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Tim Scott

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Tim Scott
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from South Carolina's 1st district
Assumed office
January 3, 2011
Preceded byHenry E. Brown, Jr.
Member of the South Carolina House of Representatives
from the 117th district
In office
2009–2011
Preceded byTom Dantzler
Succeeded byBill Crosby
Personal details
Born
Timothy Eugene Scott[1]

(1965-09-19) September 19, 1965 (age 58)[2]
Charleston, South Carolina, U.S.[2]
Political partyRepublican
ResidenceCharleston[1]
EducationB.S. political science[1]
Alma materCharleston Southern University
ProfessionInsurance agency owner, financial advisor,[2] Real Estate
WebsiteU.S. Congressman Tim Scott

Timothy Eugene "Tim" Scott (born September 19, 1965) is the U.S. Representative for South Carolina's 1st congressional district. Elected in November 2010 to the 112th Congress, he and Allen West of Florida are the first Republican African-American Representatives from the South since Reconstruction, and the first Republican African-American members of Congress since 2003.[4] Scott is also one of the two members of the freshman class chosen to sit at the House Republican leadership table.[5] Scott, a fiscal and cultural conservative, ran for Congress on a platform of reducing federal spending and taxes.[2] He was endorsed by Tea Party groups and prominent right-leaning Republicans.[2][6]

Previously, Scott served one term in the South Carolina General Assembly (2009–2011), and 13 years on the Charleston County Council (1996–2008).[6][7] A graduate of Charleston Southern University, Scott owns an insurance agency and has worked as a financial advisor.[2]

Early life, education, and early career

Scott was born in Charleston, South Carolina to Ben Scott, Sr. and Francis Scott,[1] a nursing assistant. His parents were divorced when he was 7, and he grew up in poverty under the care of his mother who worked 16-hour days.[6] He has an older brother who is a U.S. Army officer in Germany.[8]

Scott attended Presbyterian College from 1983 to 1984, and graduated from Charleston Southern University in 1988 with a Bachelor of Science in Political Science.[2][9]

In addition to his political career, Scott owns an insurance agency, and works as a financial advisor.[6]

Local and state politics (1995-2010)

Scott was elected in 1995 to the Charleston County Council, becoming the first black Republican elected to any office in South Carolina since Reconstruction,[7] and serving for a time alongside Paul Thurmond, the son of the late Republican U.S. Senator, Strom Thurmond.[10] In 1996, he was the Republican nominee for a South Carolina state Senate seat,[2] but lost to incumbent Democrat Robert Ford.

In 1997, Scott supported having the Ten Commandments posted outside the county council chambers, saying it would remind members of the absolute rules they should follow. The county council then unanimously approved the display and Scott nailed a King James version of the Commandments to the wall. Shortly after, the ACLU and Americans United for Separation of Church and State sued. After an initial court ruling said the display was unconstitutional, the council settled to avoid accruing more legal fees.[11] Regarding the costs of the suit, Scott said, "Whatever it costs in the pursuit of this goal (of displaying the Commandments) is worth it".[11]

Scott served on the Council from 1995 until 2008, becoming Chairman in 2007.[1] He also chaired the Economic Development Committee of the Charleston County Council.[12]

He was elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives for District 117 in 2008, becoming the first Republican African-American representative in more than 100 years.[13]

U.S. Representative (2011-)

Elections

2010
See also: United States House of Representatives elections, 2010 § South Carolina

Scott entered the election for lieutenant governor before switching to the race for South Carolina's 1st congressional district following the retirement announcement of Republican incumbent Henry Brown. 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 are in the 2nd District).[14]

Scott was number one in the nine candidate Republican primary of June 8, 2010, receiving 32 percent of the vote—nearly double that of second place finisher Paul Thurmond.[15] Scott also defeated Carroll A. Campbell, III, the son of former South Carolina governor Carroll A. Campbell, Jr.[10][16] Because no candidate had received 50 percent or more of the vote, a runoff was held on June 22, 2010 with Scott defeating Thurmond[17] 68 percent to 32 percent.[18][19] During the primaries, Scott was endorsed by the anti-tax National Club for Growth,[20] various Tea Party movement groups, former Alaska Governor and Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin,[6][21] Republican House Whip Eric Cantor,[22] former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee,[23] South Carolina Senator Jim DeMint, and the founder of the Minuteman Project.[2]

According to the Associated Press, Scott "swamped his opponents in fundraising, spending almost $725,000 during the election cycle to less than $20,000 for his November opponents".[6] He won the general election on November 2, 2010, defeating Democrat Ben Frasier by a margin of 65 to 29 percent.[24] Following the election, Scott and Allen West of Florida became the first African-American Republicans in Congress since J.C. Watts retired in 2003.[25] Scott also became the first African-American Republican elected to Congress from South Carolina in 114 years. [citation needed]

Tenure

In March 2011, Scott co-sponsored a welfare reform bill that would deny food stamps to families whose incomes were lowered to the point of eligibility because a family member was participating in a labor strike.[26][27] He introduced legislation in July 2011 to strip the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) of its power to prohibit employers from relocating to punish workers who join unions or strike.[28] The rationale for the legislation is that government agencies should not be able to tell private employers where they can run a business.[28] Scott described the legislation as a common sense proposal that would fix a flaw in federal labor policy and benefit the national and local economies.[28] The NLRB had recently opposed the relocation of a Boeing production facility from Washington state to South Carolina.[28]

Scott successfully advocated for federal funds for a Charleston harbor dredging project estimated at $300 million, arguing that the project is neither an earmark nor an example of wasteful government spending.[29] 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.[29]

During the summer 2011 debate over raising the U.S. debt ceiling, Scott said that President Barack Obama could be impeached over the debt crisis.[30] Scott supported the inclusion of a balanced budget constitutional amendment in the debt ceiling bill, and opposed compromise bills that did not include the amendment. Before voting "no" on the final compromise legislation, Scott and other first term conservatives prayed for guidance in a congressional chapel. Afterwards, Scott acknowledged he had received divine inspiration regarding his vote, and joined rest of the South Carolina congressional delegation in voting no on the measure.[31][32]

  • Taxes and spending – Scott believes that federal spending and taxes should be reduced.[2]
  • Health care – Scott believes the 2010 health care reform law should be repealed.[2][33][34] Scott states that the health care in the U.S. is one of the greatest in the world,[34] asserting that people all over the world come to study in American medical schools, waiting lists are rare, and Americans are able to choose their insurance, providers, and course of treatment.[34] Scott supports an alternative to the health care bill that he says keeps these benefits while controlling costs by reforming the medical tort system by having a limit on non-economic damages[34] and by reforming Medicare.[34]
  • Earmarks- Scott opposes earmarks.[2]
  • Economic development - He supports infrastructure development and public works for his district believing it will improve the economy.[2] He opposes restrictions on deepwater oil drilling.[2]
  • Social issues – Scott is pro-life. Scott supports adult and cord blood stem cell research.[35] He opposes embryonic stem cell research funded by taxpayers.[3] He opposes the creation of human embryos for experimentation.[36] and opposes assisted suicide.[35]
  • Immigration – Scott supports federal legislation that is similar to the Arizona law, Arizona SB 1070.[37] He supports strengthening penalties for employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants.[37] He also promotes cultural assimilation by making English the official language in the government, and by requiring new immigrants to learn English.[37]
  • Labor –Scott has a pro-business orientation.[38]
  • Foreign Policy -Scott advocates a continued military presence in Afghanistan and believes an early withdrawal will benefit Al-Qaeda. He also views Iran as the world's most dangerous country and believes that the US should aid pro-democracy groups there.[39]

Committee assignments

Scott was appointed by the House Republican Steering Committee to both the Committee on Transportation and the Committee on Small Business.[40] He declined to join the Congressional Black Caucus.[41]

Personal life

Scott is unmarried.[1] He owns an insurance agency and he is also a partner in Pathway Real Estate Group, LLC.[7]

Electoral history

Main article: United States House of Representatives elections, 2010
General election 2008 - South Carolina General Assembly 117th District[42]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Tim Scott 9,080 99.27
Write-In Various 67 0.73
Total votes 9,147 100
Turnout   76.02
Republican Primary - 2010 1st Congressional District of South Carolina[43]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Tim Scott 25,457 31.49
Republican Paul Thurmond ) 13,149 16.26
Republican Carroll Campbell (REP) 11,665 14.43
Republican Larry Kobrovsky 8,521 10.54
Republican Clark B Parker 6,769 8.37
Republican Stovall Witte 7,192 8.90
Republican Katherine Jenerette 3,849 4.76
Republican Mark Lutz 3,237 4.0
Republican Ken Glasson 1,006 1.24
Total votes 80,845 100
Turnout   24.11
Republican Primary Runoff - 2010 1st Congressional District of South Carolina[44]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Tim Scott 46,885 68
Republican Paul Thurmond 21,706 32
2010 1st Congressional District of South Carolina Elections[24]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Tim Scott 152,755 65.37
Democratic Ben Frasier 67,008 28.67
Republican hold
Turnout   51.89

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f "Members of the House Representative Timothy E. Scott". Official Web Site of the State of South Carolina. Archived from the original on July 31, 2011. Retrieved February 6, 2011.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "Guide to the New Congress" (PDF). CQ Roll Call. 2010-11-04. p. 59. Retrieved July 31, 2011.
  3. ^ a b Bennett Roth (2010-11-06). "112th Congress: Tim Scott, R-S.C. (1st District)". Roll Call. Retrieved 2010-11-30.[dead link]
  4. ^ Caroline May (November 2, 2010). "Tim Scott: first black Republican elected to Congress from the South since Reconstruction". The Daily Caller. Retrieved July 29, 2011.
  5. ^ John Parkinson (November 18, 2010). "House GOP's New Majority Leadership Team Unveiled". ABC News (The Note). Retrieved July 29, 2011.
  6. ^ a b c d e f "SC elects black GOP congressman; 1st since 2003". The Washington Post. The Associated Press. November 2, 2010. Retrieved July 29, 2011.
  7. ^ a b c "Tim Scott Biography" (PDF). Tim Scott for Congress. Retrieved July 29, 2011.
  8. ^ Seelye, Katharine Q. S. Carolina Candidate Shrugs Off History’s Lure, New York Times, June 25, 2010.
  9. ^ "Scott, Tim (1965–)". Biographical Directory for the U.S. Congress. Retrieved July 30, 2011.
  10. ^ a b Behre, Robert. Thurmond, Scott head for runoff, Charleston Post and Courier, June 9, 2010.
  11. ^ a b "Council hopes to end Commandments suit". The Augusta Chronicle. The Associated Press. August 16, 1998. Retrieved August 1, 2011.
  12. ^ "Meet Tim Scott". Vote Tim Scott. Retrieved 2011-01-22.
  13. ^ Scott, Thurmond in GOP runoff in SC's 1st District, Associated Press, June 9, 2010.[dead link]
  14. ^ MacDougall, David. Barrett, Scott win vote. Charleston Post and Courier. January 16, 2010.
  15. ^ Radnofsky, Louise. GOP’s Tim Scott Pulls Ahead in S.C. House Primary, Wall Street Journal, June 9, 2010.
  16. ^ Weigel, David. Black Republican headed for congressional runoff in South Carolina, Washington Post, June 9, 2010.
  17. ^ Kiely, Kathy.Tim Scott wins nomination to become first black Republican congressman since 2003, USA Today, June 22, 2010.
  18. ^ O'Connor, Patrick.Tim Scott, Black Republican, Nominated for Congress Seat in South Carolina, Bloomberg, June 22, 2010.
  19. ^ Breaking News: Tim Scott wins GOP nomination for First Congressional District, WCBD-TV, June 22, 2010.
  20. ^ Hamby, Peter. Historical Overtones in SC House Race, CNN, June 9, 2010.
  21. ^ Isenstadt, Alex. Palin backs Scott, Politico, June 19, 2010.
  22. ^ Schroeder, Robert.Fiscal conservatives try to outdo each other in S. Carolina, Health care, spending among top issues for Republicans in runoffs, Marketwatch, June 18, 2010.
  23. ^ "Governor Mike Huckabee and HUCKPAC Endorse Tim Scott For Congress From South Carolina". Huck PAC. June 17, 2010.
  24. ^ a b "Official results". South Carolina State Election Commission. 2010-11-18. Retrieved 2010-11-22.
  25. ^ NPR It's All Politics, James, Frank "Black GOP Lawmakers Face Tricky Relations With Democrats", January 4, 2011.
  26. ^ Brian Montopoli (March 24, 2011). "Conservatives deny they seek to cut off food stamps for striking workers' families". CBS News. Retrieved August 6, 2011.
  27. ^ H.R. 1135: Welfare Reform Act of 2011 (GovTrack.us)
  28. ^ a b c d David Slade (July 20, 2011). "Tim Scott takes on NLRB". The Post and Courier. Charleston SC. Retrieved July 28, 2011.
  29. ^ a b Ron Nixon (July 19, 2011). "Cost-Cutters, Except When the Spending Is Back Home". The New York Times. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
  30. ^ Reid J. Epstein (July 27, 2011). "Steve King on default: Obama could be impeached". POLITICO.com. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  31. ^ David Espo (July 28, 2011). "Republicans put off vote on debt limit". The Associated Press. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
  32. ^ Jennifer Steinhauer and Robert Pear (July 28, 2011). "Surprise Ending to Day of Strong-Arming, Head Counts and Meetings". The New York Times. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
  33. ^ Jonsson, Patrik. Tim Scott: Can a black Republican win in South Carolina?, Christian Science Monitor, June 15, 2010.
  34. ^ a b c d e Develop Better Healthcare Solutions,
  35. ^ a b "Promote Our Values". Tim Scott for Congress. Retrieved 2010-11-30.
  36. ^ "Issue Position: Health Care". Votesmart.org. Retrieved 2011-01-22.
  37. ^ a b c Issue Position: Immigration,
  38. ^ Jeanne Cummings (21 April 2011). "Freshmen learn to use bills the DC way". Politico. Retrieved 21 April 2011.
  39. ^ "Win the War on Terror". Tim Scott for Congress. Retrieved 8-2-2011. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  40. ^ Behre, Robert (2010-12-17). "Assignments please Scott". Charleston Post Courier. Retrieved 2010-12-17.
  41. ^ Tim Scott Will Not Join Congressional Black Caucus: ‘My Campaign Was Never About Race’ - The Note
  42. ^ http://www.enr-scvotes.org/SC/8562/15723/en/summary.html#
  43. ^ http://www.enr-scvotes.org/SC/16117/28318/en/summary.html#
  44. ^ "Primary Results:South Carolina Runoff". The New York Times. June 22, 2011. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
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