Showing posts with label Tim Scott. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tim Scott. Show all posts

Monday, November 13, 2023

Tim Scott ends presidential campaign

The only sitting U.S. Senator to throw his hat into the presidential race has suspended his campaign for the White House.

U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, the two-term junior senator from South Carolina, announced late Sunday that he would no longer actively seek the Republican party nomination.

“Tonight, I suspended my campaign for president. Traveling this country and meeting all of you has been one of the most fantastic experiences of my entire life. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. God Bless the United States of America,” he said via the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.

Scott told Fox News he remains committed to a brighter vision of America.

“I am indeed suspending the campaign, but I am going to remain as committed to making sure that this country chooses the right person,” Scott said. “We should all be proud of this country.”

[SOURCE: BOSTON HERALD]

Wednesday, August 02, 2023

Sen. Tim Scott criticizes Gov. DeSantis’s new Black history curriculum

U.S. Senator Tim Scott, the highest-profile Black candidate in the 2024 Republican presidential race, has blasted his rival Ron DeSantis, Florida's governor, over the state's newly adopted Black history curriculum, saying "there's no silver lining" in slavery.

Asked about the curriculum at a campaign stop in Iowa on Thursday, Scott told reporters, "Any benefits that people suggest you had during slavery, you would have had as a free person," according to video posted on messaging platform X, formerly known as Twitter.

"What slavery was really about was separating families, about mutilating humans and even raping their wives. It was just devastating," Scott said.

Without naming DeSantis, Scott said he hoped that every candidate in the Republican field "would appreciate that."

Scott's remarks came after another prominent Black Republican, U.S. Representative Byron Donalds of Florida, also criticized the new standards. That triggered outraged pushback from DeSantis' campaign online, which suggested Donalds was a supporter of Democrat Kamala Harris, the first Black vice president.

[SOURCE RUETERS]

Wednesday, April 13, 2022

Senator Tim Scott failed Ketanji Brown Jackson, but it wasn't because he didn't vote for her

By George L. Cook III African American Reports.

Last week we saw the historical confirmation of Ketanji Brown Jackson to the United States Supreme Court.

She was confirmed by a 53-47 vote with only three Republicans supporting her. Those three were Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Mitt Romney of Utah.

Many African Americans were disappointed but not surprised that Tim Scott, the junior Senator from South Carolina chose not to support this historic nominee.

Now, let's be clear Tim Scott has the right to vote however he wants, and it's obvious by the lame excuses he gave for not supporting Jackson that he also has one hell of an imagination. That or he attends the alleged drug-fueled orgies that Madison Cawthorne was talking about and that has affected his better judgment.

But, to me not supporting Jackson is not where he failed her. He failed her by not speaking up for her as a person and as a Black woman.

After Lindsey Graham, Ted Cruz, Josh Hawley, Tom Cotton, and Marsha Blackburn showed blatant disrespect during the confirmation hearings he said nothing afterward.

Scott could have spoken up by publicly saying that although he was ideologically opposed to Ketanji Brown Jackson's confirmation, she deserves respect and that his fellow Republican senators were wrong in their treatment of her.

Scott has a mother and I'm assuming aunts, cousins, and nieces that are also Black. He wouldn't want anyone treating them as Jackson was treated. He should have thought of those Black women in his life and spoke up not as a senator but as a Black man.

In my opinion, nothing but cowardice and ambition stopped him from speaking up.

Scott has gone on Fox News lamenting how he was treated by the left after not supporting Jackson. He should stop whining and think about how Jackson felt after being attacked for hours during those hearings.

During that time she showed more grace, bravery, integrity, and calm under fire than Scott ever will.

Sadly, Senator Tim Scott has forgotten where he came from, but we won't forget what he has shown himself to be.

Wednesday, September 22, 2021

Cory Booker Statement on Ending Bipartisan Policing Reform Negotiations

Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) issued the following statement after bipartisan congressional talks between he, Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), and Rep. Karen Bass (D-Calif) on overhauling policing practices have ended without an agreement:

“America has a serious problem when it comes to discriminatory policing and excessive and deadly force used against communities of color. We can’t properly honor the lives of the victims of this violence if we don’t take meaningful steps to prevent future violence and deaths from occurring and make our communities safer.

“We made it clear from the beginning of our negotiations that a bill must ensure true accountability, transparency, and the policing standards necessary to bring an end to horrific incidents of violence Americans are routinely seeing -- like the murder of George Floyd. After months of exhausting every possible pathway to a bipartisan deal, it remains out of reach right now, even after working collaboratively with and securing the support of policing groups like the Fraternal Order of Police and International Association of Chiefs of Police for our proposals.

“Unfortunately, even with this law enforcement support and further compromises we offered, there was still too wide a gulf with our negotiating partners and we faced significant obstacles to securing a bipartisan deal.

“The time has come to explore all other options to achieve meaningful and common sense policing reform. I will not stop fighting until we achieve change that keeps our communities and police officers safe.”

Thursday, June 04, 2020

Rand Paul holds up anti-lynching legislation

Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky said Wednesday he is holding up popular bipartisan legislation to make lynching a federal crime, a long-sought goal of supporters that is acutely relevant now against the backdrop of nationwide protests against police mistreatment of African Americans.

"We want the bill to be stronger," Paul told reporters on Capitol Hill. "We think that lynching is an awful thing that should be roundly condemned and should be universally condemned."

We want the bill to be stronger. We think that lynching is an awful thing that should be roundly condemned and should be universally condemned. I don't think it's a good idea to conflate someone who has an altercation where they had minor bruises with lynching," Paul said.

"The bill as written would allow altercations resulting in a cut, abrasion, bruise, or any other injury no matter how temporary to be subject to a 10-year penalty. My amendment would simply apply a serious bodily injury standard, which would ensure crimes resulting in substantial risk of death and extreme physical pain be prosecuted as a lynching," Paul explained further in a statement from his office later Wednesday.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer criticized Paul over the move on Wednesday, tweeting, "It is shameful that one GOP Senator is standing in the way of seeing this bill become law."

SOURCE: CNN

Friday, December 06, 2019

U.S. Senate passes amendment restoring $255 million in HBCU funding

The United States Senate approved a bipartisan amendment to restore millions of dollars in federal funding to historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and other minority-serving institutions (MSIs). Known as the FUTURE Act, the bill proposes a 10-year mandatory extension of $255 million in annual funding to HBCUs. It continues Title III funding for HBCUs and MSIs under the Higher Education Act of 1965, which previously expired at the end of September.

The proposal is paid for by simplifying the federal student aid form, which, among other things would eliminate up to 22 questions and require applicants to submit their tax information only once. According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, the changes would save taxpayers $2.8 billion over ten years, which will be used to pay for the permanent funding for HBCUs and other minority-serving institutions.

The proposal is also co-sponsored by Republican Sens. Tim Scott of South Carolina and Richard Burr of North Carolina, and Democratic Sens. Doug Jones of Alabama and Chris Coons of Delaware.

The Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) president & CEO Harry L. Williams praised elected officials for approving the bill and encouraged the House of Representatives to pass it as well without delay. “TMCF is appreciative of all of the Senators who came together, in a bipartisan way, to reaffirm the importance of and work to renew this material investment in our Nation’s post-secondary students,” he said in a press release.

Likewise, Dr. Austin A. Lane, president of Texas Southern University said, “The bipartisan support of this bill is clear validation of the value that HBCUs like Texas Southern University brings to so many first-generation college students. Thanks to the lawmakers involved, as well as the tireless support from Dr. Harry Williams and the TMCF, the passage of this bill, will help thousands of more students reach their goals – and without the financial barriers that so often get in the way.”

Thursday, October 31, 2019

Sen. Tim Scott is taking the issue of impeachment seriously

Senate Republicans are taking the House impeachment proceedings against President Trump more seriously as damaging revelations against the president mount and the possibility of a quick dismissal of the charges shrinks.

Sen. Tim Scott (S.C.) was the latest GOP senator to express concerns Wednesday even though he argued that the House has yet to provide any evidence that would support actually removing Trump from office.

Asked Wednesday if he had any concerns at all in light of recent reports on Trump’s efforts to pressure Ukraine, Scott said, “There’s lot of things that concern me.”

But he added, “That’s not the question.”

“The question on the table is impeachment and that’s the question we should get an answer to, and the answer so far is ‘For what would we impeach the president?’ And the answer is ‘I don’t see anything for that,’ ” he said.

At the same time, Scott acknowledged there is pressure on Senate Republicans to take any impeachment articles seriously.

“Everybody wants us to do the right thing. In order to do the right thing, we want to see all that there is,” Scott told reporters, explaining that he’s not ready to dismiss the House charges out of hand.

Tuesday, March 05, 2019

Rep. Jim Clyburn dismisses the idea of reparations

The highest ranking African-American member of Congress has major problems with two prominent ideas to address racial disparities in the economy: one that comes from his fellow Democrats and another championed by a Republican African-American senator from his home state.

In an interview, House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn teed off on both reparations and “opportunity zones,” complaining that the former is impractical and the latter is unhelpful.

“I think pure reparations would be impossible to implement,” said Clyburn, D-Columbia. “But we can deal with the issue (of racial inequality) if we just admit, first of all, that it exists and then come up with some straightforward ways to deal with it.”

Clyburn was more blunt about new “opportunity zones,” an initiative U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., pushed to include in the 2017 tax overhaul. It gives tax breaks to developers investing in low-income communities.

Read more: SC’s Clyburn pans reparations, ‘opportunity zones’ as unable to address racial inequality.

Wednesday, December 12, 2018

Senator Tim Scott wants his party to get smarter on race.

Sen. Tim Scott wants fellow Republicans to get smarter about judicial nominees — specifically, to stop nominating judges with questionable records on race.

The South Carolina Republican earlier this month was instrumental in blocking confirmation of a second judge in four months over concerns about how they’ve dealt with race issues in the past.

But fellow Republicans showed no immediate signs they would do anything, anytime soon, to take some of the pressure off Scott, the Senate’s only black Republican.

He is up against members of his party who don’t think any of their nominees are problematic. That includes fellow South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, who is poised next month to become chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which evaluates judges and recommends them for or against confirmation.

“I respect (Scott) very much. There’s nobody I respect more than Tim,” said Graham, before dismissing Scott’s concerns that Thomas Farr, a nominee for a judgeship in the Eastern District of North Carolina, might have been behind a voter suppression strategy in 1990 that involved sending purposefully misleading information to African-Americans.

“I don’t think he had a fraught record on race. I think the mail-out was disgusting in 1990, and (Farr) had nothing to do with it,” Graham insisted.

The conservative base that fuels much of the GOP’s political energy is equally dismissive. The day after Scott announced he would provide the decisive vote to kill the Farr nomination, the grassroots advocacy group FreedomWorks blasted out an email with the phone number for Scott’s office.

“Don’t let this strong conservative nominee crash and burn!” read the call to action from FreedomWorks president Adam Brandon. “Urge (Scott) to stand with President Trump and CONFIRM Thomas Farr.”

Meanwhile, Republican leaders have opted to pretend the debate never occurred, keeping Farr’s candidacy in limbo rather than formally withdrawing his nomination.

Fellow black Republicans, though, are concerned.

Read more: Tim Scott wants his party to get smarter on race. His colleagues are making it tough.

Monday, October 22, 2018

Senate Judiciary Committee Advances Anti-Lynching Legislation Introduced by Booker, Harris, and Scott

The Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously voted to advance the bipartisan Justice for Victims of Lynching Act of 2018, historic legislation that would criminalize lynching, attempts to lynch, and conspiracy to lynch for the first time in American history.

The legislation was originally introduced in June 2018 by U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), Kamala D. Harris (D-CA), and Tim Scott (R-SC).

“After more than a hundred years of failed efforts, we are now one step closer to finally making lynching a federal crime and putting an end to a long period of Congressional inaction and indifference,” said Senator Booker, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. “This bipartisan legislation is a painful – but necessary – acknowledgement of our nation’s horrific past, stained with the terror of racialized violence committed with near impunity. It sends a very clear signal that we as a nation will not tolerate bias-motivated violence in any form.”

“Lynching is a dark and despicable part of our country’s history. These were acts of violence, needless and horrendous acts of violence that were motivated by racism. And we must acknowledge that, lest we repeat it,” said Senator Harris, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. “These were crimes that were committed against innocent people. These are crimes that should have been prosecuted. There are victims and their families that should have received justice and did not. With this bill, we have a chance to speak the truth about our past make clear that these hateful acts should never happen again.”

“This is an important, long overdue bill that sends a strong message that we will not allow those who spew hate to divide us as a nation,” said Senator Scott. “I want to thank Chairman Grassley and the Judiciary Committee for passing this legislation and helping underscore the severity of this crime.”

From 1882 to 1986, Congress failed to pass anti-lynching legislation 200 times. Lynching was used as an instrument of terror and intimidation 4,084 times during the late 19th and 20th centuries, according to data from the Equal Justice Initiative.

The Justice for Victims of Lynching Act is supported by the NAACP, the Anti-Defamation League, and the Equal Justice Initiative, and has companion legislation in the House of Representatives led by Congressman Bobby L. Rush (D-IL).

Friday, June 29, 2018

Cory Booker, Kamala Harris, Tim Scott Introduce Bill to Make Lynching a Federal Crime

U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), Kamala D. Harris (D-CA), and Tim Scott (R-SC), the only African-American members of the United States Senate, have introduced legislation to make lynching - the willful act of murder by a collection of people assembled with the intention of committing an act of violence upon any person – a federal crime. The Justice for Victims of Lynching Act of 2018 will amend the United States Code to specify that lynching is a crime in itself that would warrant an enhanced sentence under existing federal hate crime statues. Leader Mitch McConnell was recently asked about anti-lynching legislation and responded, “I certainly would support it.”

“It’s a travesty that despite repeated attempts to do so, Congress still hasn’t put anti-lynching legislation on the books,” said Senator Booker. “This bill will right historical wrongs by acknowledging our country’s stained past and codifying into law our commitment to abolishing this shameful practice.

“Lynching is a dark, despicable part of our history, and we must acknowledge that, lest we repeat it,” said Senator Harris. “From 1882 to 1986 there have been 200 attempts that have failed to get Congress to pass federal anti-lynching legislation, it’s time for that to change.”

"This measure is certainly well past due and I am glad to be able to join in efforts that will underscore the severity of this crime,” said Senator Scott. “This piece of legislation sends a message that together, as a nation, we condemn the actions of those that try to divide us with violence and hate.”

"It is never too late for our nation to express our sorrow for the decades of racial terror that traumatized millions in this country, said Bryan Stevenson, Executive Director of the Equal Justice Initiative and the founder of the National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery, a national memorial acknowledging the victims of racial terror lynchings. “Passing an anti-lynching law is not just about who we were decades ago, it's a statement about who we are now that is relevant, important and timely."

The efforts to pass anti-lynching legislation date back to 1918, when Congressman Leonidas C. Dyer (R-Mo.) became the first member of Congress to introduce a bill on the subject. His bill, intended to punish authorities that failed to prevent lynching, was designed to act as a deterrent that would end the practice. His bill ultimately died in the Senate after facing stiff opposition. After 200 failed attempts by Congress to pass anti-lynching legislation, however, Congress is now prepared to right this shameful failure to criminalize lynching as an instrument of terror and intimidation used against more than 4,000 African-African men, women, and children during the late 19th and 20th centuries, according to data from the Equal Justice Initiative.

As recently as 2005, ninety (90) members of the U.S. Senate passed a bipartisan resolution apologizing to the victims of lynching for the repeated failure of the Senate to enact anti-lynching legislation. These senators expressed their deepest sympathies and most solemn regrets of the Senate to the descendants of victims of lynching, the ancestors of whom were deprived of life, human dignity, and the constitutional protections accorded all citizens of the United States.

This is the Senate companion to legislation introduced last week in the House of Representatives by Congressman Bobby L. Rush (H.R. 6086) and 36 members of the Congressional Black Caucus.

The Justice for Victims of Lynching Act is supported by the following organizations: NAACP, Anti-Defamation League, and Equal Justice Initiative.

Text of the bill can be found here.

In addition to Booker, Harris, and Scott, the legislation was introduced by Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Patty Murray (D-WA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Bill Nelson (D-FL), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Doug Jones (D-AL), Angus King (I-ME), Jack Reed (D-RI), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN).

Monday, February 19, 2018

Sen. Tim Scott says Russia investigation, Fla. school shooter tips are "separate issues"

Trump is falsely trying to make the claim that if the FBI spent less time on Russia and more time on following up the tips on the shooter in Parkland Florida that maybe they could have stopped that shooting. Trump leaves out the fact that over 35,000 men and women serve in the FBI and that they can probably handle more than one investigation at a time. He also ignores the fact that tips about the shooter would have been dealt with by the local field office, not by those handling the Russia investigation.

Even fellow republicans such as Sen. Tim Scott have stepped in to say that the two investigations are two separate issues.

Sen. Tim Scott, R-South Carolina, says the reality is that they are "two separate issues." "I think we have to separate the issue, without any question," Scott told CBS News' "Face the Nation" on Sunday.

We, the system, have not done the right job," said Scott, pointing to shortcomings in law enforcement's ability to prevent the Charleston and Texas church shootings.

"What we've seen in three major atrocities is that the system that was in place simply was not followed. So my focus is not on having or not having a gun debate. We're going to have that," said Scott. "But the reality of it is that three incidents could have been avoided, prevented, if the system itself had worked."

Scott noted, however, that he was hopeful Congress would "get something done this year" with regard to bringing bipartisan gun legislation to the Senate floor.

"The reality of it is that we have a sense of urgency about getting this done. And I'm very hopeful that this is the time that we see this nation's leadership united to solve a problem that could've prevented atrocities," said Scott. [SOURCE]

Thursday, September 14, 2017

Tim Scott: 'There is no realistic comparison' between white supremacists and Antifa.

Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., expressed concern Thursday after President Trump reiterated his claim that there are many on the "other side" of the clash between white supremacists and counter-protesters in Charlottesville, Va., who were bad people. Read his statement below:

Thursday, August 17, 2017

U.S. Sen. Scott: Trump's 'moral authority is compromised'

In an interview with VICE News U.S. senator Tim Scott, (R-S.C.) condemned the white supremacists who marched in Charlottesville and questioned the president’s moral authority following the violent events of that sad day.

Tuesday, March 14, 2017

Senator Tim Scott denounces Steve King's racist tweets

Tim Scott the only African American Republican in the U.S. Senate has denounced Iowa congressman Steve King's racist tweets in which King seems to be supporting white nationalism. Below is one of those tweets.

Here is Scott's response to those racist tweets:

“Rep. King’s comments immediately brought to mind the motto printed on our nation’s coins – e pluribus unum, or ‘out of many, one,’ ” Scott said in an email. “And as a Christian myself, I believe we are all descended from the same place. His comments stand in direct contradiction to those ideas and beliefs, and I firmly reject them.”

Saturday, February 11, 2017

Senator Tim Scott surprised about being called an 'Uncle Tom'

By George L. Cook III

Senator Tim Scott was surprised that some called him an Uncle Tom after he voted to confirm Jeff Sessions. While I don't condone the use of that term, Scott shouldn't have been surprised considering that his vote will hurt African Americans. Watch the video below for more on this story.

Wednesday, November 09, 2016

Tim Scott re-elected to the U.S. Senate

U.S. Senator Tim Scott (Republican, South Carolina)) has been re-elected to the U.S. Senate by the voters of South Carolina. Senator Scott defeated Thomas Dixon and two other with Democrats with 60.5% of the vote. This will be Scott first full term as a senator.

ELECTION RESULTS:

CANDIDATE PARTY VOTES PCT.

Tim Scott* Republican 1,228,844 60.5%

Thomas Dixon Democrat 752,001 37.0

Bill Bledsoe Constitution 37,124 1.8

Rebel Michael Scarborough American Party 11,861 0.6

Thursday, July 14, 2016

Sen. Tim Scott discusses his negative experiences with police

Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) gave his second speech on police relations with African Americans. He says the country needs to recognize that "because you do not feel the pain, does not mean it does not exist." To illustrate that pain he discussed a few negative experiences he has had with police. What I love about his speech is that it lets white America know that it doesn't matter if you are in a sweat suit or a business suit you can be a victim of police harassment. More importantly it lets people know that you don't have to have a criminal past to be harassed and that sometimes police stops can be bogus.

Tuesday, June 07, 2016

Sen. Tim Scott: Trump comments racially toxic

U.S. Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina condemned presumptive GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump’s comments about a Mexican-American judge overseeing the Trump University lawsuit as “racially toxic.”

But he said he would still support Trump as the Republican nominee, arguing that disagreeing with Trump’s remarks and continuing to endorse him were not mutually exclusive.

Trump has labeled Curiel a “hater,” “very hostile” and “Mexican,” in connection to how the case has been handled against him, alleging bias.

“I’m not living in a silo,” Scott said. “The reality of it is, we have the impact of Trump’s policies and positions compared to Hillary Clinton’s policies and positions, and I am entirely convinced the country is better off under the policies and positions of the Republican Party than they are under the Democratic Party.”

SOURCE: Charleston Post and Courier

Saturday, May 07, 2016

If Trump picks a black VP candidate who should it be?

By George L. Cook III AfricanAmericanReports.com EMAIL

Presumptive Republican presidential nominee, Donald Trump has handed off the job of searching for a vetting vice presidential candidates to Ben Carson. Now since Carson is leading the search it's highly unlikely that a black candidate will be chosen, but we now live in a world where Trump is the respective Republican nominee so anything is possible.

In wondering who Carson might look at and vet I came up with a short list (very short list) of respective candidates. Let's take a look at them.

Ben Carson: Highly unlikely as he has reportedly stated his does not want to be VP. He would also have trouble staying awake during meetings and would probably be a better fit as Surgeon General.

South Carolina U.S. Sen. Tim Scott Would be a great pick, intelligent, well spoken, understands the issues, and has the gift to be able to articulate his ideas to the masses. He will not be picked though because of all the aforementioned reasons. He also just has too much dignity to serve with Trump.

Former Secretary of State Colin Powell: Probably over qualified for the job, but would make a great VP. He would have an excellent grasp of foreign policy and military issues. His work and statements since leaving a life of public service should give him some distance from Bush 43. Problem is he is a man of extreme honor and dignity and would never serve under Trump. The second issue is that his wife wouldn't let him serve under a Donald Trump. I can hear her saying, "You had better not!"

Utah Rep. Mia Love: Supposedly a rising star in the GOP but she lacks any real experience, but this is the party that put Sarah Palin on a presidential ticket. But then again she would kill two birds with one stone. She is both black and female.

Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice: Very qualified, has the two birds with one stone thing going, but the association and fierce loyalty to Bush 43 would be an issue.

Herman Cain: No qualifications at all. He just here because he's African American and I didn't want the list to be too short.

So who do you think the pick will be from this list or could there be someone I didn't mention?