SOUTHWEST COBB — With a looming “fiscal cliff,” U.S. Rep. David Scott (D-Atlanta) said the first priority of his sixth term would be to get the nation’s financial house in order.

In dealing with sequestration, a series of major budget cuts and tax increases that would go into effect at the start of 2013 if no deal is reached, Scott said he would like to see the Bush-era tax cuts eliminated for families making more than $250,000 per year. But he would be willing to compromise on a deal that would keep the taxes in place for families making less than $500,000.

“We’ve got unemployment moving now,” Scott said. “None of this can happen on spending cuts alone.”

Scott said he doesn’t want to see any spending cuts that will lead to layoffs. He is particularly concerned about proposed defense cuts that could eliminate jobs at Lockheed Martin’s Marietta aircraft plant.

Lockheed has discussed sending layoff notices to employees and Scott said it is already seeing reduced orders from the U.S. Department of Defense for its C-130 Hercules transport aircraft.

“It was a catastrophe to put that loaded gun to our heads in the negotiations,” said Scott, who faces a challenge from Republican Shahid Malik in the Nov. 6 election. “It would drastically affect Lockheed. It would drastically affect employment at Lockheed and employment in Cobb County.”

Scott said he is concerned about what will happen with President Barack Obama’s healthcare legislation in the next four years. Obama’s Republican opponent, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, has promised to repeal the Affordable Care Act if elected, while Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal said he won’t accept the expansion of Medicaid that is part of Obamacare. The federal government is expected to pay 100 percent of the additional Medicaid for the first three years and 100 percent thereafter.

“My feeling is we have to have a compromise,” Scott said. “That’s unbelievable to me to deny 700,000 people in Georgia who are 133 percent of poverty to have their health care taken care of.”

Scott said he is further concerned about what could happen to health care if Romney is elected.

“The Supreme Court has upheld the law, and the law is based solely on what he did in Massachusetts,” Scott said. “It would be very, very disastrous to the infrastructure we have in place…If the health care law is repealed, if they don’t take the Medicaid option, you’re going to hospitals hanging on by their fingernails to stay open.”

A member of the conservative Democratic Blue Dog caucus, Scott said compromising is something he is used to. He worked with Republican Rep. Phil Gingrey of Marietta on medical liability reforms intended to reduce frivolous lawsuits that increase health care costs and scare young people off from wanting to become doctors.

“That is an area we can work to compromise, and I think the President is open to it,” Scott said. “I think there is a great hunger in the country to see Democrats and Republicans work together. I think we see a great example of that with Phil Gingrey and David Scott working together on this issue.”

Scott said he helped pass legislation that provides assistance to unemployed people that pays their mortgages for up to 18 months while they search for work.

Scott said he has been able to help his district by holding annual job, foreclosure and health fairs for residents.

“I am so proud of keeping folks in their homes, we actually are providing health care to people who are uninsured,” Scott said.

Scott’s newly redrawn District 13 includes southwest Cobb, as well as Douglas, south Fulton and parts of Fayette, Henry and Clayton counties. In Cobb, some residents near Interstate 75 that are currently in Scott’s district will now be voting in Gingrey’s District 11.