Scott Lilly

Scott Lilly is a Senior Fellow at American Progress who writes and researches in a wide range of areas including governance, federal budgeting, national security, and the economy. He joined the Center in March of 2004 after 31 years of service with the United States Congress. He served as clerk and staff director of the House Appropriations Committee, minority staff director of that Committee, executive director of the House Democratic Study Group, executive director of the Joint Economic Committee, and chief of staff in the Office of Congressman David Obey (D-WI). Prior to his service with the Congress, Lilly served as director of campaign services for the Democratic National Committee, central states coordinator in the McGovern Presidential Campaign, and as a bill drafter for the Missouri legislature. He served two years in the U.S. Army and is a graduate of Westminster College in Fulton, MO. He is also an adjunct professor in the Public Policy Institute at Georgetown University. During his career, he has been engaged in a wide array of policy matters ranging across the entire spectrum of government activities. These have included counterterrorism, homeland security, efforts to reform American schools, and the financing of federal scientific activities. He has worked on various efforts to reform the legislative process in Congress and served as a political and legislative strategist to the Democratic members of the Appropriations Committee and the House Democratic Leadership.