Scott Garrett facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Scott Garrett
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New Jersey's 5th district |
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| In office January 3, 2003 – January 3, 2017 |
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| Preceded by | Marge Roukema |
| Succeeded by | Josh Gottheimer |
| Member of the New Jersey General Assembly from the 24th district |
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| In office November 19, 1990 – January 3, 2003 |
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| Preceded by | Robert E. Littell |
| Succeeded by | Alison Littell McHose |
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| Born |
Ernest Scott Garrett
July 9, 1959 Englewood, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Mary Ellen Garrett |
| Children | 2 |
| Residences | Wantage, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Education | Montclair State University (BA) Rutgers University, Camden (JD) |
Ernest Scott Garrett (born July 9, 1959) is an American politician. He served as a U.S. representative for New Jersey from 2003 to 2017. He is a member of the Republican Party. Before joining the U.S. House, he was part of the New Jersey General Assembly from 1990 to 2003.
While in the U.S. House, Garrett led a special committee focused on money and business. In 2016, he lost his election to Democrat Josh Gottheimer. He was the only sitting member of Congress in New Jersey to lose that year. In 2017, President Donald Trump nominated Garrett to lead the Export–Import Bank of the United States. However, the Senate Banking Committee did not approve his nomination. Later, Garrett began working for a government agency that deals with money and investments.
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Early Life and Education
Scott Garrett was born in Englewood, New Jersey. He spent most of his life in northern New Jersey. He studied political science at Montclair State College. He earned his bachelor's degree in 1981. Later, he earned a law degree from Rutgers School of Law–Camden in 1984.
Political Career
Garrett started his political career in the New Jersey General Assembly. He was elected in 1991 and served until 2003. He represented the 24th legislative district. This area included all of Sussex County and parts of Morris and Hunterdon counties.
Serving in the U.S. House of Representatives
Garrett tried to become a U.S. representative in 1998 and 2000. He ran against Marge Roukema in the Republican primary elections. In 2002, Roukema retired. Garrett then won a primary election with 46% of the votes. He was the only main candidate from the more rural western part of the district.
In the main election of 2002, Garrett won against Democrat Anne Sumers. He received 60% of the votes. He was reelected several times after that.
2016 Election
In 2016, Garrett ran for reelection as a Republican. He faced Josh Gottheimer, a Democrat. Reports showed that Garrett's campaign received a lot of money from the financial industry. In 2015, it was reported that Garrett would not pay dues to a Republican group. He said this was because they supported openly gay candidates. Gottheimer and other Democrats used these comments to criticize Garrett. They said he was too socially conservative for the district. Some financial firms that used to donate to Garrett also reduced their support.
Gottheimer won the election on November 8, 2016. He received 50.5% of the votes, while Garrett received 47.2%. Garrett won in three of the four counties in the district. However, he lost by a large number of votes in Bergen County. This led to his overall loss.
Committee Work
While in the U.S. House, Scott Garrett worked on several important committees:
- Budget Committee: This committee helps decide how the government spends money.
- Financial Services Committee: This committee deals with banks, money, and the economy.
- He led the Subcommittee on Capital Markets and Government-Sponsored Enterprises. This group focused on how money is invested and how certain government-backed companies work.
- He also served on the Subcommittee on Insurance, Housing and Community Opportunity.
Legislation and Views
Garrett had a very conservative voting record. He was known as one of the most conservative members of the House. He also helped start the House Constitution Caucus. This group focused on issues related to the U.S. Constitution.
Economic Policy
In 2006, Garrett supported a law against unlawful internet gambling. He also voted to allow oil and gas drilling off the coast of New Jersey. He voted against making "price gouging" by oil companies a crime. He also voted against extending unemployment benefits. In 2013, he voted against a bill to keep the government funded. This happened during a government shutdown.
Education Views
As a state lawmaker in 2005, Garrett suggested that public schools should teach about "intelligent design" along with evolution. He did not push for a law to make this happen. In 2007, he tried to remove money set aside for educational programs in Alaska and Hawaii.
LGBT Rights
After same-sex marriage became legal in the U.S. in 2015, Garrett supported a bill called the First Amendment Defense Act. This bill would allow businesses to refuse service for same-sex weddings based on religious beliefs. He also stated that he would not pay dues to a Republican campaign group. He said this was because they supported gay candidates. Garrett later explained that he opposes same-sex marriage due to his faith. However, he said he does not have "malice" toward any group of people.
Voting Rights
In 2006, Garrett was the only New Jersey congressman to vote against renewing the Voting Rights Act. He opposed parts of the act that required non-English ballots.
Export-Import Bank Nomination
In 2017, President Donald Trump nominated Scott Garrett to lead the Export–Import Bank of the United States. This bank helps U.S. companies sell their products to other countries. Garrett had been a critic of the bank when he was in Congress. Many business groups opposed his nomination. They worried he would try to shut down the bank.
On December 19, 2017, the Senate Banking Committee voted against his nomination. This meant he would not become the head of the bank.
Personal Life
Scott Garrett is married and has two adult daughters. His family chose to homeschool their daughters. They did this because there was no high school nearby that offered a Christian education.
Images for kids
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Official photo of Scott Garrett
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Scott Garrett with Chris Christie in 2004
