Timothy Eugene Scott (born September 19, 1965) is an American businessman and politician serving as the
junior
Junior or Juniors may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Music
* ''Junior'' (Junior Mance album), 1959
* ''Junior'' (Röyksopp album), 2009
* ''Junior'' (Kaki King album), 2010
* ''Junior'' (LaFontaines album), 2019
Films
* ''Junior'' (1994 ...
United States senator
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and powe ...
from
South Carolina
)'' Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no)
, anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind"
, Former = Province of South Carolina
, seat = Columbia
, LargestCity = Charleston
, LargestMetro = ...
since 2013. He served in the
South Carolina House of Representatives
The South Carolina House of Representatives is the lower house of the South Carolina General Assembly. It consists of 124 representatives elected to two-year terms at the same time as U.S. congressional elections.
Unlike many legislatures, seati ...
and the
U.S. House of Representatives. He also served as a city councilor in
Charleston, South Carolina. He was a
candidate
A candidate, or nominee, is the prospective recipient of an award or honor, or a person seeking or being considered for some kind of position; for example:
* to be elected to an office — in this case a candidate selection procedure occurs.
* ...
for
the Republican 2024 presidential nomination.
Scott worked in
financial services before serving on the
Charleston County Council from 1995 to 2009. He then served in the
South Carolina General Assembly from 2009 to 2011, and represented in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2011 to 2013.
Nikki Haley, who was then governor of South Carolina, appointed Scott to the U.S. Senate in 2013 to fill a vacancy. He retained his Senate seat after winning a
special election in 2014, and was elected to a full term in
2016
File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the Impeachment of Dilma Rousseff, impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses duri ...
and reelected in
2022
File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretariat; The global monkeypo ...
. He became the first African-American senator to be elected from the
Southern United States
The Southern United States (sometimes Dixie, also referred to as the Southern States, the American South, the Southland, or simply the South) is a geographic and cultural region of the United States of America. It is between the Atlantic Ocean ...
since the
Reconstruction era.
Scott was a candidate in the
2024 Republican Party presidential primaries, forming an exploratory committee on April 13, 2023.
He filed
Federal Election Commission
The Federal Election Commission (FEC) is an independent regulatory agency of the United States whose purpose is to enforce campaign finance law in United States federal elections. Created in 1974 through amendments to the Federal Election Cam ...
paperwork to run for president on May 19, and formally declared his candidacy three days later. Scott suspended his campaign on November 12 of that year due to low poll numbers.
Early life and education
Tim Scott was born on September 19, 1965, in
North Charleston, South Carolina
North Charleston is the third-largest city in the state of South Carolina.City Planning Department (2008-07)City of North Charleston boundary map. City of North Charleston. Retrieved January 21, 2011. On June 12, 1972, the city of North Charlest ...
, to Frances, a
nursing assistant
Unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP) are paraprofessionals who assist individuals with physical disabilities, mental impairments, and other health care needs with their activities of daily living (ADLs). UAPs also provide bedside care—includ ...
, and Ben Scott Sr. When Scott was seven years old, his parents divorced, leaving him and his older brother, who later became a
sergeant major
Sergeant major is a senior non-commissioned rank or appointment in many militaries around the world.
History
In 16th century Spain, the ("sergeant major") was a general officer. He commanded an army's infantry, and ranked about third in th ...
in the
U.S. Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...
, to grow up in working-class poverty with their mother. Frances often worked double shifts to support her family.
After his parents' divorce, Scott, along with his mother and older brother, moved into his maternal grandparents' house. There, he formed a close bond with his grandfather.
As a freshman at North Charleston's
R.B. Stall High School, he failed several subjects, prompting his mother to send him to summer school, which he had to finance by working at a local movie theater.
During this time, he met John Moniz, the owner of a nearby
Chick-fil-A. Their initial interaction over a sandwich at Scott's workplace evolved into a substantial mentorship. Moniz educated Scott on individual responsibility, conservative business principles, philanthropy, and finance.
From an early age, Scott enjoyed sports, and excelled at football. He overcame racial prejudice in high school, securing election as student body vice president in his junior year and student body president as a senior.
A month before his senior year, he fell asleep while driving, resulting in a car accident that dimmed his prospects as a football recruit. Nevertheless, he attended
Presbyterian College
Presbyterian College (PC) is a private Presbyterian liberal arts college in Clinton, South Carolina.
History
Presbyterian College was founded in 1880 by the William Plumer Jacobs. He had served as the pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Cl ...
from 1983 to 1984 on a partial football scholarship. There he was introduced to the
Fellowship of Christian Athletes
The Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) is an international non-profit Christian sports ministry founded in 1954 and based in Kansas City, Missouri. It has staff offices located throughout the United States and abroad.
History
FCA was foun ...
, an encounter that led him to his Christian faith, which became a central part of his life.
Scott later transferred to
Charleston Southern University, where he graduated in 1988 with a
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years.
The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University o ...
degree in
political science
Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and power, and the analysis of political activities, political thought, political behavior, and associated constitutions and la ...
.
Upon graduating from college, Scott worked as an insurance agent and financial adviser, a stepping stone toward starting his insurance agency, Tim Scott Allstate. His professional accomplishments enabled him to purchase a home for his mother.
Early political career
Charleston County Council (1995–2009)
Elections
Scott ran in a February 1995 special election for the Charleston County Council
at-large seat vacated by Keith Summey, who had resigned upon being elected mayor of
North Charleston
North Charleston is the third-largest city in the state of South Carolina.City Planning Department (2008-07)City of North Charleston boundary map. City of North Charleston. Retrieved January 21, 2011. On June 12, 1972, the city of North Charlest ...
. Scott won the seat as a Republican, receiving nearly 80% of the vote in the white-majority district. He became the first black Republican elected to any office in South Carolina since the late 19th century.
In 1996, Scott challenged
Democratic State Senator
Robert Ford in South Carolina's 42nd Senate district but lost 65–35%.
Scott was reelected to the Charleston County Council in 2000. In 2004, he was reelected again with 61% of the vote, defeating
Democrat
Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to:
Politics
*A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people.
*A member of a Democratic Party:
**Democratic Party (United States) (D)
**Democratic ...
Elliot Summey (son of Mayor Keith Summey).
Tenure on County Council
Scott served on the Charleston County Council from 1995 until 2009, becoming chairman in 2007. In 1997, he supported posting the
Ten Commandments
The Ten Commandments (Biblical Hebrew עשרת הדברים \ עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדְּבָרִים, ''aséret ha-dvarím'', lit. The Decalogue, The Ten Words, cf. Mishnaic Hebrew עשרת הדיברות \ עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדִּבְ ...
outside the council chambers, saying it would remind members of the absolute rules they should follow. The county council unanimously approved the display, and Scott nailed a
King James version of the Commandments to the wall. Shortly thereafter, the
ACLU and
Americans United for Separation of Church and State challenged this in a federal suit. After an initial court ruling that the display was unconstitutional, the council settled out of court to avoid incurring more legal fees. Of the costs of the suit, Scott said, "Whatever it costs in the pursuit of this goal is worth it."
In January 2001, the U.S.
Department of Justice
A justice ministry, ministry of justice, or department of justice is a ministry or other government agency in charge of the administration of justice. The ministry or department is often headed by a minister of justice (minister for justice in a ...
sued Charleston County, South Carolina for racial discrimination under the
Voting Rights Act
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 is a landmark piece of federal legislation in the United States that prohibits racial discrimination in voting. It was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson during the height of the civil rights movement ...
, because its council seats were based on
at-large elections, meaning that the whole county voted to fill each seat. DOJ had attempted to negotiate with county officials on this issue in November 2000. Justice officials noted that at-large seats dilute the voting strength of the significant African American minority in the county, who in 2000 made up 34.5% of the population. They had been unable to elect any "candidates of their choice" for years. Whites or European Americans made up 61.9% of the county population.
County officials noted that the majority of voters in 1989 had approved electing members by at-large seats in a
popular referendum
A popular referendum (also known, depending on jurisdiction, as citizens' veto, people's veto, veto referendum, citizen referendum, abrogative referendum, rejective referendum, suspensive referendum or statute referendum)Maija SetäläReferendum ...
.
Scott, the only African American member of the county council, said of this case and the alternative of electing council members from
single-member districts
A single-member district is an electoral district represented by a single officeholder. It contrasts with a multi-member district, which is represented by multiple officeholders. Single-member districts are also sometimes called single-winner vo ...
:
I don't like the idea of segregating everyone into smaller districts. Besides, the Justice Department assumes that the only way for African-Americans to have representation is to elect an African-American, and the same for whites. Obviously, my constituents don't think that's true.
The Department of Justice alleged that the issue was not a question of ethnicity, stating that voters in black precincts in the county had rejected Scott as a candidate for the council. The lawsuit noted that because of the white majority, "white bloc voting usually results in the defeat of candidates who are preferred by black voters."
The Department added that blacks live in compact areas of the county and could be a majority in three districts if the county seats were apportioned as nine single-member districts.
The Department of Justice won the case. A new districting plan replaced the at-large method of electing the Charleston City Council. The federal court found that the former method violated the Voting Rights Act, following a lawsuit brought by the Justice Department. Scott was then elected to the Charleston County Council by District 3, rather than by the whole county.
Committee assignments
* Economic Development Committee (Chair)
South Carolina House of Representatives (2009–2011)
Elections
In 2008, incumbent Republican State Representative
Tom Dantzler
Thomas Middleton Dantzler is an American politician.
Dantzler is a native of Orangeburg County, South Carolina, where he was born on June 6, 1941 to parents Harold and Leila. He completed a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree in 1965 from the Uni ...
decided to retire. With support from advisors such as
Nicolas Muzin,
[''JTA']
Canadian-born Orthodox Jew Nick Muzin helps boost black GOP Sen. Tim Scott to prominence
February 12, 2013 Scott ran for his seat in District 117 of the
South Carolina House of Representatives
The South Carolina House of Representatives is the lower house of the South Carolina General Assembly. It consists of 124 representatives elected to two-year terms at the same time as U.S. congressional elections.
Unlike many legislatures, seati ...
and won the Republican primary with 53% of the vote, defeating Bill Crosby and Wheeler Tillman. He won the general election unopposed, becoming the first Republican African-American State Representative in South Carolina in more than 100 years.
Tenure in state legislature
Scott supported South Carolina's
right-to-work laws
The right to work is the concept that people have a human right to work, or engage in productive employment, and should not be prevented from doing so. The right to work is enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and recognized i ...
and argued that
Boeing
The Boeing Company () is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells airplanes, rotorcraft, rockets, satellites, telecommunications equipment, and missiles worldwide. The company also provides leasing and p ...
chose South Carolina as a site for manufacturing for that reason.
In South Carolina
Club for Growth
The Club for Growth is a 501(c)(4) conservative organization active in the United States, with an agenda focused on cutting taxes and other economic policy issues. Club for Growth's largest funders are the billionaires Jeff Yass and Richard U ...
's 2009–2010 scorecard, Scott earned a B and a score of 80 out of 100. The South Carolina Association of Taxpayers praised his "diligent, principled and courageous stands against higher taxes."
Committee assignments
* Judiciary
* Labor, Commerce and Industry
* Ways and Means
U.S. House of Representatives (2011–2013)
Elections
2010
Scott entered the election for
lieutenant governor but switched to run for
South Carolina's 1st congressional district
The 1st congressional district of South Carolina is a coastal congressional district in South Carolina, represented by Republican Nancy Mace since January 3, 2021. She succeeded Democrat Joe Cunningham, having defeated him in the 2020 elect ...
after Republican incumbent
Henry Brown announced his retirement. The 1st district is based in
Charleston and includes approximately the northern 3/4 of the state's coastline (except for
Beaufort and
Hilton Head Island, which were included in the
2nd District after redistricting).
Scott finished first in the nine-candidate June 8 Republican primary, receiving a plurality of 32% of the vote. Fellow Charleston County Councilman
Paul Thurmond
Paul Reynolds Thurmond (born January 9, 1976) is an American politician from the state of South Carolina. A member of the Republican Party, Thurmond is a former member of the South Carolina Senate. He is the youngest child (and one of three surv ...
was second with 16%. Carroll A. Campbell III, the son of former
Governor
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
Carroll A. Campbell Jr., was third with 14%. Charleston County School Board member Larry Kobrovsky ranked fourth with 11%. Five other candidates had single-digit percentages.
A
runoff
Runoff, run-off or RUNOFF may refer to:
* RUNOFF, the first computer text-formatting program
* Runoff or run-off, another name for bleed, printing that lies beyond the edges to which a printed sheet is trimmed
* Runoff or run-off, a stock marke ...
was held on June 22 between Scott and Thurmond. Scott was endorsed by the Club for Growth, various
Tea Party movement
The Tea Party movement was an American fiscally conservative political movement within the Republican Party that began in 2009. Members of the movement called for lower taxes and for a reduction of the national debt and federal budget defi ...
groups, former Alaska governor and vice presidential nominee
Sarah Palin,
Republican House
Whip Eric Cantor
Eric Ivan Cantor (born June 6, 1963) is an American lawyer and former politician who represented Virginia's 7th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 2001 to 2014. A Republican, Cantor served as House Minori ...
, former
Arkansas
Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the O ...
governor
Mike Huckabee, and South Carolina Senator and
Minuteman Project founder
Jim DeMint
James Warren DeMint (born September 2, 1951) is an American political advocate, businessman, author, and retired politician who served as a United States Senator from South Carolina and as president of the Heritage Foundation. DeMint is a member ...
.
He defeated Thurmond 68–32% and won every county in the district.
According to the
Associated Press
The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. ne ...
, Scott "swamped his opponents in fundraising, spending almost $725,000 during the election cycle to less than $20,000 for his November opponents".
He won the general election against Democratic nominee
Ben Frasier 65–29%.
With this election, Scott and
Allen West of Florida became the first African-American Republicans in Congress since
J. C. Watts
Julius Caesar Watts Jr. (born November 18, 1957) is an American politician, clergyman, and athlete. Watts was a college football quarterback for the Oklahoma Sooners and later played professionally in the Canadian Football League. He served in t ...
retired in 2003. Scott also became the first African-American Republican elected to Congress from South Carolina in 114 years.
2012
Scott was unopposed in the primary and won the general election against Democratic nominee Bobbie Rose, 62–36%.
Tenure as congressman
Scott declined to join the
Congressional Black Caucus
The Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) is a caucus made up of most African-American members of the United States Congress. Representative Karen Bass from California chaired the caucus from 2019 to 2021; she was succeeded by Representative Joyce B ...
(CBC). He recognized the efforts of the CBC but said "My campaign was never about race."
In March 2011, Scott co-sponsored a welfare reform bill that the liberal blog
ThinkProgress
''ThinkProgress'' was an American progressive news website that was active from 2005 to 2019. It was a project of the Center for American Progress Action Fund (CAP Action), a progressive public policy research and advocacy organization. Found ...
said would terminate
food stamps to families when a family member participates in a labor strike; the
Republican Study Committee
The Republican Study Committee (RSC) is a study group of conservative members of the Republican Party in the United States House of Representatives. As of 2021, the Chairman of the RSC is Representative Jim Banks of Indiana.
Although the prima ...
denied that charge. He introduced legislation in July 2011 so that the
National Labor Relations Board
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is an independent agency of the federal government of the United States with responsibilities for enforcing U.S. labor law in relation to collective bargaining and unfair labor practices. Under the Na ...
could not order "any employer to relocate, shut down, or transfer employment under any circumstance".
[ Updated Mar 5, 2018.] The NLRB had recently opposed the relocation of a
Boeing
The Boeing Company () is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells airplanes, rotorcraft, rockets, satellites, telecommunications equipment, and missiles worldwide. The company also provides leasing and p ...
production facility from Washington state to South Carolina.
Scott successfully advocated for federal funds for a Charleston harbor
dredging project estimated at $300 million, saying the project was neither an
earmark nor an example of wasteful government spending. He said the project was merit-based and in the national interest because larger cargo ships could use the port and jobs would be created. During the summer 2011 debate over raising the U.S.
debt ceiling
A debt limit or debt ceiling is a legislative mechanism restricting the total amount that a country can borrow or how much debt it can be permitted to take on. Several countries have debt limitation restrictions.
Description
A debt limit is a l ...
, Scott supported the inclusion of a
balanced budget amendment in the debt ceiling bill, but after a day full of meetings and prayer he went from leaning No on the bill to voting No.
Committee assignments
The House Republican Steering Committee appointed Scott to the Committee on Transportation and the Committee on Small Business. He was later appointed to the Committee on Rules and relinquished his other two assignments.
*
Committee on Rules
**
Subcommittee on Rules and the Organization of the House
U.S. Senate (2013–present)
2012 appointment
On December 17, 2012, South Carolina governor
Nikki Haley announced she would appoint Scott to replace retiring Senator Jim DeMint, who had previously announced that he would retire from the Senate to become the President of
The Heritage Foundation
The Heritage Foundation (abbreviated to Heritage) is an American conservative think tank based in Washington, D.C. that is primarily geared toward public policy. The foundation took a leading role in the conservative movement during the presiden ...
.
Scott is the first African American U.S. senator from South Carolina. He was one of three black U.S. Senators in the
113th Congress
The 113th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, from January 3, 2013, to January 3, 2015, during the fifth and sixth years of Barack Obama's presidency. It was composed of the ...
, alongside
Mo Cowan and later
Cory Booker
Cory Anthony Booker (born April 27, 1969) is an American politician and attorney who has served as the junior United States senator from New Jersey since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, Booker is the first African-American U.S. se ...
(and the first since
Roland Burris
Roland Wallace Burris (born August 3, 1937) is an American politician and attorney who is a former United States Senator from the state of Illinois and a member of the Democratic Party.
In 1978, Burris was the first African American elected ...
retired in 2010 after succeeding
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the ...
). He is the first African American to be a U.S. senator from the
Southern United States
The Southern United States (sometimes Dixie, also referred to as the Southern States, the American South, the Southland, or simply the South) is a geographic and cultural region of the United States of America. It is between the Atlantic Ocean ...
since
Reconstruction
Reconstruction may refer to:
Politics, history, and sociology
*Reconstruction (law), the transfer of a company's (or several companies') business to a new company
*'' Perestroika'' (Russian for "reconstruction"), a late 20th century Soviet Unio ...
.
During two periods, first from January 2, 2013, until February 1, 2013, and again from July 16, 2013, until October 31, 2013, Scott was the only African American senator. He and Cowan were the first black senators to serve alongside each other.
News media reported that Scott, Representative
Trey Gowdy, former South Carolina Attorney General
Henry McMaster
Henry Dargan McMaster (born May 27, 1947) is an American politician and attorney serving as the 117th governor of South Carolina since January 24, 2017. He is a member of the Republican Party.
McMaster worked for U.S. senator Strom Thurmond, in ...
, former First Lady of South Carolina
Jenny Sanford, and South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control Director Catherine Templeton were on Haley's short list to replace DeMint. Of choosing Scott, Haley said, "It is important to me, as a minority female, that Congressman Scott earned this seat, he earned this seat for the person that he is. He earned this seat with the results he has shown."
Elections
2014
Scott ran to serve the final two years of DeMint's term and won. In January 2014, he signed an
amicus brief
An ''amicus curiae'' (; ) is an individual or organization who is not a party to a legal case, but who is permitted to assist a court by offering information, expertise, or insight that has a bearing on the issues in the case. The decision on ...
in support of Senator
Ron Johnson's legal challenge to the
U.S. Office of Personnel Management
The United States Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is an independent agency of the United States Federal Government that manages the US civilian service. The agency provides federal human resources policy, oversight and support, and tends t ...
's Affordable Care Act ruling.
2016
Scott was reelected to a full term in office.
He was endorsed by the Club for Growth.
In July 2018, Scott and Senators
Cory Booker
Cory Anthony Booker (born April 27, 1969) is an American politician and attorney who has served as the junior United States senator from New Jersey since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, Booker is the first African-American U.S. se ...
and
Kamala Harris
Kamala Devi Harris ( ; born October 20, 1964) is an American politician and attorney who is the 49th vice president of the United States. She is the first female vice president and the highest-ranking female official in U.S. history, as well ...
introduced a bipartisan bill to make
lynching a federal
hate crime.
In February 2019, Scott was one of 16 senators to vote against legislation preventing a partial government shutdown and containing $1.375 billion for barriers along the U.S.–Mexico border that included 55 miles of fencing.
In April 2021, Scott delivered the Republican response to President
Joe Biden's
Joint Address to Congress.
On May 28, 2021, Scott voted against creating an independent commission to investigate the
2021 U.S. Capitol attack.
2022
In August 2019, Scott said, "I plan to run for reelection, but that will be my last one, if I run." He was reelected in
2022
File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretariat; The global monkeypo ...
, defeating Democratic nominee
Krystle Matthews.
Tenure in U.S. Senate
Justice Act
Scott led the drafting of a bill on race and police reform.
Amid skeptical reactions from others in the black community, he tweeted, "Not surprising the last 24 hours have seen a lot of 'token' 'boy' or 'you're being used' in my mentions" and "Let me get this straight ... you DON'T want the person who has faced
racial profiling
Racial profiling or ethnic profiling is the act of suspecting, targeting or discriminating against a person on the basis of their ethnicity, religion or nationality, rather than on individual suspicion or available evidence. Racial profiling involv ...
by police, been pulled over dozens of times, or been speaking out for YEARS drafting this?".
Scott's 106-page Justice Act included:
*Increased federal reporting requirements for use of force,
no-knock warrant
In the United States, a no-knock warrant is a warrant issued by a judge that allows law enforcement to enter a property without immediate prior notification of the residents, such as by knocking or ringing a doorbell. In most cases, law enforcemen ...
s.
*Increased penalties for false police reports.
*Withheld funding for police departments that allow
chokehold
A chokehold, choke, stranglehold or, in Judo, shime-waza ( ja, 絞技, translation=constriction technique) is a general term for a grappling hold that critically reduces or prevents either air (choking)''The New Oxford Dictionary of English'' ( ...
s when deadly force is not authorized.
*Grants for expanding police
body cameras with penalties for failing to use them.
*Created a database of police disciplinary records for use in hiring.
*Created a federal crime for lynching.
*Directed the
Justice Department to provide training on
deescalation tactics and implement duty-to-intervene policies.
The bill lacked provisions demanded by Democrats, including restrictions on
qualified immunity
In the United States, qualified immunity is a legal principle that grants government officials performing discretionary (optional) functions immunity from civil suits unless the plaintiff shows that the official violated "clearly established statu ...
.
Nancy Pelosi called Scott's bill "inadequate",
and said Republicans "understand that there's a need to get something done. ... They admit that and have some suggestions that are worthy of consideration—but so far, they were trying to get away with murder, actually—the murder of George Floyd."
Senate Minority Whip Democrat
Dick Durbin
Richard Joseph Durbin (born November 21, 1944) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the senior United States senator from Illinois, a seat he has held since 1997. A member of the Democratic Party, Durbin has served as the Senate De ...
called the bill "token" legislation, although he later apologized to Scott.
Two Democrats and one Independent senator who caucuses with Democrats broke with the party to support Scott's bill, but, ultimately, Democrats used the filibuster to block it; it received 55 of the required 60 votes.
Committee assignments
Current
*
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
The United States Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs (formerly the Committee on Banking and Currency), also known as the Senate Banking Committee, has jurisdiction over matters related to banks and banking, price controls, d ...
**
Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Protection
**
Subcommittee on Housing, Transportation, and Community Development (Chairman)
**
Subcommittee on Securities, Insurance, and Investment
*
Committee on Finance
**
Subcommittee on Energy, Natural Resources, and Infrastructure
**
Subcommittee on Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Growth (Chairman)
**
Subcommittee on Taxation and IRS Oversight
*
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
**
Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety (Chairman)
**
Subcommittee on Primary Health and Retirement Security
*
Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship
*
Special Committee on Aging
Previous
*
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
The United States Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation is a standing committee of the United States Senate. Besides having broad jurisdiction over all matters concerning interstate commerce, science and technology policy, a ...
(2013–2015)
*
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
The United States Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources is a standing committee of the United States Senate. It has jurisdiction over matters related to energy and mineral resources, including nuclear development; irrigation and recla ...
(2013–2015)
*
Committee on Armed Services (2018–2019)
2024 presidential campaign
In February 2023, it was reported that Scott was preparing for a presidential run.
He announced a "listening tour" that would include a
Black History Month
Black History Month is an annual observance originating in the United States, where it is also known as African-American History Month. It has received official recognition from governments in the United States and Canada, and more recently ...
event in
Charleston, South Carolina, as the tour's first stop and then hosted events and speeches throughout Iowa, the first state to vote in the 2024 Republican presidential primaries. Other announced and suspected Republican candidates also hosted events in Iowa at the same time as Scott.
On April 12, 2023, Scott formed an
exploratory committee
In the election politics of the United States, an exploratory committee is an organization established to help determine whether a potential candidate should run for an elected office. They are most often cited in reference to candidates for pre ...
to potentially run for president.
On May 19, he filed with the
Federal Election Commission
The Federal Election Commission (FEC) is an independent regulatory agency of the United States whose purpose is to enforce campaign finance law in United States federal elections. Created in 1974 through amendments to the Federal Election Cam ...
to run for president. He formally announced his candidacy on May 22, in
North Charleston, South Carolina
North Charleston is the third-largest city in the state of South Carolina.City Planning Department (2008-07)City of North Charleston boundary map. City of North Charleston. Retrieved January 21, 2011. On June 12, 1972, the city of North Charlest ...
.
Scott announced the suspension of his campaign on
Fox News
The Fox News Channel, abbreviated FNC, commonly known as Fox News, and stylized in all caps, is an American multinational conservative cable news television channel based in New York City. It is owned by Fox News Media, which itself is owne ...
's ''
Sunday Night in America with Trey Gowdy'' on November 12, 2023.
Political positions
Taxes and spending
Scott believes that federal spending and taxes should be reduced,
with a
Balanced Budget Amendment and the
FairTax respectively implemented for spending and taxes.
Health care
Scott believes the
Affordable Care Act
The Affordable Care Act (ACA), formally known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and colloquially known as Obamacare, is a landmark U.S. federal statute enacted by the 111th United States Congress and signed into law by Pres ...
should be repealed.
He has said that U.S. health care is among the greatest in the world,
that people all over the world come to study in American medical schools, waiting lists are rare, and that Americans are able to choose their insurance, providers, and course of treatment.
Scott supports an alternative to the ACA that he says keeps its benefits while controlling costs by reforming the medical tort system by limiting non-economic damages
and by reforming
Medicare.
In January 2019, Scott was one of six senators to cosponsor the Health Insurance Tax Relief Act, delaying the Health Insurance Tax for two years.
Economic development
Scott supports infrastructure development and public works for his district.
He opposes restrictions on deepwater oil drilling.
He proposed the
opportunity zone An Opportunity Zone is a designation and investment program created by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 allowing for certain investments in lower income areas to have tax advantages. The purpose of this program is to put capital to work that would ...
designation in the
Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017
The Act to provide for reconciliation pursuant to titles II and V of the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2018, , is a congressional revenue act of the United States originally introduced in Congress as the Tax Cuts and Jobs A ...
.
Scott was among the 31 Senate Republicans who voted against final passage of the
Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023.
Social issues
Scott describes himself as
pro-life
Anti-abortion movements, also self-styled as pro-life or abolitionist movements, are involved in the abortion debate advocating against the practice of abortion and its legality. Many anti-abortion movements began as countermovements in respon ...
and has been a vocal
opponent of abortion. He supports adult and cord blood
stem cell research,
but opposes taxpayer-funded
embryonic stem cell
Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) are pluripotent stem cells derived from the inner cell mass of a blastocyst, an early-stage pre- implantation embryo. Human embryos reach the blastocyst stage 4–5 days post fertilization, at which time they consist ...
research and the creation of human
embryos
An embryo is an initial stage of development of a multicellular organism. In organisms that reproduce sexually, embryonic development is the part of the life cycle that begins just after fertilization of the female egg cell by the male spe ...
for experimentation. In a 2023 interview, he said he would sign a 20-week federal abortion ban into law if elected president. He also opposes
assisted suicide.
While campaigning for president, he has dodged questions about whether he supports a
six-week abortion ban.
Scott opposes
same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage, also known as gay marriage, is the marriage of two people of the same sex or gender. marriage between same-sex couples is legally performed and recognized in 33 countries, with the most recent being Mexico, constituting ...
, and voted against the
Respect for Marriage Act
The Respect for Marriage Act (RFMA; ) is a landmark United States federal law passed by the 117th United States Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden. It repeals the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), requires the U.S. federal gover ...
of 2022, which provided federal statutory recognition of same-sex marriage.
In 2022 and 2023, he and Senator
Rick Scott (no relation) co-sponsored the
PROTECT Kids Act, a bill that would cut federal funding to schools unless they informed parents of changes in children's "pronouns, gender markers, or sex-based accommodations (including locker rooms and bathrooms)." On August 23, 2023, in a debate between Republican presidential candidates, he said: "If God made you a man, you play sports—against men."
Immigration
Scott supports federal legislation similar to
Arizona SB 1070
The Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act (introduced as Arizona Senate Bill 1070 and commonly referred to as Arizona SB 1070) is a 2010 legislative Act in the U.S. state of Arizona that was the broadest and strictest an ...
.
He supports strengthening penalties for employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants.
He also promotes
cultural assimilation
Cultural assimilation is the process in which a minority group or culture comes to resemble a society's majority group or assume the values, behaviors, and beliefs of another group whether fully or partially.
The different types of cultural ass ...
by making English the official language in the government and requiring new immigrants to learn English.
He opposes a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.
Labor
Scott introduced a bill that would deny
food stamps to families whose incomes declined to the point of eligibility because a family member was participating in a labor strike.
Foreign policy
Scott advocated continued
military presence in Afghanistan and believed early withdrawal would benefit
al-Qaeda. He views
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
as the world's most dangerous country and believes the U.S. should aid pro-democracy groups there. Scott opposed the
2011 military intervention in Libya
On 19 March 2011, a multi-state NATO-led coalition began a military intervention in Libya, to implement United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973, in response to events during the First Libyan Civil War. With ten votes in favour and fiv ...
.
China
In November 2017, in response to efforts by
China to purchase US tech companies, Scott was one of nine cosponsors of a bill that would broaden the federal government's ability to prevent foreign purchases of U.S. firms by strengthening the
Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States
The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS, commonly pronounced "Cifius" ) is an inter-agency committee of the United States government that reviews the national security implications of foreign investments in U.S. compani ...
(CFIUS) to allow it to review and possibly decline smaller investments and add national security factors, including whether information about Americans would be exposed as part of transactions or whether a deal would facilitate fraud.
Trade
In January 2018, Scott was one of 36 Republican senators to sign a letter seeking to preserve the
North American Free Trade Agreement by modernizing it for the 21st century.
Police body cameras
After the
shooting of Walter Scott (no relation), Scott urged the Senate to hold hearings on police body cameras.
Environment
In 2017, Scott was one of 22 senators to sign a letter to President
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...
urging him to withdraw the United States from the
Paris Agreement. In the 2012, 2014, and 2016 election cycles, Scott's campaigns received over $540,000 in political donations from oil, gas and coal interests.
Judicial nominations
Scott did not support the nomination of
Ryan Bounds
Ryan Wesley Bounds (born 1973) is an American attorney serving as an Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Oregon.
Bounds had been a nominee for a position as a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals ...
to the
9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (in case citations, 9th Cir.) is the U.S. federal court of appeals that has appellate jurisdiction over the U.S. district courts in the following federal judicial districts:
* District ...
, effectively killing the nomination. His decision was based on what he called Bounds's "bigoted statements he made as a Stanford student in the 1990s."
Marco Rubio joined him in opposing the nomination shortly thereafter, prompting
Mitch McConnell to drop the nomination.
In November 2018, Scott bucked his party in opposing the nomination of
Thomas A. Farr for a federal judgeship.
Farr had been accused of suppression of African-American voters.
Scott cited Farr's involvement in the 1984 and 1990 Senate campaigns of
Jesse Helms, which sought to suppress black voters, and a 1991 memo from the Department of Justice under the
George H. W. Bush administration that stated that "Farr was the primary coordinator of the 1984 'ballot security' program conducted by the NCGOP and 1984 Helms for Senate Committee. He coordinated several 'ballot security' activities in 1984, including a postcard mailing to voters in predominantly black precincts that was designed to serve as a basis to challenge voters on election day."
Further explaining his vote, Scott said the Republican Party was "not doing a very good job of avoiding the obvious potholes on race in America." In an editorial, the ''
Wall Street Journal
''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...
'' criticized Scott, arguing that Democrats would see Farr's defeat as a "vindication of their most underhanded and inflammatory racial tactics." In a letter to the ''Wall Street Journal'', Scott said the publication was trying to "deflect concerns" about Farr's nomination.
President Trump and racism
In 2017, Scott reacted to the
Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville by acknowledging that "Racism is real. It is alive."
Asked to comment on Trump's statement that there had been "good people" on both sides at the rally and that there was "blame on both sides" for the violence that ensued, Scott said that while Trump had initially "rejected hatred, bigotry, and racism" in his "strong" comments on the ensuing Monday, his comments on Tuesday "started erasing the comments that were strong. What we want to see from our president is clarity and moral authority. And that moral authority is compromised when Tuesday happens. There's no question about that
..I'm not going to defend the indefensible."
After meeting with Trump, Scott said that Trump "was very receptive to listening" and had "obviously reflected on what he's said, on his intentions and the perceptions of those comments" which were "not exactly what he intended".
Scott called upon Trump to delete his tweets that attacked demonstrators against the
murder of George Floyd
On , George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, was murdered in the U.S. city of Minneapolis by Derek Chauvin, a 44-year-old white police officer. Floyd had been arrested on suspicion of using a counterfeit $20 bill. Chauvin knelt on Floyd's ...
. Scott said, "Those are not constructive tweets, without any question. I'm thankful that we can have the conversation. ... We talked about the fact that there is a constructive way to have a dialogue with a nation in this similar fashion that we had a conversation after
Charlottesville
Charlottesville, colloquially known as C'ville, is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is the county seat of Albemarle County, which surrounds the city, though the two are separate legal entities. It is named after Queen Ch ...
, the President will listen, if you engage him with the facts of the issue".
Scott also advocated that Trump delete his retweet of supporters chanting "
white power
White pride and white power are expressions primarily used by white separatist, white nationalist, fascist, neo-Nazi and white supremacist organizations in order to signal racist or racialist viewpoints. It is also a slogan used by the prominen ...
", which he soon did.
Electoral history
Personal life
Scott has never been married and has no children.
As of November 2023, he is dating Mindy Noce, an interior designer from
Charleston. The couple appeared together at the
third 2024 Republican primary debate.
Before entering politics, Scott worked in the insurance and real estate industries, becoming the owner of Tim Scott Allstate and a partner in Pathway Real Estate Group, LLC. He is a member of
Seacoast Church
Seacoast is an non-denominational evangelical multi-site megachurch located in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, a suburb of Charleston. It has thirteen different locations around South Carolina and North Carolina. It is a member of the Associatio ...
, a large evangelical church in Charleston.
See also
*
Black conservatism in the United States
Black conservatism in the United States is a political and social movement rooted in communities of African descent that aligns largely with the American conservative movement, including the Christian right. Black conservatism emphasizes socia ...
*
List of African American firsts
African-Americans are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group in the United States. The first achievements by African-Americans in diverse fields have historically marked footholds, often leading to more widespread cultural chang ...
*
List of African American Republicans
*
List of African American United States representatives
*
List of African American United States senators
References
External links
Tim Scott Presidential Exploratory CommitteeSenator Tim Scottofficial U.S. Senate website
Tim Scott for Senate*
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Scott, Tim
1965 births
Living people
20th-century African-American people
20th-century evangelicals
21st-century African-American politicians
21st-century American politicians
21st-century evangelicals
African-American candidates for President of the United States
African-American Christians
African-American members of the United States House of Representatives
African-American people in South Carolina politics
African-American state legislators in South Carolina
African-American United States senators
American businesspeople in insurance
American evangelicals
Black conservatism in the United States
Candidates in the 2024 United States presidential election
Charleston Southern University alumni
Christians from South Carolina
People from North Charleston, South Carolina
Real estate and property developers
Republican Party members of the South Carolina House of Representatives
Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from South Carolina
Republican Party United States senators from South Carolina