Senate’s Only Black Republican Blasts Critics of His Police Reform Plan
U.S. Senator Tim Scott, the chamber’s only black Republican, was thrust into the center of the national debate on policing when Majority Leader Mitch McConnell put him in charge Tuesday of the caucus’s response to protests over racial inequality and the use of force by law enforcement.
On Wednesday, Scott reacted to being criticized online for a draft proposal that included plans to study police brutality and racial profiling, but not a ban on chokeholds or no-knock warrants, both of which were involved high-profile killings of African-Americans by police that have fueled nationwide protests.
He struck back on Twitter, saying, “Let me get this straight… you DON’T want the person who has faced racial profiling by police, been pulled over dozens of times, or been speaking out for YEARS drafting this?”
He also rejected accusations of being a token, saying, “There are only two black Democratic Senators, stop pretending there’s some huge racial diversity gap in the Senate. Ask my Dem colleagues what their staffs look like…I guarantee you won’t like the answer.”
Scott, 54, reacted quickly after the death of George Floyd two weeks ago while he was in police custody in Minneapolis. “Firing the officers that killed #GeorgeFloyd was the right first move. The second? Arrest them,” Scott wrote on Twitter.
He also used the hashtag “Icantbreathe,” which Floyd said as he was dying, and a hallmark of protests across the United States and internationally since Floyd was killed.
Scott recently praised President Donald Trump’s record on race, saying his economic policies would lead to a stronger black middle class and lauding Trump’s “monumental and historic” support for historically black colleges and universities.
But he has at times broken with Trump on race-related issues, criticizing some of the president’s comments and opposing nominees for federal judgeships.
Scott represents South Carolina, a state that only stopped flying the Confederate flag at its statehouse in 2015, after a white gunman murdered nine African-Americans at a church in Charleston.
Scott, who was appointed to his Senate seat in 2013 and first elected in 2014, is the first African-American senator from a southern state since 1881. He has been stopped and questioned by police even during his years in the Senate.
‘WE’RE LISTENING’
On Tuesday, Scott called for quick and decisive action.
“I think it’s important for this nation to take a very powerful stand and position that says, ‘We’re listening, we’re hearing and we’re reacting,'” he told reporters.
A conservative on fiscal and social issues, the former businessman declined to join the Congressional Black Caucus.
But Scott has worked with two caucus members, Democratic Senators Kamala Harris and Cory Booker, on legislation to make lynching a federal hate crime, which has been included in a sweeping reform bill introduced by Democrats and Scott’s draft plan.
Scott and Booker also were among senators who worked on a law signed by Trump that overhauled the criminal justice system.
Booker, Harris and Scott are the only three black senators, reflecting the lack of diversity in Congress’ 100-member upper chamber.
Only nine senators are from a racial or ethnic minority, compared with about 40% of the country as a whole and about 25% of the House of Representatives. The overwhelming majority of non-white lawmakers are Democrats.
Scott has broken from most of his party over some of Trump’s nominees for federal judgeships, as when he announced in 2018 that he could not vote for Thomas Farr, who was accused of legal efforts that disenfranchised African Americans.
He rebuked Trump after the president failed to condemn a deadly white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017.
Scott said he was optimistic that he could find common ground between congressional Republicans, Democrats and the White House so police reform legislation would become law.
On Wednesday, Scott said about 90% of the bill text was done and he hoped to announce something soon. “I’ve had overall positive feedback. The devil’s in the details, and we’re going to continue working through it,” Scott told reporters at the Capitol.
(Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Steve Orlofsky)
If you are a Republican, that puts you in Trump’s court and according to slow Joe ” you aren’t African American “.
That’s a great idea, except that many of these departments have almost no response when recruiting blacks. Sadly, the leaders of groups like BLM and other race baiters have saturated much of the black community with lies that all cops are racist. So why would they want to be one? But if you watched Live PD, you saw black cops doing community policing and it was beautiful. Now BLM terrorists have gotten the show canceled. They really don’t want diversity. They want civil war and lawlessness. Period.
Those who think race matters in any way, shape, or form are the racists. They’ve been pushing racism on us for decades while hiding behind political correctness. Why? Only to divide us and cause the hate and discontent we’re seeing on the streets today. They literally want to destroy America, the one nation founded on godly principles.
Non-racists don’t think about race because race doesn’t matter. After all, we all came from Adam through Noah.
I am first, a beloved child of the one, true God; second, American; third, a man. My race, although readily apparent from my appearance, is at the bottom of the list of who I am.
Wow. You’re so much more comfortable denying that racial prejudice exists, that you say anyone who complains about racism becomes the real racist, while you soothe yourself with stories of your descent from Adam and Noah. Unequal treatment is real in this country. It has been so despite Johnson’s Civil Rights Act and the Emancipation Proclamation, and for 300 years of slavery before that. Trying to halt injustice does not spring from an urge to destroy America; it comes (for me, a white guy) from the love of truth and justice, which I credit God with instilling in us all, believers and unbelievers alike. We are equipped with the critical judgement and the light to find the right path, and if you choose to ignore the light, well, that’s your choice.
I don’t doubt that you’re a beloved child of God. That doesn’t matter too much to the injustice we children of God work against each other on this earth, though, right? When it’s time to be judged, will your life have been a story of seeking justice for all, or just for white men?
Incidentally, the US was perhaps founded on Godly principles, but on a particular view of God. You’d find that in places like the Vatican, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan.
Here’s my plan. No white cops in any black controlled areas. Let “street justice” rule the hoods.Kind of like Escape from New York but on a national level.
Any African American Senator or Representative who
supports THE RACIST-IN-CHIEF is an OREO, Uncle Tom, SELL OUT
You are the problem…you sound racist. Get a life fool!! ALL LIVES MATTER!! Like it or not!!
There is only one name on the list
of people whose opinion matters to me Joyce.
It isn’t yours.
Anyone who likes Trump, blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah…bored.
Blow it up your ass Joy.
You Caucasian trash trumpukelicans
LOVE having shit blown up your asses.
You’re clearly full of bigoted prejudice, at least. Do you always call every Black person who disagrees with you an Uncle Tom? Do they not deserve as much human dignity and respect as you, do they not deserve to be heard just as much as you? Surely you realize that if everyone took the attitude that you’re taking, slavery would have never ended!
Caucasian trash puhlease !
Blow it up your ass John.
You LOVE shit being blown up your ass.
You are the Ahole, not Trump.
You are an insipid little prick John.
No different than your leader, Dementia Joe: “You ain’t black!”
Right, Basement Boi?
And anyone who spouts such superficial nonsense As in your totally idiotic post is either a total moron or a closet racist Grow up.
You can’t get any more racist, porta-john. You’re blatant bigotry, projection, and hypocrisy, are the foundation of radical leftists who will eventually find themselves swimming in a lake of fire.
? Do I hear something ?
Obsibobsi you simply must remember to pull your head out of your ass if you want to say something.
Otherwise you sound like shit.
Porta-john, I know you’re infatuatedwithassandshitbecauseyoureapuke.
Go flush yourself.
Little john. all you seem to know how to do is insult and use foul language. That doesn’t exactly make ANY of your remarks intellectual. It sounds more like the little head rules the big head.
There is one name on the list of people
whose opinion matters to me Dale.
It isn’t yours.
Thank you Senator Scott for your common sense. Wish I could have voted for you.
thank you! I agree!!
There exist many common-sense solutions across a range of issues, including policing. What prevents action is that too many people make a living on dividing us. The media has monetized division over information because it is so profitable. Grifters on both sides of the aisle bolster their rep & income by being divisive. Many things can be true at the same time. We need police, but we need them to be less aggressive. The average person is okay with protesters, but not with rioters. Too often one becomes the other and the media gives them a pass. By focusing only on blacks, it misses the mark that police are too aggressive across the board, and kill whites far more frequently. None of those deaths are acceptable. Some might have legitimate reasons why they were unavoidable, but every single one should be dissected and analyzed to find out why it happened and what can be done to prevent it. And at times the answer might be the wrong person has put on the uniform. And should be fired. The demands by the Seattle kids actually had some genuinely good ideas in there. Why is anyone in jail for a marijuana crime? Why don’t cops have their cameras on at all times while on patrol? Why isn’t public access to all video a standard (with a time delay of course)? Much could be accomplished if we left the ideological baggage behind.
Common sense exists even in Seattle, we should listen.
Agreed. Why is anyone sitting in jail for a marijuana crime? Even for growing or dealing.
That is insane. But some of their demands are just absurd. And guess what the media will focus their attention on? The absurd. It sells. Moderate voices get drowned out, partisans rule the day, nothing happens because division has been monetized. We, the people, win when there are solutions to problems but the media and politicians lose. No fear to market, no emotive issues to run on. Solving problems denies them that. So I am tepidly supportive of the protests as it *might* result in positive change, creating pressure on those in power to take action. But when the protesters loot, and when they throw a grab bag of left-wing wish lists into the mix, it dilutes the message and in the past, has gone nowhere. Occupy wall street could have made a difference, had they stuck to a singular message.
Make no mistake, ANTIFA is just fascists with better branding. Same tools & techniques, same angsty brainwashed foot soldiers. But good ideas can come from anywhere. And about half of what they proposed were genuinely good ideas that both the right and the left would likely support.
Preach, Fred. It has always been about power and money. How do we the people stop the corruption?
As long as we are divided, we are controlled, and no change will happen except for cosmetic changes meant to appease the passions. The right and left need a champion who can cross over and appeal to many. Tulsi was close, but the DNC & the media kneecapped her. Trump is both hurting and helping. He had a once-in-a-lifetime chance to unite people, twice, (COVID & riots), and he passed on both to push partisan points. What makes him powerful also makes him weak. I do like the fact that Trump is giving DC the enema they so richly deserve, for ignoring the people for so long. I will voting for Trump 2020, to continue delivering those DC enemas.
and guess who owns all but FOX. the clinton foundation, george soros, antifa!! Antifa is paid my soros and the clinton foundation to go in and start the viokence and property destruction in these riots that are supposed to be protests…and blm let’s them infiltrate them and they support the antifa tactics making them no better than antifa, soros or the clinton’s !! This is plain and simple facts.
Guess what…while they have the attention of the country and the world…good ole hillary is in court being deposed for the email scandal and for benghazi and for the sex deal with her Secretarys husband…they don’t want this stuff on news so by turning the attention to the riots they are keeping it out of the news.
The dems have done nothing for over 60 years for blacks….and all of a sudden when President Trump has done more than any prior President for the black…even God ole obozo…he didn’t do anything for them…now he wants to tell them to.push for change…lol lollol…ut was him. ..obozo that was supposed to bring change…nothing but changed my retirement to 10 years further down the road..it was actually 20 years further because of him…but President Trump brought it back to me at 10 years…before facci and deborah birke told President Trump he HAD to close the USA down or we were all going to die. Lol lol lol…not as many deaths as a single flu season…i do believe covid is scary..but regular common sense and good hygiene will take care of that.
This is all a bunch of crap…but stick is heading back up…and im 🙏 praying that things are opening up enough for the economy to recover quickly!!
ALL LIVES MATTER!! LET’S BE REAL!!
All lives matter? Even black ones? Everybody around here gets so sensitive when that point gets brought up.
The below comments gives me hope that not all Americans have lost their mind. I needed to hear some common sense.
Drafting legislation should not be done with knee jerk reactions. There are reasons that police can and need to use choke holds and no-knock warrants. This idea that anything the mob doesn’t like should just be swept aside immediately without consideration as to it’s purpose or the second, third or fourth hand effects wiping it away may have is almost as asinine as the calls to abolish the police. Cooler heads and minds that can look beyond immediate emotional gratifications need to prevail. I’m confident that Senator Scott will come up with meaningful reforms.
thanks I agree!!
Senator Scott talks sense wanting to find common ground to work on the racial problem. Only thru coming together will anything be solved.
trust me democrats dont give a crap about whites blacks pinks or green, we could all be dead and they would be giddy
Yes because we humans create too much of a carbon footprint. That is why they are pro abortion, at least one of the reasons. They love animals & trees but we can destroy all the babies we want. You can’t get more anti God than who sits on the liberal party so they certainly don’t understand that the only real solution is God in Jesus Christ. Without a moral internal compass, one that drives us to do the right things, the ways established by the Lord, then nothing will ever change. You can throw all the money and programs at the problems and they will only get worse. Now their answer to to defund the police and the prisons and let them all do whatever they want. They are the party of partying and you can really tell they have done way too much of drugs & alcohol to think clearly.
exactly!! Thanks
exactly.. they care only about themselves and their pot of money!!
I agree Joane.
He’s good, Rephucklican, House Negro who knows his place and stays there.
lil johnnie… you are a racist pig pos!!
Bless the poor, triggered, snowflake Joyce.
She doesn’t like the taste of her own medicine.
Too Bad. So Sad. Cry me a river.
Nobody on these IJR threads have expressed more racist remarks than you, potty mouth, porta-john. You’re full of disgusting $#!+. Go flush yourself!
yer the one been crying like yer balls been ripped off siince 2016