pork, and poultry - a commodity that has been mired in an uncertain off-and-on trade status in recent years. U.S. food and agricultural exports to Russia totaled nearly $1.3 billion in 2010 with $336 million of that in red meats and $311 million in poultry. These sales were during a time in which Russia had a nearly seven-month ban on U.S. poultry products due to differences in sanitary protocols, which resulted in an arbitrary trade barrier. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Russia is the third largest export market for U.S. poultry, representing over 500,000 American jobs. Given that poultry is my home state of Georgia’s primary agricultural product, leading the nation in poultry production, broadening access to Georgia poultry is in the best interest of our economy. Russia, with its educated population, growing middle class and with one of the world’s fastest-growing economies, is a market hungry for more chicken, turkey and other agricultural products. By 2014, Russian retail food and beverage sales are forecast to increase in real terms by 20 percent from just over $200 billion in 2010 to more than $240 billion. As part of its WTO accession commitments, Russia is to maintain a 250,000 ton tariff rate quota (TRQ) for chicken halves and leg quarters with an in-quota tariff of 25 percent. If Russia were to eliminate these TRQs on poultry, the tariff rate applied to U.S. exports would be 37.5 percent. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
With Russia’s accession to the WTO, we are assured of substantive benefits to U.S.-Russia trade relations. Russia is the largest economy to have remained outside the WTO, and its membership will tie Russia to the same set of trade rules that apply to the organization’s 153 other Members.  These rules will ensure fairer treatment of our exports, likely cuts in tariffs and greater protections for intellectual properties. Assurances have been made for Russia to comply with WTO rules and standards, such as sanitary and phytosanitary measures of meat and other agricultural products. Such assurances should prevent scientifically baseless stymies like the one leading to the aforementioned seven month ban. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Russia will continue to be a welcoming and influential trading partner for the years to come. Our official trade policy must reflect this market reality. We must do what we can to support our businesses and products in that and other growing markets. There will come a point where we must take serious consideration into the continued relevance of the Jackson-Vanik amendment with respect to Russia.  That could lead to graduation from the terms of the 1974 amendment or replacing Jackson-Vanik with a statement that fully acknowledges the current geopolitical climate while expressing our continued support for democracy and human rights rather than an outdated Cold War posture. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Since the Clinton Administration, the Executive Branch has found Russia to be in full compliance within the requirements of Jackson-Vanik, resulting in a yearly Normal Trade Relations status. Whether we extend Permanent Normal Trade Relations to Russia or not, Congress and the Administration must continue to work to ensure the negotiated access of our products to Russia and the world. I urge my colleagues and our Russian counterparts weighing the ratification of their accession to realize that in trade as in security issues, in order to continue the easing of tensions, we must continue to cultivate a shared vital interest in mutual success. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
###</description>
      <link>http://www.davidscott.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=283179</link>
      <guid>http://www.davidscott.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=283179</guid>
      <pubDate>Sun, 26 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Saving for College</title>
      <description>Many seniors in high school are counting the days until they can graduate and start college.&amp;nbsp; However, their parents may be dreading the coming expenses for tuition.&amp;nbsp; The cost of college tuition is increasing faster than the rate of inflation and a lot of families do not want to rack up huge student loan debts.&amp;nbsp; Grants and loans are available to many students.&amp;nbsp; Yet, that assistance may not fully cover education expenses.&amp;nbsp; To help, there are several savings programs and tax breaks to help pay for school.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
You can start a "529" college savings plan for as little as $25.&amp;nbsp; Interest earned in the plans grow tax free and withdrawals are not taxed if used for qualified college expenses. In addition, contributions up to $2,000 can be deducted from state income taxes.&amp;nbsp; You can learn more about the Georgia plan at &lt;a href="http://www.path2college529.com/index.html"&gt;http://www.path2college529.com/index.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
You can save up to $2,000 annually in a Coverdell Education Savings Account.&amp;nbsp; Interest is earned tax free and withdrawals are tax free if they are used for a qualified education expense for K-12 or college.&amp;nbsp; Parents or grandparents may also be able to tap into their regular IRA for education expenses without penalty in certain circumstances.&amp;nbsp; Learn more &lt;a href="http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/savingmoney.jsp"&gt;at this link&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
There are a number of tax credits and deductions available for qualified education expenses.&amp;nbsp; The American Opportunity Credit and Lifetime Learning Credit are two programs that can offset out of pocket education expenses.&amp;nbsp; To learn more about federal education tax credits, visit the IRS and &lt;a href="http://www.irs.gov/publications/p970/index.html"&gt;click this link&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Start planning now to find ways to cut tuition expenses.&amp;nbsp; &lt;a href="https://studentaid2.ed.gov/getmoney/pay_for_college/cost_35.html"&gt;This page&lt;/a&gt; on the federal student aid website discusses 30 ways to reduce college costs. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
You may also be interested in viewing federal student aid available &lt;a href="http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/"&gt;http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/&lt;/a&gt; and the Georgia HOPE Scholarship program &lt;a href="https://secure.gacollege411.org/Home/_default.aspx"&gt;https://secure.gacollege411.org/Home/_default.aspx&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
What ideas can you share about paying for college?&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
If you have a complaint about a private student loan, you can share your concerns with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau at: &lt;a href="http://www.consumerfinance.gov/blog/our-student-loan-complaint-system-is-open-for-business/"&gt;http://www.consumerfinance.gov/blog/our-student-loan-complaint-system-is-open-for-business/&lt;/a&gt;</description>
      <link>http://www.davidscott.house.gov/Blog/?postid=281817</link>
      <guid>http://www.davidscott.house.gov/Blog/?postid=281817</guid>
      <pubDate>Fri, 24 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Payroll Tax Cut extended</title>
      <description>Congress passed H.R. 3630, the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act. This bipartisan agreement extends the payroll tax cut for 160 million Americans; continues unemployment benefits for the millions of Americans who lost their jobs; and ensures seniors can continue to see the doctor of their choice under Medicare.&amp;nbsp; President Obama signed H.R. 3630 into law on February 22. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Major provisions of The Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act: &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;b&gt;Payroll Tax Cut&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
- Extends the payroll tax cut for the remainder of 2012.&amp;nbsp; Increases by $1,000 the annual take-home pay of a typical middle-class family. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;b&gt;Unemployment Insurance&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
- Continues federal unemployment insurance through the end of 2012 and gradually reduces the number of weeks.&amp;nbsp; The current maximum level (99 weeks) of benefits extends through May, reduces the maximum to 79 over the summer, and to 73 in September – depending on a state’s unemployment rate. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
- Drug testing:	the bill permits states to drug screen and test anyone who (1) lost their job because of drug abuse, or (2) is seeking a job that regularly requires a drug test.  &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
- TANF:   extends Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) through Fiscal Year 2012 and ensures that funds cannot be accessed at ATMs in strip clubs, liquor stores, and casinos.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;b&gt;Ensuring Access for Seniors to See Their Doctors&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
- Ensures that Medicare beneficiaries will continue to have access to their physicians by blocking a scheduled 27.4 percent cut in Medicare physician payment rates</description>
      <link>http://www.davidscott.house.gov/Blog/?postid=281183</link>
      <guid>http://www.davidscott.house.gov/Blog/?postid=281183</guid>
      <pubDate>Fri, 17 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Congressman Scott to Address St. Philip Benizi Seniors Group</title>
      <description>Congressman Scott to Address St. Philips Benizi Seniors Group</description>
      <link>http://www.davidscott.house.gov/Calendar/EventSingle.aspx?EventID=24062</link>
      <guid>http://www.davidscott.house.gov/Calendar/EventSingle.aspx?EventID=24062</guid>
      <pubDate>Wed, 23 Mar 2005 13:56:29 GMT</pubDate>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>CBC Spouses Education Scholarship Deadline!</title>
      <description>Congressman David Scott (D-GA) announced today that applications for the 2005 Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) Spouses Education Scholarship are available </description>
      <link>http://www.davidscott.house.gov/Calendar/EventSingle.aspx?EventID=23284</link>
      <guid>http://www.davidscott.house.gov/Calendar/EventSingle.aspx?EventID=23284</guid>
      <pubDate>Tue, 08 Mar 2005 15:24:04 GMT</pubDate>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Congressman David Scott to Host Reception for Military Academy Nomimees</title>
      <description>Congressman David Scott hosts military academy reception</description>
      <link>http://www.davidscott.house.gov/Calendar/EventSingle.aspx?EventID=23000</link>
      <guid>http://www.davidscott.house.gov/Calendar/EventSingle.aspx?EventID=23000</guid>
      <pubDate>Tue, 01 Mar 2005 20:09:18 GMT</pubDate>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Congressman David Scott Hosts First Annual Jobs Fair!</title>
      <description>Congressman David Scott hosts Job Fair</description>
      <link>http://www.davidscott.house.gov/Calendar/EventSingle.aspx?EventID=23066</link>
      <guid>http://www.davidscott.house.gov/Calendar/EventSingle.aspx?EventID=23066</guid>
      <pubDate>Wed, 02 Mar 2005 20:03:59 GMT</pubDate>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Congressional Art Competition Deadline!</title>
      <description>Congressional Art Competition </description>
      <link>http://www.davidscott.house.gov/Calendar/EventSingle.aspx?EventID=24016</link>
      <guid>http://www.davidscott.house.gov/Calendar/EventSingle.aspx?EventID=24016</guid>
      <pubDate>Tue, 22 Mar 2005 13:35:18 GMT</pubDate>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Third Annual Congressional Art Competition</title>
      <description>Third Annual Congressional Art Competition</description>
      <link>http://www.davidscott.house.gov/Calendar/EventSingle.aspx?EventID=24018</link>
      <guid>http://www.davidscott.house.gov/Calendar/EventSingle.aspx?EventID=24018</guid>
      <pubDate>Tue, 22 Mar 2005 13:47:08 GMT</pubDate>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Congressman Scott to join BRAC Commissioner on Tour of Ft. Gillem</title>
      <description>Congressman Scott to join BRAC Commissioner on Tour of Ft. Gillem</description>
      <link>http://www.davidscott.house.gov/Calendar/EventSingle.aspx?EventID=28754</link>
      <guid>http://www.davidscott.house.gov/Calendar/EventSingle.aspx?EventID=28754</guid>
      <pubDate>Thu, 09 Jun 2005 17:01:41 GMT</pubDate>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Keynote Speaker at White's Chapel United Methodist Church</title>
      <description>Congressman David Scott will participate as the keynote speaker for a special worship service at White’s Chapel United Methodist Church in Conyers.</description>
      <link>http://www.davidscott.house.gov/Calendar/EventSingle.aspx?EventID=28753</link>
      <guid>http://www.davidscott.house.gov/Calendar/EventSingle.aspx?EventID=28753</guid>
      <pubDate>Thu, 09 Jun 2005 16:55:40 GMT</pubDate>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Congressman Scott Gives Keynote Address at DeVry Keller Graduate School of Management</title>
      <description>Congressman Scott Gives Keynote Address at DeVry Keller Graduate School of Management</description>
      <link>http://www.davidscott.house.gov/Calendar/EventSingle.aspx?EventID=27046</link>
      <guid>http://www.davidscott.house.gov/Calendar/EventSingle.aspx?EventID=27046</guid>
      <pubDate>Thu, 12 May 2005 16:32:11 GMT</pubDate>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Congressman Scott Attends Regional Base Closing (BRAC) Hearing</title>
      <description>Congressman Scott Attends Regional Base Closing (BRAC) Hearing</description>
      <link>http://www.davidscott.house.gov/Calendar/EventSingle.aspx?EventID=28882</link>
      <guid>http://www.davidscott.house.gov/Calendar/EventSingle.aspx?EventID=28882</guid>
      <pubDate>Fri, 10 Jun 2005 21:57:50 GMT</pubDate>
    </item>
  </channel>
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