U.S. Rep. Austin Scott (R-Macon) staged a town hall in Covington on Monday and spoke about the recently approved federal budget and the need for the county to reduce its debt.

Scott gave a 15-minute presentation on the budget and said increasing debt was killing the country. He then opened the floor for questions from the audience, and local residents asked how government spending could be further reduced and expressed concerns about health care and housing for veterans and current military members.

The town hall was Scott's first in Covington, and he also made appearances in Jackson and Forysth today as he toured around Georgia's 8th district, which contains portions of 21 counties in central and southern Georgia. He is scheduled to visit Macon, Gray and Warner Robins Tuesday.

Scott was elected last November after defeating incumbent Democratic Congressman Jim Marshall (D-Macon).