Scott Taylor (politician)

Scott W. Taylor
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia's 2nd district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 2017
Preceded by	Scott Rigell
Member of the Virginia House of Delegates from the 85th district
In office January 8, 2014 – January 3, 2017
Preceded by	Robert M. Tata
Succeeded by	Rocky Holcomb
Personal details
Born	Scott William Taylor (1979-06-27) June 27, 1979 Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Residence	Virginia Beach, Virginia, U.S.
Alma mater	Harvard University Extension School (A.L.B.)
Website	House website
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	United States Navy
Years of service	1997–2005
Unit	Navy SEALs
Battles/wars	Iraq War

Scott William Taylor (born June 27, 1979) is a former American Navy SEAL and the United States Representative for Virginia's 2nd congressional district. He was previously a member of the Virginia House of Delegates for the 85th district. He is a member of the Republican Party.

Early life and career

Scott William Taylor was born in Baltimore and raised by a single mother in Hebron, Maryland.

After high school, he enlisted in the United States Navy and served with the SEALs for eight years. During Operation Iraqi Freedom, Taylor was a SEAL sniper, and he spent two years as a SEAL instructor teaching marksmanship and reconnaissance. Taylor appeared in the Discovery Channel feature Secrets of Seal Team 6. He is fluent in Spanish and served overseas in South and Central America in counternarcotics and foreign internal defense missions.

After leaving the military, Taylor worked in security consulting and critical infrastructure protection, frequently travelling to Yemen. He earned a Bachelor of Liberal Arts concentrating on International Relations from Harvard University Extension School, and also received a certificate in government contracting from Old Dominion University. He is a real estate broker.

Taylor has participated in national interviews on radio and news networks, discussing topics such as foreign policy, military issues, and national security. Taylor has been invited as a public speaker to Fortune 500 companies and NFL football teams. In August 2010, Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell appointed Taylor to the Virginia War Memorial Board of Trustees. He served on the board of the Underwater Demolition Team/SEAL Association and the Virginia Beach Forum, an organization that promotes civic discourse. He is a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars.

Political career

In 2008, Taylor ran for Mayor of Virginia Beach, Virginia. He was a candidate in the 2010 primary election for Virginia's 2nd congressional district, but lost to Scott Rigell. Taylor was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates for the 85th district in November 2013, where, as a delegate, Taylor cosponsored a bill to outlaw discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in labor and housing.

In 2012, Taylor founded and served as chairman for the Special Operations OPSEC Education Fund, a 501(c) Political Action Committee formed in 2012 accusing the Obama Administration of security leaks and taking too much credit for the killing of Osama bin Laden in 2011. He published a book in February 2015, Trust Betrayed: Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and The Selling Out of America's National Security.

In 2016, Taylor won the Republican nomination for Virginia's 2nd congressional district in the United States House of Representatives in the 2016 elections, defeating Randy Forbes in the primary, and won the general election on November 8, 2016. He is a member of the Republican Main Street Partnership. Scott is also a member of the Republican Study Committee.

Political stances

National security

Taylor supported President Donald Trump's 2017 executive order to impose a temporary ban on entry to the U.S. to citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries. He stated that “While I do not agree with some of the rhetoric, taking a pause, figuring out if we are properly vetting people, and making changes if necessary to continue our American principles is prudent and needed. The safety and protection of our citizens must remain our number one priority.”

Taylor was one of eighteen Republican congressmen to urge President Trump not to end Barack Obama's DACA policy.

Cannabis legalization

On February 27, 2017, Taylor was an original cosponsor for bill H.R. 1227 – Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act of 2017.

Healthcare

On May 4, 2017, Taylor voted Yes on H.R. 1628 (AHCA of 2017).

Energy and the environment

During Taylor's unsuccessful Congressional primary campaign in 2010, he voiced support for offshore oil drilling along Virginia's coast. When Taylor was elected to Congress in 2016, he avoided taking a stance on the issue. In 2018, after President Donald Trump announced plans to expand offshore oil drilling to the East Coast, Taylor reversed his earlier stance, citing widespread opposition in his district. Taylor suggested that his new position on the issue was also due to recent developments in fracking that had led to increased availability of natural gas.

References

United States House of Representatives
Preceded by Scott Rigell	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia's 2nd congressional district 2017–present	Incumbent
United States order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by Thomas Suozzi D-New York	United States Representatives by seniority 424th	Succeeded by Claudia Tenney R-New York