house republican conference

hi, i’m austin scott. earlier this month,i had the privilege of being elected to represent the people of georgia’s eighth congressionaldistrict. this week, americans will gather to give thanksfor what matters most: for me, that’s family, faith and freedom. we are fortunate to livein a country where we, the people, are free to speak out and alter the course of our government. the american people have sent 85 new republicansto washington with a clear message: listen up, stop the job-killing policies, stop therunaway spending, and focus on getting our country back on track. the people certainly picked the right groupof messengers to get the job done. our freshman

class includes seven farmers, six medicaldoctors, three car dealers, a former fbi agent, a pizzeria owner, and a former nfl lineman.all told, we’ve got 33 small businesspeople, folks who understand what it’s like to signthe front of a paycheck, and not just the back of one. it’s a new breed of leadersfor a new majority and a new congress. republican leaders recognize how extraordinaryour class is. the day after the election, they put us to work as part of the transitionteam planning for the new majority. our freshman class has also been granted an unprecedentedtwo seats at the leadership table in the 112th congress. we’re excited to have kristi noem and timscott representing us on the leadership team.

but let’s face facts: fresh faces alonearen’t enough to bring about the change in course the american people are demanding.the real work lies ahead. as much as we have to be thankful for, toomany georgians and too many americans have been out of work for far too long. our newrepublican majority is ready to focus on creating jobs and putting a stop to the runaway spendingin washington, dc. house republicans have put a plan of action on paper with the pledgeto america, a governing agenda built by listening to the people. watching our democracy work just as our foundingfathers intended reminds us how hard-fought and hard-won our freedoms are. at this hour,tens of thousands of our sons and daughters

are overseas in iraq, afghanistan and aroundthe world standing guard in defense of our country and the values on which it was built.we give thanks to our true heroes in uniform, we keep faith with them, and we mourn theirfallen comrades. thank you for listening. may god bless you,those you hold dear, and the great united states of america.