Scott Bates

Senior Advisor to the U.S. House of Representatives’ Homeland Security Committee

Scott Bates has served the public in a number of state and federal government positions, including as Secretary of State of Virginia and in senior-level Congressional staff positions. Overseas, Bates has participated extensively in American efforts to encourage democratic development and combat the threat of terrorism.

Since the attacks of September 11th, Scott Bates has been focused on developing new approaches to protecting the United States from terrorist attack. In 2001, Bates was instrumental in efforts to stabilize and promote the building of democratic institutions in war torn Kosovo. Just months after the fall of the Taliban, Bates went to Kabul and worked with delegates to the Loya Jirga to support their efforts to create a Transitional Government.

Bates returned to Washington and was appointed the Senior Policy Advisor for the newly created U.S. House Homeland Security Committee. Bates was part of on-site investigations that took him from Guantanamo Bay to the Mexican border. As a senior staff member, Bates was part of a Committee team that produced over a dozen reports on issues ranging from border security to bioterrorism. Bates was the principal author of Winning the War on Terror, a comprehensive plan for protecting America from terrorism that helped inform the 9/11 Commission.

Bates’ ideas on national security issues were recognized when he was named as part of a bi-partisan Joint Task Force on the Reorganization of the Department of Homeland Security by the Heritage Foundation and the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Bates is currently Vice President for National Security at the non-partisan Center for National Policy. The Center is lead by former 9/11 Commissioner Tim Roemer and its mission is propose new solutions for securing America in the 21st century.

Scott Bates has provided commentary to the New York Times, Washington Post, Dallas Morning News, Richmond Times-Dispatch, Slate.com, British Broadcasting Corporation, The Australian, Taipei Times, Tirana Times, Koha Ditore (Kosovo).

Bates holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia School of Law, and an MS in International Relations from the London School of Economics.