LOWNDES COUNTY, Ga. (WALB) — Democratic nominee Dr. Kelly Esti and Republican U.S. Rep. Austin Scott described their priorities for Georgia’s 8th Congressional District in separate interviews. They discussed the cost of living, the war with Iran, farming, data centers and what each would do in office

Why they are running

Esti said the last two years prompted a run for Congress. “The chaos from the last two years really served as a catalyst,” Esti said. Esti said community members are struggling to pay rent and buy food.

Esti said the 8th District was chosen because it is a rural area. “I’m a rural kid,” Esti said. Esti said Esti grew up in rural Mississippi and served in the Navy.

Esti said Esti is challenging Scott because “he has been a party to this, and it’s not fair.”

Scott said he serves on the House Armed Services Committee and the Intelligence Committee. He is also vice chair of the Agriculture Committee. Scott said he is asking for votes to keep the military capable of doing its job overseas and to continue representing Georgia’s farmers.

Scott said he was born and raised in Georgia and has lived in the state for 56 years.

Cost of living and the economy

Scott said the cost of energy is built into the price of goods, including groceries and diesel. Scott said Republicans are working on energy infrastructure to lower those costs. Scott said that includes:

• More refining capacity in the United States.
• More electricity generation from nuclear and gas.
• More pipelines to move diesel after it is refined.

Scott said Democrats have supported wind and solar power and have objected to the energy projects Republicans back. “We are making decisions based on facts as Republicans,” Scott said. “The Democrats are making decisions based on emotion.”

According to Scott, Republicans secured the border and stopped a tax increase in less than 24 months. According to Scott, the Biden administration acknowledged it allowed at least 15 million people into the country. Scott said, “If you want an open border, you should vote for the Democrats. If you want a secure border, you should vote for Republicans.”

According to Scott, the country has higher tax revenue now than at any time in its history.

Scott said riots have happened in Paris, the upper Midwest and Atlanta. “We’re a nation of laws,” Scott said. “We’re going to enforce the laws.”

Scott cited fraud in Minnesota. “That’s your tax dollars that were stolen,” Scott said. He said Republicans will prosecute people who steal tax dollars and will not look the other way “simply because certain groups block votes.”

Scott said the previous administration sent tax dollars overseas for what he called “the LGBTQ initiative that they put in in Africa.” He said it was “contrary to the culture of that continent.” Scott said the Russians and Chinese are making inroads in Africa because of what he called the “liberal social agenda” of the Biden administration and Democrats.

Esti said inflation rose after the president took office again. According to Esti, people will lose health care in January, and people are losing access to Medicaid and SNAP benefits. According to Esti, gas and diesel prices are double what they were a year ago.

According to Esti, the “big, beautiful bill” will take more than $1 trillion from Americans over 10 years and give it to wealthy people. According to Esti, the country is $40 trillion in debt.

According to Esti, the Department of Defense has not passed an audit in years. Esti said about $2.5 trillion has gone missing from the department over 10 years. Esti said Congress is trying to give the military $1.5 trillion without a proper audit. Esti said billionaires are receiving much of that money.

Esti said Esti would work to:

• Remove tariffs. Esti said the power to set them belongs to Congress, not the president.
• End the war with Iran.
• Reorient the federal budget by ending tax breaks for the wealthy.

The war with Iran

Esti said there was no reason for the United States to attack Iran. According to Esti, the war has contributed to higher inflation and gas prices. “That needs to end,” Esti said.

Esti said the United States had “a perfectly good agreement” with Iran. Esti said it was ended “because you were mad that a Black man did it.”

Esti said Esti’s brother, who also served in the Navy, was aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln for nine months. According to Esti, riots in France are the result of higher fuel costs.

Scott said Iran had 400 kilograms of highly enriched uranium, enriched to 87%. According to Scott, that is enough for 10 nuclear weapons, and 90% is considered weapons grade. Scott said the information is public.

According to Scott, the International Atomic Energy Agency told Iran to hand over the uranium and Iran refused. Scott said President Donald Trump “did what had to be done to stop Iran from having a nuclear weapon.” Scott said every presidential candidate who reached a general election has said Iran should not be allowed to have one.

Criticism of the president and the opposing party

Scott said Democrats in the Senate want to keep Trump from signing legislation. According to Scott, they have stopped all legislation the House has sent to the Senate. “This is intentional,” Scott said.

Scott said Democrats demanded a “draconian” estate tax and said Democrats wanted a “massive tax increase.”

Esti said the election matters because “we need a Congress with a backbone to stop this stupid agenda that Donald Trump has brought on our land.”

Esti said Trump and Republicans “do not care about Americans.” Esti called Trump “destructive.” Esti said Trump’s goal “was to make money and leave,” and that Trump has become wealthier because he was president.

Esti said Trump’s “dementia is going to continue to get worse” and that Republicans will do nothing to control him. “Somebody has to stand up to this bully and say, this is enough,” Esti said. Esti said Trump’s options are “either to a nursing home or to jail.”

Esti said measles outbreaks are occurring because people are not getting vaccinated. Esti said “a loon” holds one of the highest offices that applies to science.

Esti said, “Republicans lie. They will lie, lie, lie to get your vote. And they will leave you high and dry after they get it.”

Esti said Republicans “have never invested in their communities. They’ve only extracted.”

Farmers and rural communities

Esti said farmers have lost workers and customers and face tariffs. Esti said those conditions hurt rural areas. Esti said farmers trusted the Republican Party and were left without workers or customers.

Esti proposed:

• Free public school education, so graduates with no student loans can return to rural areas to work.
• A statewide transportation plan connecting Georgia’s cities and towns. Esti said transportation came up during visits to 25 of the district’s 29 counties.
• Returning health care to nonprofit status. According to Esti, that would free small businesses from paying employee insurance costs.
• A Youth Congressional Council to involve rural young people in civic life.

Esti said these plans would require investment from the federal government and the state.

Scott said the main priority for farmers is passing a farm bill. According to Scott, Democrats have demanded that 82% of farm bill spending go to SNAP benefits. According to Scott, another 10% would go to environmental issues, leaving less than 10% for production agriculture.

Scott said the share for production agriculture, including crop insurance, should be about 20%.

Scott said a federal estate tax exemption of up to $15 million per person will let most farms and small businesses transfer to the next generation. He also cited increased reference prices in H.R. 1. Scott said he will push the EPA to approve crop chemicals faster.

Scott said the average age of American farmers continues to rise and fewer people are returning to farms. Scott said farming and agriculture are “the beginning and the end of the economy” in most of the counties he represents.

Data centers

Scott said zoning decisions on data centers should be made locally. Scott said he supports:

• Ending non-disclosure agreements so residents know who is building a data center.
• Closed-loop water systems that use less water.
• Purifying water before it is released.
• Requiring data centers to pay for energy construction and transmission, with no increase in residents’ power bills.

Scott said residents can ask county commissioners for those terms.

Esti said Republicans “are going to pollute your lands with these data centers.” Esti said that once the technology moves on, neighborhoods could be left with data centers they do not want.

Plans for the next term

Scott said his first task is passing a budget resolution. Scott said it should carry past December and, he hopes, through Oct. 1 of next year. Scott said he will push for assistance for farmers and make sure the military can carry out its missions to stop Iran from getting a nuclear weapon.

Scott said the district is mostly agriculture and military. He said his seats on the Agriculture and Armed Services committees benefit the district. Scott said he represents almost 30 counties.

Esti said Esti would hold town halls and create a constituent services office. Esti said Esti is considering an app where residents can send concerns to one place. Esti said he would also keep attending local festivals.

Esti said he has talked with district residents in person and by video call. According to Esti, about 108,000 people of color in the district have not voted. Esti urged them to vote. “What has your non-vote done for you?” Esti said.

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