Blog
Protecting Free Speech
Protecting Free Speech
As a nation, we count free speech and press among our highest values. Many have died defending these basic rights, and we see almost daily the struggle that people endure for them in other countries.
In what is unfortunately starting to feel like a theme for the Obama administration, the FCC attempted a gross overreach with its recent proposed Critical Information Needs (CIN) Study. The CIN study would have put government researchers in our newsrooms in Columbia, South Carolina—the only place singled out for this action. The researchers would have been asking inappropriate questions on editorial process and “news philosophy” that would have almost certainly affected the independence of our news producers.
The FCC’s attempt to intrude on our news outlets’ editorial freedom in any manner is completely unacceptable, and its singling out of Columbia, South Carolina compounds the issue. I have taken a strong stance from the beginning on this matter, and am very glad that the Commission seems to have realized its error and cancelled the study. Read my most recent letter to FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler here.
OP-ED: Sen. Tim Scott: I have lived the power of the American Dream
Sen. Tim Scott: I have lived the power of the American Dream
America's economy has the potential to transform lives like no other force on Earth, but too often in recent years we have seen Washington act as an anchor. And while CEOs and presidents may generate the business headlines, an over-involved federal government hurts employees and those looking for jobs across the entire spectrum.
As someone who grew up in poverty, watching his single mother work 16-hour days to provide as much as she possibly could for us, I have lived the power of the American Dream.
With help from my mom and my mentor, I learned that I didn't have to be an entertainer or an athlete to achieve my goals; I could think my way out of poverty. I realized the power of education, and the incredible opportunities provided by free markets.
My fear is that too many folks these days aren't given the chance to see the greatness that resides within them. Over the past 50 years, we've seen the War on Poverty struggle in its core mission -- to help lift folks up. It's time for a change, so I have introduced my Opportunity Agenda.
A significant part of my Opportunity Agenda is focused on job-training efforts. There are 4 million open jobs across the country right now -- jobs that are unfilled because of a skills gap in the work force. This in spite of the fact there are 35 federal work-force development programs.
My SKILLS Act, which the House has already passed thanks to the efforts of Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-North Carolina, would cut through the bureaucratic maze and mountains of red tape that hinder these programs. We'll create one Workforce Investment Fund, cutting waste and duplication out while ensuring more dollars are used for their actual purpose -- job training. President Barack Obama signaled that Vice President Joe Biden would be looking at job-training programs this year -- I eagerly await their call to discuss my proposal.
I am also working on a proposal to create opportunity zones across America to tie some of the tax dollars coming out of our low-income communities to the community itself in order to rebuild infrastructure and lift those areas up. In my time on county council in Charleston County, this concept was referred to as Tax Increment Financing (TIF) districts, and I see great potential in this concept at the federal level.
It is not enough to simply rebuild, or as some would call it gentrify, our tougher neighborhoods -- we have to provide the opportunity to the folks living there already to take part in a brighter future. Population shifting isn't fixing the problem, it is simply moving it somewhere else.
So instead of overtaxing and overregulating, I see a future where the government cuts out waste and duplication, and gives all Americans the chance to realize their full potential. As I travel throughout South Carolina, be it speaking with a local chamber of commerce, or a group of pastors, or working at a burrito store for a morning (verdict: my own skills with a broom could stand some polishing), my constituents are very clear: They don't want a handout, just a hand up.
It isn't the federal government's responsibility to guarantee outcomes. It is, however, our responsibility to make sure that a better future is possible if people want it. Opportunity knocks for all of us at some point. My hope is that Washington doesn't get in the way of folks answering.
Celebrating our Olympians
Celebrating our Olympians
Our Olympic athletes are amazing men and women with unmatched commitment and skill. We come together to watch their games and cheer them on to victory, and we all feel a burst of pride in our country when we see them win. South Carolina was especially glad to send Lauren Cholewinski to the 2014 Winter Olympics as a speed skater. This year our 230 athletes came from 38 different states, making countless schools, coaches, churches, trainers, parents and friends extremely proud.
Many of these Olympians have trained 6 or 7 days a week since childhood and forgone other career opportunities to became the very best at their craft—they give their all to reach the pinnacle of athletic achievement. Despite this, training expenses are not tax-deductible—the IRS classifies what these athletes do as a “hobby.” After they push the limits of what is humanly possible to bring home a gold medal for the U.S.A., they find that it is taxed as earned income, along with the prize money they receive. The U.S. is one of the very few countries with such punitive rules, and it has huge costs for the men and women who work hard to represent America well at the Games.
This past week, Senator Scott was an original cosponsor on a bill that would ease these burdensome rules on our Olympians and Paralympians—many of them wounded warriors—to allow them to keep the medals and prizes that that have worked so hard to win.
Trying My Hand at Acting
I joined some of my colleagues in Congress, including South Carolina Reps. Clyburn, Duncan and Gowdy, in trying our hands at acting scenes from House of Cards. You can watch the video below!
Amazing Welcome Home
A great video from the Hilton Head Island Packet - "Michael C. Riley Elementary School fifth-grader Jasmine Gomez is surprised by her father, Staff Sgt. Jose Gomez Berrios, combat engineer, after he returned from a seven-month tour in Afghanistan on Feb. 10, 2014." Welcome home Staff Sgt., enjoy your family and know you have our eternal thanks for your service to our nation.
Joining Meet the Press
I joined Meet the Press yesterday and discussed my Opportunity Agenda. Watch below!
Senator Scott Responds to the State of the Union Address
Senator Scott Responds to the State of the Union Address
Opportunity Agenda in South Carolina
Over the past year, Senator Scott has visited schools, churches, festivals, juvenile detention centers, businesses—over 140 stops in total—all to hear more about the lives and goals of South Carolinians. Invariably, he’s heard themes of wanting to work, people improving their own lives, and seeking a hand up, not a handout.
This past weekend, he helped sweep the floors and prepare food at a restaurant in North Charleston. Senator Scott heard familiar stories of hard-working Americans who were doing what they needed to do to support their families, work their way through school, and earn the money that would help them to move ahead in life.
Americans have been forging their own paths ahead since the founding of our great nation, and through education and economic freedom, Senator Scott’s goal is to make the success of the American Dream available for anyone who will work hard to claim it. In our view, the best way for government to position Americans to succeed is to create opportunity, and then get out of the way.
Senator Scott’s Opportunity Agenda will aim to do just that.
Benghazi Questions Still Looming
Benghazi Questions Still Looming
This recently released report from the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (below) further advances the belief of many Americans that the Obama administration was not prepared for the threats we face from terrorists such as al-Qaeda. Unfortunately, the administration is still not providing answers to important questions about what happened during the time surrounding and following the Benghazi attacks. Americans, particularly the families of those who were killed, deserve to know the truth.
