Rep. Robert "Bobby" Scott, D-Va., spoke to Politics Prof. Larry Sabato's Introduction to American Politics class yesterday, addressing a number of legislative issues ranging from health care to crime.
Scott currently represents Virginia's third district, which stretches from Hampton Roads up through the Richmond area.
Sabato said he invited Scott because of the representative's interesting insight into American politics he has acquired through his long and varied tenure in both state and national legislatures.
"Congressman Bobby Scott is a good friend and a real pioneer in politics," Sabato said in an e-mail. "After 15 years in the Virginia General Assembly in both houses, in 1992 Scott became the first African-American congressman representing the state since the Reconstruction era. He's been easily reelected since, and in 2012 will celebrate his 20th year in Congress, where he is a prominent member of the Judiciary Committee."
Throughout his talk, Scott focused on many of the issues that have dominated public and Congressional discourse during the past year, including health care reform, the recent budget crisis and the instability in Libya and other nearby countries.
"Last year on this date the president signed the health care act," Scott said to the class. "At that time, you had a bad situation that was getting worse. We adopted a fairly conservative plan, the same kind of plan they have in Massachusetts."
Scott discussed some of the positive changes he believes the reform has brought. He said because of the legislation, those with preexisting conditions can get insurance, young people up to 26 years old can stay on their parents' policies and there are limits on co-pays and deductibles.
"We've solved a lot of problems," Scott said. "The interesting thing will be, if they actually repeal it, what will they replace it with? Or will they just go back to the days when insurance companies could choose who they gave insurance to? Back to the days when insurance companies could take it away essentially when ever they wanted to?"
Although these key subjects remained popular topics throughout the talk and the question-and-answer session that followed, Scott and the students also discussed issues about crime and the judicial system, drawing on Scott's experience on both the Judiciary and Education and Labor Committees.
"We have to make choices - we can reduce crime; we know how to do that," Scott told the students, adding "or we can play politics; we know how to do that too. The politics is all those vote-getting slogans we can come up with, like 'three strikes and you're out' and 'life without parole.' ... But all of those slogans have gotten us to the point where we lock up the highest percentage of our population on Earth."
Not only are some methods of handling crime ineffective at enacting change, but they also can be counterproductive, Scott said. He emphasized that it is necessary to "invest in young people," and "invest early," through educational programs such as "Head Start, which significantly reduces dropouts," and programs that encourage responsible medical and sexual behavior.
Other student questions broached topics including youth engagement in politics, local level influence of Congress and Scott's political aspirations. Although Scott did not directly answer a student's question about his intentions to run for Senate in the upcoming 2012 election, Sabato said it was a possibility.
"Many have been touting Scott for the Senate seat being vacated by Jim Webb," Sabato said. "He is considering making the race, and if it happens, Democrats would choose between Scott and former Gov. Tim Kaine in a primary next June (June 2012)"
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