Candidate Profile: Phil Scott

Republican Phil Scott is seeking re-election in HD 63. Today, his interview with the Advance about what got him into politics, and the issues that matter to him.

By Martin Davis
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
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Phil Scott and his family.

Phil Scott represents House District 63, which includes parts of Orange and Spotsylvania counties. The following is an interview he conducted with the Advance about why he got into politics, placing people over politics, and moving beyond polarization.

FXBG Advance: What got you into politics?

Phillip Scott: I was active in the church that we were attending, and another local church was looking for a new pastor. So I said to God, “OK, either pastor or politician.” I applied for the pastor’s job, and never got a phone call from the church.

About the same time I was getting involved with the local Republican Party and found myself running for School Board. I did not win that race because I spent the majority of that campaign season in D.C. after my daughter Brianna was born with Trisomy 18, or Edwards Syndrome. It’s similar to Down’s Syndrome, but more severe in many cases, and in her case, a lot more severe.

Because of her disability, Brianna was automatically qualified for Medicaid. Some of the hurdles we had to jump through, however, with Medicaid insurance made it clear this system needs to be fixed.

My state representative at the time was as helpful as he could be. When he decided not to seek re-election, however, the opportunity arose for me to run.

So ultimately, what pushed me into state politics was seeing what families like mine have to go through when it comes to Medicaid and children with complex medical issues.

FXBG Advance: Can you explain some of the problems you encountered and what you think some of the fixes for Medicaid involve?

Scott: For many people, fixing Medicaid is about delivering more money for the program, or creating more waiver slots. The more foundational problem, however, is that Medicaid’s basic navigation system is so broken, people can’t understand what they’re even eligible for. We’re almost six years into this, and we’re still learning new services that Brianna’s eligible for.

There should be more information provided to people about the program that guides them through the process, so that people don’t have to work through various agencies and nonprofits to help them understand the system. I want to get people connected to the resources that are available to them, and that’s one of my biggest drivers as a delegate.

FXBG Advance: So how do we do that?

Scott: I serve on the Disability Commission, and I’m constantly having conversations with state agencies as well as other groups and agencies involved with Medicaid. As things come up in those discussions that I see as hurdles for parents to overcome, I’ll bring those to the attention of the commission.

From there, legislation gets proposed. I’m very hesitant to carry legislation that I will personally benefit from, even if it benefits all of Virginia. So when it comes to changing things with Medicaid, I will hand off the legislation to a colleague. I don’t ever want someone to think I’m doing this just to make life better for me and my family.

Depending on how the legislation is going to impact my family, I may even abstain from the voting.

FXBG Advance: Can you provide an example?

Scott: Sure. So right now with Medicaid, if you have a child with severe autism and you have to provide extraordinary care beyond what would be expected for what someone should be able to do for themselves, a parent can actually get paid to be a caregiver.

My daughter qualifies for 24/7 skilled nursing coverage. However, when these nurses don’t show up, my wife and I have to fill in. So we’re staying up all night administering meds, we’re troubleshooting a trach when it pops out and reinserting it, we’re doing all these things. Because this is skilled nursing, however, we cannot get paid at all — even if my wife or I were licensed skilled nurses.

Right now, we’re looking at changing that. Maybe it’s not full pay for the parent, but maybe a percentage of what the nursing agency would get.

That’s not legislation that I would carry because it would have a direct financial impact on my family. Del. Patrick Hope has shown interest in this and so I’ll work with him and then hand it off for him to carry.

Kids with developmental disabilities have unique abilities to make positive impacts on the communities around them. But if we’re not supporting their families, then the community can’t enjoy those benefits.

FXBG Advance: What other issues are important to you?

Scott: Fixing education is also front-of-mind for me.

How do we make schools safer? How do we de-shackle our teachers, so to speak, so that they can have that freedom to teach in the classroom?

And then there are the Standards of Learning. There’s a predominant part of the political spectrum that sees SOLs as a necessary thing. I think there’s a better way to approach education than SOLs, I just don’t know what that is at the moment.

FXBG Advance: When you say a “better way to approach education,” what do you mean specifically by that?

Scott: It begins with rethinking brick-and-mortar education. The work world does not correlate today to that structure being offered by brick-and-mortar education.

Life is not going to a building, punching a clock, doing your job, punching a clock, and going home. Work life has changed.

The Advance doesn’t punch a clock or work out of a building. My uncle is a freelance journalist who writes for magazines. He doesn’t go into a building or punch a clock.

How do we change that system?

FXBG Advance: You’ve also been critical of the tax structure.

Scott: Yes. Small businesses in particular suffer with the tax structure that we have. There are taxes upon taxes that small businesses have to endure, as well as regulations. I’m always looking for ways to reduce the burden placed on small businesses.

A few years back I carried the Licensed Professional Counselor Compact that put us into compact with other states so that a licensed professional counselor can move to any state in that compact and practice.

This moved some red tape out of the way to allow people who want to come to Virginia and practice the opportunity to more-easily do that. The Biden Administration even recognized the bill with a commendation.

The funny thing is, this wasn’t even one of my ideas. It came from a constituent.

FXBG Advance: Can you say more about what it means to represent all your constituents, irrespective of party?

Scott: If I’m going to Richmond every single year and only carrying things that I think of, I’m not doing my job as a representative.

I go to Richmond to bring the ideas from my constituents, to advocate for them, and when I bring back a win, it’s a win for my district, it’s not a win for me.

A good example of this is the water issue that happened last summer in Orange. I immediately began working on legislation to address that situation. Then, right as session was starting, Richmond had a very similar water situation happen, and the majority party took my bill, word-for-word, and submitted it.

The only problem was, what they picked up wasn’t the final version, but a placeholder version. That was fine. I worked with the stakeholders all the way through to ensure that the version that came forward had all the fixes that it needed to be successful, so that we could get it through.

I worked with Chairman Sickles and Speaker Scott to make sure this bill got through the right way.

FXBG Advance: Like journalists, politicians don’t have the greatest reputations. How do we fix that?

Scott: It’s sitting down with folks and having real conversations. It’s being out in the community and having real conversations with people. As much as people don’t like it when we knock on their doors and ask for their votes, they do appreciate the fact that their elected representative is showing up and asking, “What matters to you?”

In 2021, I ran as an average, everyday dad. I didn’t run as a businessman, or as a college graduate. I just ran as a dad.

At the end of the day, that’s what I am, and I’m just trying to make Virginia better. There are other dads out there like me, who want their kids to grow up in a safe community, and to do whatever job they want to do, and to prosper at what they do.

That’s it. That’s all we want.

That’s my identity as a politician. Just a dad trying to do right by my kids.

From there, it’s connecting with folks, showing up for events, owning your mistakes.

FXBG Advance: In the polarizing times that we live, the tagline on your campaign website — Christian, Constitutional, Conservative — does bother some people. How do you respond to that?

Scott: I was once asked about that by a high school student. The person wanted to know how that statement connects us.

I responded that, “I am saying that I am a Christian, that is the belief system that I adhere to.” I also believe in the Constitution, and I adhere to certain conservative values.

And because I adhere to those things, if I start doing something that goes against the Bible, I expect people to call me out on it, and I am obligated to respond with humility. That same approach applies to the Constitution. And it applies to my conservative values.

I’m giving you my grading system. If I’m missing the mark on these things, then I expect to be called out on that.

I don’t expect everyone to live according to my beliefs.

If people see me stepping out of line according to my beliefs then people should hold me to account. I think more politicians should do that, and be receptive when they’re held accountable.

I am submitting myself to this standard for my constituents’ benefit.

FXBG Advance: How do we get past the dysfunctional political divide we find ourselves in?

Scott: I thought I had the answer in just talking with people, having conversations. But it’s not that easy.

I do believe one of the best things that we’re doing is getting cellphones out of classrooms. Getting rid of social media is another thing that we could stand to have less of.

Social media empowers people to say and do whatever they want with impunity.

And it amplifies what should be relatively minor disagreements.

Here’s an example. Years ago, my wife attended a church where two women had been in a feud because one woman had stepped on the other’s foot, and the other was upset because that hadn’t been acknowledged. This anger went on for several years, when it finally came out the woman didn’t know she’d stepped on the other’s foot. She was focused on getting to a child who was about to hurt themselves.

In that setting, the dispute was unfortunate, but relatively limited.

In the social media environment, the situation draws in 50, 100 people who start taking sides, and minor disagreements become major bones of contention that can spiral out of control.

When that happens, the ability to go back and simply apologize for that one slight is long gone.

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