Tim Scott

Mr. SCOTT

Mr. SCOTT. Mr. President, I rise today to say thank you. Republicans and Democrats have been talking for a long time this week, and perhaps that is productive. But without any question, from what we have seen, I think both sides would agree that the support cast has made this possible. I think it is important for us to pause for just a moment and say thank you. We have pages who are juniors in high school here with us around the clock, and we want to say thank you to the pages. I think about the fact that we have law enforcement guarding this place so we can be here safely, all night long. We have Parliamentarians and clerks who have been at their places on and off over the last 4 days, nearly around the clock. I want to say on behalf of our side and the Democrats, I believe we all are very thankful and appreciative for your long hours and the time you have served us. Thank you for helping us represent the American people. I would also like to point out a few people by name because these folks have been here for up to 57 hours straight--57 consecutive hours of doing their jobs. Captioning services: Sandra Schumm, Brenda Jameson, Doreen Chendorian, Jennifer Smolka, and Laurie Harris. Official Reporters of Debates, 57 consecutive hours of work: Patrick Renzi, Susie Nguyen, Julia Jones, Mary Carpenter, Patrice Boyd, Octavio Colominas, Alice Haddow, Andrea Huston, Carole Darche, Desirae Jura, Megan McKenzie, Wendy Caswell, Diane Dorhamer, Mark Stuart, and Julie Bryan. On behalf of a thankful Senate, we appreciate your time and your dedication to the American people, allowing us to do what we have been doing. God bless.

Mr. SCOTT

Mr. SCOTT. Yes, sir.

Mr. SCOTT. Madam President, I yield 30 minutes of my time during the debate of Congressman Price to Senator Hatch.

Mr. SCOTT

Mr. SCOTT. Mr. President, I appreciate the time. I think we have had a very interesting debate on Betsy DeVos and frankly on public education. Listening to my friends on the left, I have been encouraged, encouraged because I am excited that for the first time in a very long time, we are actually having a conversation about the important role of public education in America. This is a necessary component to success in life. I have been inspired, inspired by Senators who have spoken eloquently and passionately about the importance of our public education system, the challenges they fear might come with the appointment of Betsy DeVos to be Secretary of Education. I have also been disappointed and frustrated by some of the statements made by my friends on the other side. What this is not, what this should not be is a partisan issue. This is not an issue of Republicans versus Democrats. That is not what this is about. This is not even a political issue, nor is this an issue about teachers. I, for one, am so very thankful for incredible teachers. I think of Mrs. Lynch, Mrs. Greenberg, my fourth grade teacher, Mrs. Wynn--God bless her soul. I was a handful. I think of Coach Roberts and Mr. White. We called him Mighty White, Mr. White. What an amazing English teacher I had in my senior year. Ms. Barry and Ms. Myers, wonderful Spanish teachers. This is not about teachers. It is not necessarily about Betsy DeVos, not even Betsy DeVos. For me, the issue is simply an issue of quality education. I will, without any question, have a very specific conversation on Betsy DeVos. For me, however, this is simply about quality education and how we get there. My story is familiar to many people in this Chamber. I have spoken about it a number of times. I will tell you that my entire time in the Senate--the 4 years I have been here--I have been talking consistently about the power of education and the necessity of quality education. I call it the opportunity agenda. The opportunity agenda, which has been my focus for the last 4 years, focuses first on education, making sure that every single ZIP Code in America has a quality choice for education. This is so important to me. As a poor kid growing up in a single-parent household, I was not doing very well. From 7 to 14, I drifted in the wrong direction. As a freshman in high school, I basically flunked out. I failed world geography. I may be the first Senator to fail civics. I even failed Spanish and English. When you fail Spanish and English, no one considers you bilingual, no one. They did call me, by the way, ``bi- ignant'' because I could not speak in any language, and that is where I found my unhappy self. I have two major blessings in my life: a wonderful mother who believed in my future, who encouraged me, who inspired me, who did everything necessary to try to keep me on the right track, and I had a powerful mentor. I am so thankful that during the hardest times of my life, I found myself in the position to receive a quality education, and I learned from my sophomore year forward to take advantage of that positive, strong opportunity for a quality education, but that was not always the case. I remember by the time I was in the fourth grade, I had gone to four different elementary schools because there is something transient about poverty. So we moved around some. Picking the right school was difficult, challenging. So, for me, when I think about this topic, when I hear my friends on the left, when I think about the debate around the Nation, this is simply a clear debate and discussion around education. It changed my life for the better. I will tell you, this is not a Republican or a Democratic issue. Both Republicans and Democrats around this Nation--maybe not in this Chamber but around this Nation--support Betsy DeVos to be the next Secretary of Education, and that is good news. Let me just talk for a few minutes about Betsy DeVos. I have listened to the concerns as we have heard from the Senator from Pennsylvania. Tens of thousands of folks have called the offices of all Senators, to include mine. I have been on the phone, answering the phone in my office so I could have a chance to chat with my constituents who called in from inside the State. I certainly had a ton of calls from outside the State. Here are some of the concerns I heard from my constituents that I know were serious concerns and important parts of the conversation. One serious concern was the lack of experience she has. I will tell you, she brings with her a fresh set of eyes; that, yes, she has no official experience, but she has invested the last 28 years of her life in improving public education. She has supported, without any question, the creation of public charter schools. I had the privilege of speaking at a charter school in Michigan started by Betsy DeVos and her husband 3 or 4 years ago, an aviation high school that focuses on making sure the students are prepared to be competent and to qualify for good jobs in the aviation transportation sector. It is a phenomenal school. I enjoyed my interaction with the kids. I will tell you that not only has she spent the last 28 years in public education, not only has she spent millions of her own money focusing on education, but she has a set of fresh eyes. I will explain to you in a few minutes why that is so important if we are going to improve the quality of education experienced in the rural areas, like West Virginia or in South Carolina, as well as the inner cities, from Chicago to Detroit and parts of South Carolina as well. So that will be an important part of the conversation as we move forward. The second thing I have heard from my constituents that I think is really important is that she doesn't support accountability equally for charter schools and other public schools. I had a chance to talk to Betsy DeVos, and I would not support her if she was not going to treat all the schools the same as it relates to accountability. That is important, and that is a place where she has been crystal clear, from my perspective. The third issue I have heard is that supporting Betsy DeVos will somehow ruin public education. I will tell you, I have had the chance to sit down and chat with her about the role of public education. She agrees with many on our side of the aisle, when she said very clearly, she supports public education. She supports quality public education. She supports charter schools. She supports school choice. I do not believe there is a binary choice between public education and school choice. I think that is not an accurate description that we face. I think she will help to improve public education. One of my friends on the left said that public education is a right, but for too many of our children quality public education is not. It is simply not happening. I will tell you, as I think about the numbers around this concept, I look at those schools around the Nation that meet or exceed our national standard in the area of English or language arts. In my home State, in the county where I was born, Charleston County, if you break it down--and this is a debate that has become a debate so often about where you live and what you look like so I wanted to break it down by the demographics I have heard so often from my friends on the left because these are important demographics. It is very important for us to understand and appreciate the necessity of improving quality education for all of our students. I see in Charleston County meeting or exceeding the English standards that we have set, that 78 percent of our White kids are doing just fine in meeting and/or exceeding those national standards, but, unfortunately, only 24.4 percent of our Black students meet or exceed those standards. I heard that of the Hispanic students in Charleston County, only 27.7 percent meet or exceed those standards. I will tell you that if you think about where we are, as a nation, on the issue of public education and if you drive into some of the inner cities, like Chicago or Detroit or Philadelphia, you have to ask yourself: What is the experience of that child in public education? Because I think this is the central debate for our country. It is around education because a poor education has a strong correlation with our incarceration rates. A poor education has a strong correlation with high unemployment rates. A poor education has a correlation with low lifetime income. So the importance of the issue of quality education--particularly in those places in our country that seem to be under tremendous stress--we should drill into the numbers so we can appreciate what the future looks like for those kids. This is such an important issue. In Chicago, 65 percent of our majority students meet or exceed the standard in English or language arts, but only 22 percent of our African-American kids meet or exceed the standards; 29 percent of our Hispanic kids in Chicago meet or exceed the standards. What are the numbers in Detroit? Well, in Detroit, only 13 percent of our majority students meet or exceed those English standards; 9 percent--1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 percent--of the African-American kids meet or exceed those standards; 12.5 percent of our Hispanic kids meet or exceed those standards. Just correlate those numbers to the incarceration rates, to the employment rates, to the lifetime income rates, and to the rate of hopelessness in those communities. I know we are having a debate about the Secretary of Education. It is an important debate, but a more important debate centers around the educational experience of our students all over this Nation and what that means long term for this Nation and for the students and for our communities all over the country. Philadelphia is another place. For 53 percent--barely half of the majority students--meet or exceed the standards; 24 percent of African- American students and 23 percent of Hispanic students meet or exceed the standards. What does that mean? That means that while we are having a debate about education, while we are having a debate about Betsy DeVos, maybe it is not about Betsy DeVos. Maybe it is not about the great teachers I have had and others have had. We should all celebrate quality public education. I do. I am a tremendous supporter of it, but there is a place in this Nation--from Appalachia, the rural areas in West Virginia, the rural areas of South Carolina, inner cities that I have just named--where a quality education is not the norm. As a matter of fact, the exact opposite is the norm, and that means we all will pay a hefty price, not financially because that is secondary. We lose human potential when it is not developed, and that is a travesty, one that we can ill afford as a nation. While I am seriously concerned about our debate on Betsy DeVos and I am seriously concerned about public education, I am very concerned about the quality outcomes not being experienced by our rural kids and our inner-city kids, and far too often we forget to have a debate about the children in the system. We have a debate about the system, we have a debate about the Secretary of the system, but we haven't thoroughly vetted the accomplishments or the lack of accomplishments within that system. So we ought not cast a shadow over all public education. We should, however, illuminate or cast a bright light into problem areas and look for options to improve the outcome for those kids not only trapped in a failing system but for the rest of their lives playing catchup. That is where our focus should be. We have heard a whole lot of hyperbole about what the next Secretary of Education can do, as if that person could somehow with a magic wand change education. That is patently false. It would take action by this Congress to have that happen. The reality of it is that while it is an important position, she cannot act unilaterally, and the one commitment that I made sure I had from her--she viewed the world of education in the same paradigm as I do, which is we don't want a top-down approach to education; we actually want school districts and local communities and counties and States to lead the charge, because about $550 billion that supports public education doesn't come from the Federal Government, it comes from the States and the local school districts. That is where the decisions should be made. I am a supporter of school choice; however, it would just be an option under the best-case scenario where States would have more options at the cafeteria. I don't want to mandate and she is not going to be able to mandate school choice. That will be our decision, and I have decided I don't want to make it happen. I want to give the States and the local school districts the opportunity to make their own decisions, which does lead me, of course, to my support and her support of school choice. I would submit that most of us in this Nation support school choice. I know that is a controversial statement and one you have to back up with facts. Here is a fact: The fact is that we as a nation consistently support school choice. It is called a Pell grant. A Pell grant is a Federal subsidy that oftentimes goes to private schools-- colleges. Unfortunately, many kids who do not meet or exceed the standards in English, math, and science will never experience the Pell grant because they don't go on to a 2-year or a 4-year education. They don't go to a technical school or to a college. They don't find themselves experiencing what we as a Federal Government provide--a clear and specific option to take your Federal dollars to your private colleges. We all seem to support school choice; we just don't seem to support it for those kids trapped in failing school districts and underperforming schools. Those kids will not see the Pell grants so often. Too often, too many of those kids will not see a Pell grant, which is absolutely, positively, unequivocally school choice. I will state that I am hopeful. I am hopeful because I believe that men and women in this Chamber are sincere and serious about the debate around public education. And I will tell you there are reasons to believe that in spite of the dismal performance that I have read, there are reasons to be hopeful that the future for those kids in public education can get better--significantly better. As I wrap up my comments, let me reflect upon what is possible for kids who were underperforming to become high-achieving. So often we label those kids as at-risk kids. I prefer to call them high-potential kids. There are examples in this Nation where those kids who were performing so poorly, according to the third grade statistics, around meeting or exceeding expectations, according to ESSA, those kids, later in life and in different programs and in New York City specifically, are doing incredibly well. Let me give a couple of examples, and I will close with this good news and more to be continued later this morning. There is a group of schools called Success Academies which are public charter schools that are performing at the highest levels in the State of New York. Here is the good news: These kids are 87 percent African American and Hispanic. And I went through the numbers earlier--dismal numbers meeting or exceeding standards in English. The numbers are very similar in math. They are very similar in science. But here is what is possible: In all the New York State schools, the top-performing schools in the State-- looking at their performance, 94 percent success rate in math, 82 percent in English, 99 percent in science. To break those numbers down as I did earlier with the African-American and Hispanic students, in math, here is how you reverse the achievement gap: 93 percent of African-American Success Academy scholars outperform the majority of students in New York City. Eighty percent of them are African Americans and 80 percent of them are Hispanic. They are at 80 percent. You see, Mr. President, with the right focus, with the right emphasis, with options like a cafeteria, when parents have a choice, the students have a chance not just in education but a better chance in life. Thank you, Mr. President.

Mr. SCOTT

Mr. SCOTT. Mr. President, as we close this debate on Betsy DeVos, this debate should really be about public education. I support public education. Education is the closest thing to magic in America. Let me say again that again. Education is the closest thing to magic in America. I experienced that magic. As a kid growing up in a single-parent household, mired in poverty, disillusioned about life, I nearly flunked out as a freshman. I thank God for public education. But far too many kids--too many millions of kids today--do not have a quality educational choice in their communities. And what does that mean? There is a high correlation between incarceration, high unemployment, and lower lifetime incomes for those students who do not have quality public education. This Nation--the greatest Nation on Earth--has afforded a kid who almost dropped out of high school to become a U.S. Senator. Why? Because I found a path that included public education, and quality public education. So what does it look like in some of our cities? Let me give my colleagues an example from Detroit. Only 9 percent of African-American kids meet standards for English. Thirteen percent of White kids meet standards or exceed standards in English, and 12.5 percent of Hispanic kids meet or exceed standards in English in Detroit. We need to make sure that every child in every ZIP Code has a quality choice. The Secretary of Education cannot--cannot--privatize education. That would take an act of Congress. So, yes, we should have a passionate debate about education, and yes, we should make sure--make sure--that the focus of that debate is on the kid.

Mr. SCOTT

Mr. SCOTT. Mr. President, before I get into my speech regarding Senator Sessions, I wanted to talk a little bit about what occurred last night. First, there is no doubt in my mind that the letter written by Coretta Scott King should be read by each and every Member of this Chamber. Regardless of whether you disagree with her conclusions, her standing in the history of our Nation means her voice should be heard. What I took issue with last night and the true violation of rule XIX in my eyes were the remarks shared last night originally stated by Senator Kennedy--not Coretta Scott King--Senator Kennedy. Whether you like it or not, this body has rules, and we all should govern ourselves according to the rules. There is no doubt that last night emotions were very high, and I am not necessarily happy with where that has left us today. The Senate needs to function. We need to have a comity in this body if we are to work for the American people. This should not be about Republicans and Democrats. It is not about us; it is about the American people. If we remember that point as we move forward, our Nation will be able to heal where we hurt. We will be able to disagree without being disagreeable. This should be the norm, not a unique experience in public discourse. Before I decided to give this speech, I had the privilege last night around midnight of having to sit in the Chair and presiding. My good friend Cory Booker was making an eloquent presentation about where we are on issues of race in this Nation. He was talking about the South, and he was talking about the pain, the suffering, and the misery. Today, as I want to share my thoughts on Jeff Sessions and how I have come to my conclusion, I thought it was important for me to not try to persuade people but to simply inform, because this issue is not simply the issue about our next Attorney General. This is really an issue about all of us--not all of us as Senators but all of us as members of the American family. This is an issue that digs deep into the core of our souls, deep into the core of our Nation, deep into who we can be, who we should be, and how we will get there. So my objective here, as I speak, will not be to somehow persuade the other side that your decision is wrong. I don't think that is my responsibility nor my intention. My goal isn't even to persuade those who believe that Jeff Sessions will not be a good U.S. Attorney General that they are wrong. I simply want to share information. I want to share facts. I want to share, as Paul Harvey used to say, ``the rest of the story,'' because if you read the news reports, you walk away with a clear picture based on facts but not necessarily a clear picture based on truth. There has been a distortion in many arenas, in many echo chambers about who he is and why I support him. My good friend Cory Booker last night spoke about a true American hero, John Lewis. John Lewis is an American hero. I know that this may or may not be popular with everyone in the Chamber or everyone in America on the conservative side or the liberal side, but the reality of it is this. He was beaten within an inch of his life so that I would have the privilege--not to stand in the Chamber but--to vote, to simply vote. We should all thank God for the sacrifices of men and women so that people like myself, Cory Booker, and Kamala Harris would be allowed one day not to simply vote but to serve in the most unique, powerful, and one of the most important legislative bodies in the world today. It is the sacrifices of men and women of color who fought against injustices. We stand as a nation on the shoulders of these giants. I know that I don't have to remind my mother or my family, but just as a reminder to those who are listening to the conversation, when I leave the Senate one day, I am still going to be Black, an African American--Black every day, Black every way, and there is no doubt. This is an important part of the conversation because, as I read through some of the comments of my friends on the left, you will wonder if I ever had an experience as a Black person in America. I want to get to that in just a few minutes. God, in His infinite wisdom, made me Black, born in Charleston, SC, for a purpose. I am blessed to be who I am, and I am equally blessed to be a Charlestonian. Our country, the South, and, specifically, my State have suffered through difficult and challenging times around the issue of race. My grandfather, who passed away at 94 years old last January, knew a very different South. I remember listening to him talking about his experiences of having to step off of the sidewalk when White folks were coming. He learned early in life: Never look a White person in the eyes. He was in his forties in the 1960s. His whole life view, his paradigm, was painted with a broad brush. Separation, segregation, humiliation, and challenges. It was in my home city of Charleston where the Civil War began. It was in my home city of Charleston where nearly 40 percent of all the slaves that came to America would come through in Charleston, SC. It was a Charlestonian who came up with the concept written into our Constitution of three-fifths of a man--a Charlestonian. But it was also Charlestonians who, in 2010 had a choice between Strom Thurmond's son and a young--I use that word liberally--African- American guy named Tim Scott. The evolution that has occurred in the South could be seen very clearly on this day in Charleston. The very first shots of the Civil War were in Charleston. They gave me the privilege of representing them in Congress, over the son of Strom Thurmond, over the son and the namesake of one of the most popular Governors in South Carolina, Carroll Campbell, Jr. I thank God that the South Carolina that I have come to know, the South that I have had the experience to enjoy is a different South. It is a different Charleston than my grandfather knew in his 94 years. But my life has not been one of privilege, of promise. As I said just a few nights ago, I was born into a single parent household, living in poverty, nearly flunking out of high school. I have been called everything that you can think of from a racial perspective--good, not too often bad, very consistently. So I understand that there is room for progress. There is a need for us to crystallize what we are fighting about, who we are fighting for, and how we are going to get there. This is an important day and an important issue, and the U.S. Attorney General is perhaps one of the most important decisions I will make about the Cabinet of President Trump. I will tell you that, for me, this has been a challenging journey, one that I have not taken lightly because, as I said earlier, I am going to be Black when I leave this body, and so when I think about some of the comments and some of the challenges for Jeff Sessions around the 1986 process, the trial of the KKK and the trial of the Turner family, an African-American couple--they were defendants he brought to court--I have heard it, and I wanted to know more about what it is we are talking about, not by reading it in the paper but by calling folks in Alabama, understanding with new eyes who Jeff Sessions is--not the guy I serve with but the guy who will have the most powerful position in law enforcement. I wanted to know firsthand who he was before he was nominated and how he would respond in a room filled with African-American leaders. I and my best friend in Congress, Trey Gowdy, for a very long time throughout South Carolina have held meetings of African-American pastors and leaders coming together with law enforcement to try to bridge the gap that is obviously broken, bridge the gap that obviously exists between law enforcement and African-American leaders. So I brought Jeff Sessions down to see from a distance how he interacts with these African-American pastors, hear the tough questions on Walter Scott and other issues so I can have an appreciation and affinity of how the Justice Department under his leadership would act. I take this responsibility seriously, and I wonder if my friends in the Chamber have had a chance to see what others think--not the political echo chamber, not the organization, but run-of-the-mill people. So I had that experience, and I will tell you that without any question, the conclusion that I have drawn is a pretty clear conclusion. I am glad that I dug into the issue. I am glad I took the time to know Jeff Sessions the best I can from what I have read from 1986, what I saw in my own home city of Charleston, with a provocative history on race. We are at a defining moment in our country, not because of the Attorney General, not because of the debate we are going through in this body, but because our country is being pulled apart from extremes on both ends. This is not healthy for our country. Too often, too many particularly on the right are found guilty until proven innocent on issues of race, issues of fairness. I say that because, as I think about some of the comments that have come into my office over the last several weeks, I am used to being attacked. If you sign up to be a Black conservative, the chances are very high you will be attacked. It comes with the territory, and I have had it for 20 years, two decades. But my friends and my staff are not used to the level of animus that comes in from the liberal left who suggest that I somehow am not helpful to the cause of liberal America and therefore I am not helpful to Black America because they see those as one and the same. I brought some of the pages of chats that I have from folks, the comments I get from Twitter about my support of Jeff Sessions: Tracy V. Johnson sent in ``Sen. Uncle Tim Scott.'' ``Everyone from SC who happens to be a left winger knows that Tim Scott is an Uncle Tom. [``S''] is documented.'' ``S'' is not for Scott; it is for fertilizer. SGaut says: ``A White man in a black body: Tim Scott backs Jeff Sessions for attorney general.'' Until 3 weeks ago the only African-American chief of staff in the U.S. Senate out of 100 was the chief of staff for a Republican. The second African-American chief of staff in the U.S. Senate is the chief of staff of a Republican. Yet they say of my chief of staff that she is ``high yella,'' an implication that she is just not Black enough. I go on to read from folks who wanted to share their opinions about my endorsing Jeff Sessions: ``You are a disgrace to the Black race!'' Anthony R Burnam @BurnamR says: ``You an Uncle Tom Scott aren't you? Sessions. How does a black man turn on his own.'' Anthony B. from @PoliticalAnt says: ``Sen. Tim Scott is not an Uncle Tom. He doesn't have a shred of honor. He's a House Negro, like the one in Jango.'' He also writes--I guess Anthony Burnam has been active on my Twitter feed--that I am ``a complete horror . . . a black man [who is] a racist.'' ``Against black people'' ``Big Uncle Tom [piece of fertilizer]. You are a disgrace to your race.'' I left out all the ones that use the ``N'' word. I just felt that would not be appropriate. You see, what I am surprised by, just a smidgeon, is that the liberal left that speaks and desires for all of us to be tolerant does not want to be tolerant of anyone who disagrees with where they are coming from. So the definition of ``tolerance'' isn't that all Americans experience a high level of tolerance; it is all Americans who agree with them experience this so-called tolerance. I am not saying this because it bothers me because, frankly, I have experienced two decades of this. You don't necessarily get used to it, but you don't find yourself as offended by it all. I just wish that my friends who call themselves liberals would want tolerance for all Americans, including conservative Americans. I just wish that my liberal friends who are self-described liberal would want to be innocent until proven guilty and not guilty until proven innocent. So back to my findings on Jeff Sessions. I brought Jeff Sessions to Charleston. And you can read about it in the Post and Courier, the local newspaper. The pastor said that Jeff Sessions was warm and friendly, engaging and competent. Now, I will say that the response from the NAACP and the NAN, the National Action Network, about the meeting that I had with the African- American pastors--that it was outrageous that I would invite African- American pastors to meet with this guy and they didn't have an invitation. So I invited two of their leaders. I didn't tell anyone who was coming because I wanted folks to come into the room and make their own decisions and come to their own conclusions. They decided not to come. Maybe it was because a conservative invited them. I don't know why. But I wanted everyone to have a chance, and they did. It was interesting. Here are some other interesting facts that I have not seen often in the press, which I think is a very important point. All of us who engage in conversations around this Nation about race and justice, to only have part of the story is just an unfortunate reality that we should get used to that I haven't gotten used to. But the reality is, 50 years ago, in 1966, Senator Sessions campaigned against George Wallace's wife for Governor. As a Senator, Jeff Sessions voted in favor of a 30-year extension of the Civil Rights Act. He was one of only 17 Republicans to support the first Black Attorney General, Eric Holder. He spearheaded the effort to award the Congressional Gold Medal to Rosa Parks, an Alabama native and civil rights icon. As Cory Booker, my good friend from New Jersey, said last night as I presided, he and Jeff Sessions worked wonderfully well together in awarding the Congressional Gold Medal to the foot soldiers of the civil rights movement in Selma, AL. Here is another part of the story that just hasn't seemed to break through the threshold of our national media on Jeff Sessions' support within the Black community. As I started making phone calls to leaders in Alabama who were Black and Democrats, I was very surprised at what I started hearing about Jeff Sessions. I will start with an Alabama native, Condoleezza Rice, who is not a Democrat but who is an Alabama native. She said: Sessions has worked hard to heal the wounds in Alabama brought on by the ``prejudice and injustice against the descendants of slaves.'' Willie Huntley, an African-American assistant U.S. attorney under Jeff Sessions, now an attorney in Mobile, AL, has known Jeff Sessions for more than 30 years and said in an interview that he has never encountered racial insensitivity from Sessions in the three decades they have known each other. Alabama Senate Democratic leader Quinton Ross said of Jeff Sessions: ``We have talked about things from civil rights to race relations, and I think anyone--once you gain a position like that, actually partnership has to go aside because you represent the United States and all the people. . . . I feel confident [Jeff Sessions] will be an attorney general that will look at it from all perspectives to just do what's right for the citizens of the United States.'' That is from an African-American Democratic leader in the Alabama State Senate, Quinton Ross. From former Obama administration Surgeon General Regina Benjamin: ``I think he'll be fine. I consider him a friend. . . . At least he will listen as attorney general. My hope is that he'll do what is best for the American people.'' Former Deputy Attorney General Larry Thompson says this. Larry is 71 years old, so we are not talking about folks who grew up in my New South that I talked about earlier. Still we are working through it, but, boy, we have changed. This is a 71-year-old who says of Jeff Sessions: ``He doesn't have a racist bone in his body.'' He said: ``I have been an African American man for 71 years. I think I know a racist when I see one. Jeff is far from being a racist. He's a good person, a decent person.'' Gerald Reynolds, former chairman of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights: ``During my discussions with Senator Sessions and his staff, it was clear that the senator has a strong interest in ensuring our nation's antidiscrimination laws are vigorously enforced. Senator Sessions is a man of great character and integrity, with a commitment to fairness and equal justice under the law.'' Just a few more. Fred Gray. Fred Gray is an iconic figure in civil rights, for those of us who may not be familiar with him. Fred Gray is an African- American civil rights attorney. He represented the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He represented Rosa Parks. He represented the Tuskegee men who were exploited in the syphilis experiment by the government. This is what he said in this letter from 2016: What would be more noteworthy for the State of Alabama than having an Alabamian follow in the footsteps of the late Mr. Justice Hugo Black? Previously I have expressed appreciation for your acts herein stated. I look forward to working with you in any future capacity in which the Lord permits you to serve. That is a quote from a letter that he wrote to Jeff Sessions. We are talking about a hero of the civil rights era. We are talking about the lawyer for Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks, and the Tuskegee men. We are not talking about someone who doesn't understand and appreciate the weight and the importance of civil rights in this Nation. William Smith was hired as the first African-American Republican chief counsel to the Senate Judiciary Committee by Jeff Sessions. He said: Jeff Sessions is a man who cared for me, who looked out for me, and who had my best interests in mind. So, anybody who says anything different simply doesn't know Jeff Sessions. One last statement. This is an important one from my perspective. I mentioned earlier that there was a case against a couple, the Turner couple, where Jeff Sessions was the prosecutor, and the Turners were being prosecuted for some voter rights issues. Interestingly enough, what you don't hear in the news, by the way, is that the case was brought by other African Americans in Alabama against an African- American couple, the Turners. This is from Albert Turner, Jr., the son of the two defendants in that case. He says: While I respect the deeply held positions of other civil rights advocates who oppose Senator Sessions, I believe it is important for me to speak out with regard to Senator Sessions personally. First, let me be clear. Senator Sessions and I respectfully disagree on some issues. That won't change when he is the Attorney General of the United States. And I expect that there will be times, as it is with all politicians, when we will legitimately disagree and I will be required by my conscience to speak out. I look forward to those constructive debates, if necessary. However, despite our political differences, the Senator and I share certain Alabama and American values, including love of our State, its people, and our country. I have known Senator Sessions for many years, beginning with the voter fraud case in Perry County in which my parents were defendants. My differences in policy and ideology with him do not translate to personal malice. He is not a racist. As I have said before, at no time then or now has Jeff Sessions said anything derogatory about my family. He was a prosecutor at the Federal level with a job to do. He was presented with evidence by a local district attorney that he relied on, and his office presented the case. That is what prosecutors do. I believe him when he says that he was simply doing his job. Jeff Sessions has also worked on civil rights cases, including the KKK murderer Henry Hays in 1981. Jeff Sessions worked with the Department of Justice attorneys, the FBI, county investigators, and the county district attorney to solve the murder of a 19-year-old African American, Michael Donald. Sessions and the U.S. Attorney's Office prosecuted ``Tiger'' Knowles as an accomplice, obtaining a guilty plea and a life sentence in Federal court. After hard investigative work, Sessions shifted the case of the KKK murderer Henry Hays to the State court where he received the death penalty, which was not available at that time at the Federal level. USA v. Bennie Jack Hays is another successful case against the KKK that Jeff Sessions participated in. In Conecuh County in 1983, Jeff Sessions joined in bringing the first lawsuit in the history of the Department of Justice to stop the suppression of African-American voting rights. In United States v. Conecuh County, the DOJ Civil Rights Division, along with Jeff Sessions, sued white Conecuh County election officials, including the chair of the local Republican Party. Finally, Dallas County. In 1978, the Department of Justice used Dallas County, AL, to replace its at-large election system and go to a single-member district so that African Americans would have a better chance to be elected. Jeff Sessions supported it, the ACLU supported it, as did the DOJ's Civil Rights Division. They were successful. Finally, on the criminal justice issue that I support, according to Senator Dick Durbin, who said during the confirmation hearing that Jeff Sessions saved thousands upon thousands of years of Black men's lives because of his push to reduce the disparity between crack and powder cocaine from 100 to 1, to where it is today. Jeff Sessions even fought against the Bush administration to bring that disparity down. In conclusion, as I reflect on the brave men and women who have shaped this country, who have fought for my freedom, for me to participate fully in this Republic--the greatest experiment of self- governing the world has ever known--we have an obligation to judge a man not by the color of his skin nor by the State of his birth, but by the story his life tells and by the content of his character. Jeff Sessions has earned my support, and I will hold him accountable if and when we disagree moving forward. Thank you, Mr. President.

Mr. SCOTT

Mr. SCOTT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. SCOTT

Mr. SCOTT. Mr. President, today I stand in support of my good friend and Governor, Nikki Haley, who has been nominated for the position of Ambassador to the United Nations. Simply put, Governor Haley is the right choice, and I could not be prouder to support her nomination. She has shown amazing leadership during very trying times in South Carolina, and I know that she will bring the same strength and resolve in reinforcing and strengthening our relationships with our allies. As she showed through her confirmation hearing, Nikki is a strong, principled leader. During a time with so much international instability, we need a decisive and compassionate leader like Governor Haley representing our Nation. She is the type of visionary leader who will help turn the diplomatic tide of the past few years and reassure our allies that the United States stands in strong support of them. Nikki has served the people of South Carolina very well, and she will be missed. But now, I look forward to addressing her by her new title-- Ambassador. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. SCOTT

Mr. SCOTT. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent to display my Clemson flag.

Mr. SCOTT. Madam President, I think it is important for us to realize and note that while Senator Graham did in fact grow up just a few miles from Clemson--which means his affinity for the university is natural-- it is consistent with his upbringing. For me, it is very different. When you are born in South Carolina, and you are born on the coast near the Atlantic Ocean, the likelihood of your being a Gamecocks fan and wearing garnet and black is about 75 percent. So I must concede that I still pull for the Gamecocks. That is a controversial position to be in when you are talking about the new national champions. I would also like to say to Senator Shelby--a man of integrity, character, and long service--thank you for making the bet. I am so glad you lost. I would also say to the Clemson Tigers--the ``Tigers Nation''--we are so incredibly proud of what you have accomplished. It is amazing, not only the successful season that you have had on the field but the character that has been the focus of so much of the conversation off the field. We have talked specifically about No. 4, Deshaun Watson, and the amazing story about his relationship with his mother. I have a special relationship with my mom. So I appreciate his focus and determination to honor her when he is on the field and to continue to honor her when he is off the field. That story is a remarkable story that deserves more attention. It really does. As to Coach Dabo Swinney, is an amazing coach, without any question, but he is also an Alabama alum. Having won the national championship as a part of the Alabama football team--I believe it was 1992--you have a champion come into Clemson University and making champions by loving compassionately, by challenging on the field, and by embracing these men and the entire apparatus around the university and college athletics. He has done a fabulous job. I think of the walk-on receiver that Senator Graham mentioned. In every facet of the team--whether you are the so-called water boy, whether you are the athletic trainer, whether you are a physical therapist--people win because of the team that they are on. There are no self-made success stories. We should remember that as we focus on these young athletes. I know their lives will be meaningful because of the team they played on and not simply the victories they celebrated. I do want to take a few seconds and mention the president, Jim Clements, who is a fantastic guy and one of my dearest friends. Jim and I were having a conversation through text before the game, and I decided, since we can't use our phones on the floor of Senate--I know they frown on that kind of stuff, technology; it is an interesting concept here--I decided to print the text. This was a Wednesday evening around 10 p.m. I had just predicted that Clemson would win, 27 to 24. Jim Clements said: Seriously if we play like we did last week then we win! I believe it will happen!! 35-31. Go Tigers. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. SCOTT

Mr. SCOTT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. 10, introduced earlier today.

Mr. SCOTT. Mr. President, I thank Senator Casey for joining me on the floor. There is no question that much of our country yearns for a day when Republicans and Democrats come together on issues that impact who we are as a nation. I am thankful that Senator Casey has joined me in this objective of making sure hate is pushed out of this Nation every single day. Today I come to speak about an alarming issue--the issue of hate. It truly tears at the very fabric of our great Nation and should inspire all of us to stand up and be counted on the side of justice, on the side of common sense, and on the side of making sure this great American family remains one Nation. Over the past several years, there has been a sharp rise in religiously motivated hate crimes, particularly on our college and university campuses all over America. According to the FBI, close to 60 percent of these crimes were due to anti-Jewish sentiments. From 2014 to 2015, we saw the number of reported incidents double. Let me say that one more time. In a year, we saw a doubling of the incidence of religious discrimination on college campuses, and the vast majority of those issues and situations focused on the Jewish community. There were 90 anti-Jewish incidents reported at 60 schools last year, compared with 47 incidents on 43 campuses just the year before. These numbers are staggering. Senator Casey noted that there have been college campuses and buildings on college campuses where we have seen swastikas. We have heard protests that call for Zionists to leave the school, and we have heard references being made to burning in Auschwitz. I am stunned and saddened by the careless and hateful reminders of such an incredibly dark and daunting time in our world's history, but I also feel empowered and committed to taking a stand against hate. No one, not a single person should ever have to experience being singled out because of who they are or attacked based on the religion they choose to follow. There is simply no place in our country for this kind of intolerance, especially not in our country, the greatest country on Earth. As citizens of this great Nation, it falls on us to stand up and do more to protect our students from being targeted by any form of hate and bigotry. It is important that we work together to stamp out anti-Semitism and other forms of religious discrimination. Our students should be able to go to school, to grow, to learn, and to develop without having to worry about being discriminated against. Although the Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights has stated that they will not tolerate incidents such as these, there exists a lack of firm guidance on what constitutes anti-Semitic acts. That is why Senator Casey and I stand before you today to introduce the bipartisan Anti-Semitism Awareness Act. We have come together to ensure that the U.S. Department of Education has the necessary tools at their disposal to investigate anti-Jewish discrimination. Our proposed legislation uses the very definition of anti-Semitism adopted by the U.S. State Department's Special Envoy to monitor and combat anti-Semitism. This important clarification will provide necessary direction to assist officials and administrators to understand when anti-Semitic activities are occurring. By clarifying exactly what anti-Semitism is, we will leave no question as to what constitutes an illegal anti-Semitic incident. As we seek to tackle this concerning issue, it is important to note that this act will in no way infringe on any individual right protected under the First Amendment of the Constitution. I think we have to emphasize that. Our legislation in no way, shape, or form infringes upon any individual rights protected under the First Amendment of the Constitution. It simply and specifically provides clarity on the definition that the Department of Education can and will use for defining anti-Semitic acts. We must act now. This increase in religiously motivated hate crimes must be addressed. It must be addressed by the entire American family, and it ought to start here. We will come together because we will not allow others to tear us apart. We must hold to the ideals that our Nation was founded on and promote freedom of religion. We must protect that freedom and encourage it. We must--as a Nation, as an American family--call out hate wherever and whenever we see it. I thank Senator Casey for his involvement and leadership on such an important issue. I yield the floor.

Mr. SCOTT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be read a third time and passed and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Mr. SCOTT. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. SCOTT

Mr. SCOTT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. SCOTT

Mr. SCOTT. Mr. President, I would like to congratulate the Phillis Wheatley Literary and Social Club, one of Charleston's earliest Black women's clubs, on their 100th anniversary. Named after a prominent African-American poet, Phillis Wheatley, the club was established by Jeanette Keeble Cox in 1916 as the Wheatley Community Club. Mrs. Cox was the wife of Benjamin F. Cox, the first African-American principal of the Avery Normal Institute. The Phillis Wheatley Club has remained committed to bringing hope and opportunities to each of its members. This year, we recognize the club's ongoing legacy, and I believe this centennial celebration is a testament to its positive influence. It is with honor and admiration that we recognize the Phillis Wheatley Club, and its great impact on so many women's lives, accomplishing its mission ``to promote interest in literary and community work and to lift others as they climb high heights.''

Mr. SCOTT

Mr. SCOTT. Mr. President, I would like to wish Mr. James ``Jim'' French of Charleston, SC, a happy 90th birthday. Mr. French, a committed, passionate, and award-winning journalist, served as a U.S. Navy chief journalist for 26 years. After retiring, he founded the Charleston Chronicle in 1971. His work at the Charleston Chronicle focused on offering solutions for the problems within the Black community and successfully led to receive hundreds of awards from organizations throughout the Lowcountry and Nation. Mr. French's legacy will forever be defined not just by his work and service, but by some many people he has touched in the Charleston community. I would like to recognize Mr. Jim French for his service to our country and our amazing State; he truly represents the very best of South Carolina. Happy 90th birthday, Mr. French. May God bless you.

Mr. SCOTT

Mr. SCOTT. Madam President, after serving pediatric patients and their families for 38 years, Dr. Vege Rao will be retiring from Marion Pediatrics. Dr. Rao, a loyal, dedicated, and passionate physician became the first pediatrician in Marion County when he opened his pediatric practice in 1978. He chose Marion County due to high infant mortality rates and the great need for pediatric services in the community. Dr. Rao has served as a pillar to this rural community, as evidenced by the generations of families he has provided health care to over the years. Many parents of today's patients were initially patients of his themselves. Dr. Rao's legacy will forever be defined not just by his work but by the people he touched in this community, some of the State's most vulnerable and underserved populations. I wish to recognize both him and his wife, Sochetha, for epitomizing the very best of the Palmetto State. I wish Dr. Rao well on his retirement; he has earned it.

Mr. SCOTT

Mr. SCOTT. Madam President, I wish to acknowledge and honor Mr. Charles DeLesline Foster, the first African American to graduate from The Citadel in Charleston, SC. This year, on November 5, the school is celebrating the 50-year anniversary of his matriculation into the school. Although Mr. Foster is no longer with us, we still remember and honor his legacy. After graduating from The Citadel in 1970 with a degree in business administration, he went on to serve our Nation as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army and became an explosives expert working at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Maryland. In 1973, he left the Army and became the manager for a moving company in Texas. Mr. Foster was an American hero who served his country and became a significant part of our State's history. I wish I could be there with the community to celebrate such a historical moment. But it is truly an honor to recognize Mr. Charles Foster, a true trailblazer, and his story can serve as an inspiration to us all.

Mr. SCOTT

Mr. SCOTT. Mr. President, I would like to congratulate and honor Royal Missionary Baptist Church in North Charleston, SC, for their 100th anniversary, which will be celebrated on September 25, 2016. Originally founded in 1916 by Rev. Handy Washington, the Royal Missionary Baptist Church was first housed in the home of Sister Brooks. In its early years, many of the members worked together to construct their own building in Burton Quarters. The church then purchased their Pearson Street property and today is blessed with both the Pearson Sanctuary and their Luella Street property to better serve God. Rev. Isaac J. Holt, Jr., has served the church as its pastor since 1993. Under his leadership, the church has prospered and expanded to such an extent that it was necessary to add two new services and build an additional sanctuary. The church has faithfully upheld its motto, ``The Church where Everybody is Somebody But Christ is Essential,'' and proudly credits the guidance of Jesus and the Holy Spirit for their success. I acknowledge with pleasure the church's influence in North Charleston and recognize their growth and success.

Mr. SCOTT

Mr. SCOTT. Mr. President, I rise today for the final time this week. This has been a very emotional time for all of us and I believe a pivotal time for our Nation. For me personally, I believe our brightest days are still ahead of us, and I will tell you why. I am a kid who grew up in a single-parent household, mired in poverty, disillusioned at times, who nearly flunked out of high school, whose life was changed by a strong, powerful African-American mama and an optimistic, visionary Chick-fil-A operator named John Moniz, who happened to be White. I think it is incredibly important that while our problems appear in black and white, our solutions are black and white. My life is a testament to God's love--a mother's love and the love of my mentor. I don't deny that our Nation must have tough, painful conversations--family conversations--but I have experienced what is possible when the family talks, and it is really a cool thing. My life story is a story of second chances--a love story of sorts. It is a dark hour in race relations for America, but I bring you hope--real hope. In the Deep South, with a provocative racial history, the voters of the First Congressional District of South Carolina--a heavily White district that is the home of the birthplace of the Civil War--elected the grandson of a man who picked cotton. I want to say that one more time. In the heart of the South, the home of the Civil War, a majority White district--these voters elected the grandson of a man who picked cotton over the children of the former U.S. Senator and Presidential candidate Strom Thurmond, and a very popular Governor, Governor Carol Campbell. I am hopeful because I have experienced the power of a State that has been transformed, the great State of South Carolina. So to my American family, please remain optimistic. On Monday, I discussed the importance of supporting our law enforcement community. I followed on yesterday by asking all of us to also realize that although the vast majority of our law enforcement officers only seek to protect and to serve, there is still work to be done. There is a lack of trust between the Black community and law enforcement--one that we as an American family must come together and solve. I believe an old saying is a vital part of finding solutions: The only way to know where you are going is to know where you have been. As I mentioned earlier, part of the rich and sometimes provocative history of America is to point in one of two directions. One is to realize that over the past 240 years we have had our challenges. Our Nation has nearly been pulled apart. But out of the crisis of our past has come the hope for our future. In a relatively short amount of time, we have made, in my estimation, remarkable progress as a nation. And while I will talk about a few of the policies I believe will help us move forward, as well as some things that are more about simply getting us to interact together--to sit down and break bread--the one thing our collective history has taught us is that we must not lose hope. Yes, there is unresolved pain, suffering, and misery, but this is the greatest Nation on Earth, and we are the greatest Nation on Earth for a reason. Flawed men at our foundation opted to sacrifice themselves on behalf of other flawed men, and together we have done something unique in the history of our planet; that is, simply to create a country that is based on the premise that all men are created equal and that our path forward will be blazed together. As the Book of Joshua says, we have to recognize our memorial stones so that we have a chance to move forward. So there is obviously no single solution here. I hope to share a few today, some of which I have talked about before, some of which have broad support in Congress, and some that have nothing to do with the Federal Government. Believe it or not, the government is not the answer to what ails us. The Federal Government can help in places, but the good news is that 300 million Americans, we as a nation, as a family, we are the solution. The first section of solutions sits in the realm of law enforcement and the Justice Department. Over the past few years, I have talked to a wide variety of officials from across the law enforcement arena, as well as groups like the Urban League and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and many other groups. One solution that seems to be acceptable and almost exciting to so many folks is the notion of body cameras. So I have introduced my Safer Officers and Safer Citizens Act, which provides more resources for police departments to obtain body cameras, as well as to help pay for some of the startup costs for storage units and other requirements. While we know body cameras cannot be the panacea, we also know this: If an officer is wearing one, we have a much better chance of understanding the situation from all sides. This is why so many law enforcement officers and agencies support using them. It is why we are seeing cities from Los Angeles to New York outfitting their officers with more and more body cameras. I have also introduced the Walter Scott Notification Act, along with my good friend Senator Grassley. Our system for tracking police shootings is not working for our Nation. It is a patchwork system not built for the 21st century. So, long story short, this bill changes that. Hopefully it fixes the problems. We must know where we are to know where we must go. I am also glad to see my colleagues in the House, including my very good friend Congressman Trey Gowdy, starting a bipartisan working group to take a hard look at the relationship between the Black community and the law enforcement community. I am very hopeful that a similar group will start in the Senate. My final point on the Federal level is that I have had the pleasure of working with a group of colleagues--with John Cornyn and many others--working on this notion of criminal justice reform. I am very hopeful that work will continue to move forward and produce real fruit. Much of this work that needs to be done won't be done on the Federal level if it is done by the government; it will done by the local government and the State government. I have talked to so many in the law enforcement community who talk about the need for more training--specifically, deescalation training, diversity training--and more efforts to get police officers out of their cars and into communities so that they form positive, healthy relationships so that when they are walking down the street, the folks know them. I spoke earlier with Senator Lankford, who talked about this notion of getting officers embedded in communities so that the officers know the very people they are talking to. This seems like common sense, and it seems like the right direction. It is a two-way street. I think the Dallas police chief said it very well. He made the point better than I ever could. He said: If you have issues with policing in your neighborhood, well, we are hiring. That is very important. The Dallas Police Department, along with police departments all across this country, are hiring. He said: We will train you up, and we will put you back into your community. These are the sorts of real-world solutions and actions that build trust in communities. The second set of issues we have to tackle--and this is no surprise to anyone who has heard me over the last couple of years--focuses on one specific word. The word is ``opportunity.'' Too many communities in our Nation feel like they have been left behind, like no one cares, so why should they care? As someone, as I said earlier, who grew up in a single-parent household, I can tell you how strong that sensation to quit becomes, how quickly it grows. When you feel the way I felt in the past, frustration rises and you start seeing the world differently. You don't trust people who aren't from your neighborhood. That is a dangerous recipe. How do we tackle this problem? The answer, from my estimation, is kind of simple: education, jobs, and investment--the cornerstones of my opportunity agenda. On the jobs front, I have worked across the aisle with Senators like Cory Booker to introduce the LEAP Act, which allows for a very successful South Carolina apprenticeship program to become a national model so that kids can earn and learn at the exact same time. We know not everyone wants to or can afford to go to college, but that doesn't mean they should not be able to find opportunities to provide for their families. By incentivizing apprenticeship programs, we can help folks see their potential, experience their potential, and live fulfilling and profitable lives. I have also introduced the Investing in Opportunity Act, which seeks to create a path for private sector dollars-- not government dollars but private sector dollars--to be invested in distressed communities. We have 50 million Americans living in distressed communities and over $2 trillion of unrealized capital gains just sitting there. We should incent those dollars to be invested in those communities. Finally, education. My good friend Trey Gowdy said that education is the closest thing to magic in America. I think he is right. You can look at our incarceration rates, our unemployment rates, our high school dropout rates, our lifetime average incomes, and they all point to one specific area: educational achievement. Trust me, I am the guy who just told you I almost failed out of high school. I know this firsthand. For me, the answer is very clear: Give parents a chance to find the best school for their children, and they will--period. Finally, solutions on a personal level. Again I turn to Dallas. As I was watching one of the surgeons at Parkland Hospital, he was talking about his feelings toward law enforcement. He was saying that he was struggling the night after the shooting. He had worked all night trying to save the lives of these officers, and he was tossing and turning, torn up on the inside that he could not save their lives. I can't imagine how he felt. I can't--Dr. Barrasso, a surgeon--I can't imagine how he felt, trying to save the lives of men and women who were willing to give their lives for others. I can't imagine it. He is an African- American man. As he woke up and prepared for the next day, he struggled. He struggled with his personal relationship and his personal concerns with law enforcement. What is he doing? I think this is instructive for all of us. He said he is making sure his daughter sees him buying lunch for officers and sees them interacting in a friendly way because he doesn't want to pass on to his daughter any sense of fear of law enforcement, but respect, appreciation, and affection for the men and women who wear the uniform. I have seen it in my hometown of North Charleston, SC. It is an amazing experience. On Christmas morning, dozens of officers with dozens of volunteers show up at city hall, and at 6 o'clock in the morning, these guys and gals go door-to-door in the poorest neighborhoods in North Charleston. I have been there with them once or twice. They knock at the door, and they look into the eyes of a little girl or a little boy who is expecting nothing for Christmas, and they hand that child a toy. There are simple ways to bridge the divide between the African- American community and other poor communities and law enforcement. There are powerful ways, simple ways, to make a difference. As I have said a couple of times, the government cannot make us get along. We have seen it tried before. It simply cannot force you and me to take the leap of faith to try to trust again. The notion of America is really built on the foundation of faith-- faith in each other, faith in a higher calling. If we are to mend the relationships in our family, we will have to do so by looking into each other's eyes, walking in each other's shoes, and listening--not waiting to talk, but listening--listening, not only with your head, but listening with your heart so that you hear and feel the pain and the challenges of others. This is a simple commandment from God's Word, Matthew 22:39, to love your neighbor as yourself. This is not simply a commandment, however. This requires action. You have to do something. Trey Gowdy, a Congressman from South Carolina, and I are going to bring pastors and law enforcement officials together in South Carolina so that we can have an honest, sometimes painful conversation about how to move forward together. In Charleston County I had a chance to speak with Sheriff Al Cannon, a longtime sheriff of Charleston. He simply said that both sides have to come together because this is not a one-sided issue. Senator Lankford and I are discussing a new idea called Solution Sunday, a wonderful idea that Senator Lankford shared with me earlier this week, and we will talk about that more in the coming weeks, but the premise of the idea is you have to do more than just go to church together. We as a nation aren't even doing that very well. But we have to eat together and do projects together. So we will hear more about the exciting idea of Solution Sunday in the upcoming weeks. I will continue to reach out to my colleagues and my friends who may not look like me, who may have a different philosophy than I do, so I can understand their hopes, their dreams, and their frustrations because listening is so important. As we look around our Nation, it appears to me that we haven't done nearly enough listening to each other. In closing, I hope we all remember that we have survived turbulent times before: the Civil War, the Great Depression, World War II, 1968, and in South Carolina, 2015. I still marvel at how our State responded to the shootings at Mother Emanuel--the power of forgiveness, the power of love conquering hate. Earlier this year, I lost my grandfather. I haven't really talked about it publicly. He was 94 years old and meant so much to me. This was a man born in Salley, SC, in 1921. I can only imagine what he had seen in South Carolina. I can only imagine the life, the challenges, the struggles of an African-American male in the Deep South in 1921, 1931, and the 1940s. He didn't finish elementary school. He had to pick cotton. He never learned to read. He eventually got a job at the Port of Charleston--a job that, while it didn't give us much in the way of tangible resources, provided an immeasurable lifeline for our family. This is a story that has been repeated generation after generation in this country. I have heard the story from a very different frame from my good friend Marco Rubio. It is a story of success. It is a story of significance. It is a story of America. My grandfather's grandson, yours truly, is a U.S. Senator. My brother, another grandson, rose to the rank of command sergeant major in the U.S. Army. My nephew, his great grandson, has graduated from Georgia Tech, Duke University, and now is on his way to Emory for medical school. That is the beauty of America--from cotton to Congress in one lifetime. We are a beautiful Nation. We are an amazing family. Families fight sometimes. That is OK. We must remember that we are one single family. We can all get to where we are going, we must get to where we are going, and we will get there together. I want one more time to slow down, pause, and remember the sacrifices made by five Dallas police officers, the tragedies in Baton Rouge and Minnesota. We have been through so much, but a bright future is still there for our taking. Let's make sure we grab it together. Let me just say thank you to my staff, who worked very hard all week long to make sure we were prepared for these presentations, and I want to specifically thank my communications director Sean Smith, who helped put most of these words together, helped us work through the emotions, the challenges, and how to frame the conversation that we believe America must have. As my communications director, who happens to be a White guy, and my chief of staff who happens to be an African-American female--as we worked together, it reminded me that in the midst of our struggles, our challenges, and our difficulties, I depend on a rainbow coalition, a patchwork quilt, to present my thoughts, my heart to America. We are America. We are Americans. God has blessed the United States of America. Thank you.

Mr. SCOTT

Mr. SCOTT. Mr. President, I rise today to give my second speech this week discussing the issues we are facing as a nation following last week's tragedies in Dallas, Minnesota, and Baton Rouge. This speech is perhaps the most difficult because it is the most personal. On Monday, I talked about how the vast majority of our law enforcement officers have only two things in mind: protect and serve. But, as I noted then, we do have serious issues that must be resolved. In many cities and towns across the Nation, there is a deep divide between the Black community and law enforcement. There is a trust gap, a tension that has been growing for decades. And as a family, one American family, we cannot ignore these issues because while so many officers do good--and as I said on Monday, we should be very thankful and supportive of all of those officers who do good--some simply do not. I have experienced it myself. So today I want to speak about some of those issues--not with anger, although I have been angry. I tell my story not out of frustration, although at times I have been frustrated. I stand here before you today because I am seeking for all of us, the entire American family, to work together so we all experience the lyrics of a song that we can hear but not see: peace, love, and understanding. Because I shuddered when I heard Eric Garner say, ``I can't breathe.'' I wept when I watched Walter Scott turn and run away and get shot in the back and killed. And I broke when I heard the 4-year-old daughter of Philando Castile's girlfriend tell her mother, ``It's OK, I'm right here with you.'' These are people. Lost forever. Fathers, brothers, sons. Some will say and maybe even scream: But they have criminal records. They were criminals. They had spent time in jail. And while having a record should not sentence you to death, I say, OK, then, I will share with you some of my own experiences or the experiences of good friends and other professionals. I can certainly remember the very first time I was pulled over by a police officer as just a youngster. I was driving a car that had an improper headlight. It didn't work right. And the cop came up to my car, hand on his gun, and said: Boy, don't you know your headlights are not working properly? I felt embarrassed, ashamed, and scared--very scared. But instead of sharing experience after experience, I want to go to a time in my life as an elected official to share just a couple of stories as an elected official. But please remember that in the course of 1 year, I have been stopped seven times by law enforcement officers--not four, not five, not six, but seven times in 1 year as an elected official. Was I speeding sometimes? Sure. But the vast majority of the time I was pulled over for nothing more than driving a new car in the wrong neighborhood or some other reason just as trivial. One of the times I remember I was leaving the mall. I took a left out of the mall, and as soon as I took a left, a police officer pulled in right behind me. That was my first time. I got to another traffic light, and I took another left into a neighborhood. The police followed behind me. I took a third left onto the street that at the time led to my apartment complex and then finally I took a fourth left coming into my apartment complex, and then the blue lights went on. The officer approached the car and said that I did not use my turn signal on the fourth turn. Keep in mind, as my colleagues might imagine, I was paying very close attention to the law enforcement officer who followed me on four turns. Do you really think that somehow I forgot to use my turn signal on the fourth turn? Well, according to him, I did. Another time, I was following a friend of mine. We had just left working out and we were heading out to grab a bite to eat at about 4 o'clock in the afternoon. He pulls out, and I pull out right behind him. We are driving down the road, and the blue lights come on. The officer pulls me into the median, and he starts telling me that he thinks perhaps the car is stolen. Well, I started asking myself-- because I was smart enough not to ask him but was asking myself--is the license plate coming in as stolen? Does the license plate match the car? I was looking for some rational reason that may have prompted him to stop me on the side of the road. I also think about the experiences of my brother, who became a command sergeant major in the U.S. Army, the highest rank for an enlisted soldier. He was driving from Texas to Charleston and was pulled over by a law enforcement officer who wanted to know if he had stolen the car he was driving because it was a Volvo. I do not know many African-American men who do not have a very similar story to tell, no matter the profession, no matter their income, no matter their position in life. I also recall the story of one of my former staffers--a great guy, about 30 years old--who drove a Chrysler 300, which is a nice car, without question, but not a Ferrari, not a super nice car. He was pulled over so many times here in DC for absolutely no reason other than that he was driving a nice car. He sold that car and bought a more obscure form of transportation. He was tired of being targeted. Imagine the frustration, the irritation, the sense of a loss of dignity that accompanies each of those stops. Even here on Capitol Hill, where I have had the great privilege of serving the people of South Carolina as a U.S. Congress Member and as a U.S. Senator for the last 6 years--for those who don't know, there are a few ways to identify a Member of Congress or Senate. Well, typically, when you have been here for a couple of years, the law enforcement officers get to know your face and they identify you by face, but if that doesn't happen, then you have an ID badge, a license you can show them, or this really cool pin. I oftentimes said the House pin was larger because our egos are bigger. So we have a smaller pin in the Senate. It is easy to identify a U.S. Senator by our pin. I recall walking into an office building just last year after being here for 5 years in the capital, and the officer looked at me, full of attitude, and said, ``The pin I know, and you I don't. Show me your ID.'' I will tell you, I was thinking to myself, either he thinks I am committing a crime, impersonating a Member of Congress, or--or what? Well, I will tell you that later that evening I received a phone call from his supervisor apologizing for the behavior. That is at least the third phone call I have received from a supervisor or the Chief of Police since I have been in the Senate. So while I thank God I have not endured bodily harm, I have felt the pressure applied by the scales of justice when they are slanted. I have felt the anger, the frustration, the sadness, and the humiliation that comes with feeling like you are being targeted for nothing more than being just yourself. As the former staffer I mentioned earlier told me yesterday, there is absolutely nothing more frustrating, more damaging to your soul than when you know you are following the rules and you are being treated like you are not. But make no mistake--no matter this turmoil, these issues should not lead anyone to any conclusion other than to abide by the laws. I think the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., said it so well. Returning violence with violence only leads to more violence and to even darker nights, nights, to paraphrase, without stars. There is never ever an acceptable reason to harm a member of our law enforcement community-- ever. I don't want anybody to misinterpret the words I am saying. Even in the times of great darkness, there is light. As I shared Monday, there are hundreds--thousands of stories of officers who go beyond the call of duty. Ms. Taylor--whom I spoke about on Monday night--at the Dallas incident was covered completely by at least three officers who were willing to lose their lives to save hers. We have a real opportunity to be grateful and thankful for our men and women in uniform. I shared another story on Monday night as well, and while the one I want to tell you today does not involve a tragic loss of life, it does show support that meant a lot to me at the time it occurred. Prior to serving in the U.S. Senate, I was an elected official on the county level, State level, and a Member of the U.S. Congress. I believe it is my responsibility to hang out and be with my constituents as often as possible and to hear their concerns. At some point during my time as a public servant, I traveled to an event I was invited to along with two staffers and two law enforcement officers--all four were White, and me. When we arrived at the event, the organizer seemed to have a particular issue with me coming to the event. They allowed my two staffers to go into the event and seemed fine with allowing the two officers to go into the event, who both said they weren't going in unless I was going in. So in order to avoid a tense situation, I opted to leave because there is no winning that kind of debate ever. But I was so proud and thankful for those two law enforcement officers who were enraged by this treatment. It was such a moment that I will never forget and a situation that I would love to forget. This situation happens all across the country. This situation happens all across the country whether or not we want to recognize it. It may not happen a thousand times a day, but it happens too many times a day, and to see it as I have had the chance to see it helps me understand why this issue has wounds that have not healed in a generation. It helps me to appreciate and to understand and helps me communicate why it is time for this American family to have a serious conversation about where we are, where we are going, and how to get there. We must find a way to fill these cracks in the very foundation of our country. Tomorrow I will return with my final speech in this three-part series on solutions and how to get to where we need to go by talking about the policies that get us there and the people solutions because I, like you, Mr. President, don't believe that all answers are in government. I don't believe all the solutions we need start in government, but we need people doing things that only individuals can do. Today, however, I simply ask you this: Recognize that just because you do not feel the pain, the anguish of another, does not mean it does not exist. To ignore their struggles--our struggles--does not make them disappear; it simply leaves you blind and the American family very vulnerable. Some search so hard to explain away justice that they are slowly wiping away who we are as a nation. We must come together to fulfill what we all know is possible here in America--peace, love and understanding. Fairness. Thank you, Mr. President.

Mr. SCOTT

Mr. SCOTT. Madam President, I believe our Nation is in desperate need of a family conversation. The American family as a whole needs to sit down, come to the same table, and talk with our relatives. That means each of us talking to each other about the challenges we have seen in our Nation over all of last week--a challenging week in America's history, without any question; a challenging time period for Americans all over this country, without any question; protests, riots; challenges we haven't seen in a very long time. We stand here today at a crossroads. Our Nation is experiencing turmoil we haven't seen in generations--decades since we have seen this type of turmoil all around the country. My heart breaks for all of us. This week on this floor, I will give a series of speeches in hopes of illuminating some of the issues before us, as well as what I believe are essential steps toward closing both the wounds newly opened and others that have actually never healed. In other words, there are wounds that have existed for more than a generation, and it is time for the American family to work together to heal some of these wounds. Last Friday, deep in the heart of Texas, we saw both the best and the worst of humanity. Only in America would you see police officers alongside protesters who were protesting police brutality. If you take a step back and picture it for just a moment, here is a scene of police officers protecting protesters who are protesting police brutality. In this picture, we don't see tension or animosity; we see smiles. We see police officers working, taking pictures, and making sure that everyone was having the appropriate time and, for some, even an enjoyable experience with law enforcement. But then the shots rang out. Police turned very quickly to protect those protesters, and protesters helped police identify where the shots were coming from. Somehow at the exact same time, Dallas came together and at the exact time was torn apart. In what appears to be one man's warped mind, retribution became his answer to frustration, and his hate left five police officers dead and seven other officers wounded. We continue to mourn for them and their families today. We must not--we must not--become a society where revenge is the rule of the day. Our Nation is dependent on the rule of law, and to enforce the law, we need honest, hardworking men and women to take up the shield. For the overwhelming majority of cops, it is a calling. It is not a job. It is in the fashion of Romans 13--a chapter that speaks very clearly about the fact that government officials wearing a sword can be ministers; in other words, sharing love and affection and appreciation for those they guard and having the ability to provide punishment when necessary. We are talking about men and women who work for a very low wage all over the country and who see their job as a calling. So many of them--the vast majority--do it so well. Law enforcement officers simply want to do two things: protect and serve. We cannot allow the actions of a few to overwhelm the good of the majority. To illustrate this, I want to share a few stories so we can put in frame, put in focus the sacrifice and the commitment that so many officers exhibit every single day throughout our Nation. My first story is a story of a young lady named Jillian Smith, a young African-American female police officer from just west of Dallas in Arlington, TX. In December 2010, Officer Smith responded to a domestic violence situation. She arrived and met a beautiful 11-year- old girl and her mother, both fearful. I want to stop for a moment and make sure we get the frame. Here comes an officer, Officer Smith, who shows up to make sure the folks who called were safe. The people who called were an 11-year-old girl and her mother. They were fearful the mother's boyfriend would show up and do something dangerous. And dangerous--he did do something incredibly brutal. Officer Smith, hearing gunfire, in an instant jumped on top of the body of the 11-year-old. As the bullets rang out, she kept herself on top of that 11-year-old girl. The girlfriend's boyfriend would end up killing the mother and then killing himself. Before he did so, he killed Officer Smith. Without a second thought, Officer Smith did what so many law enforcement officers do instinctively--protect those who are exposed. Officer Jillian Smith, a true American hero, gave her life to protect the life of an 11-year-old girl she had never met before knocking on that door. This story and other stories aren't unusual. They want to serve and protect. We saw this same heroism last Friday evening, as told by Shetamia Taylor. Miss Taylor was at the protest. She was there exercising her first constitutional right. Then the sniper started shooting. Miss Taylor had gone there with her four sons. She, for the lack of a better word, freaked out. Bullets were flying. She ran to cover her one son. According to her account of the situation, before she knew it, there was a cop who was covering her and her son. The next thing you knew, another cop was at her feet and another cop toward her head. In the midst of a sniper shooting at cops, she found herself surrounded, covered by police officers who were just doing their job, risking their lives for this mother and her son. What a picture: the best of America, very clear; the sniper, the worst of America, is just as clear. Miss Taylor made a very good point when discussing what happened. Here is her quote. She said: ``These are the people you call when you're in a situation. . . . What are we gonna do if they stop policing?'' Let me ask the question that Miss Taylor asked one more time. What are we going to do if they stop policing? Who are you going to call? These are the stories that should give us faith in law enforcement. While we certainly have issues that demand solutions--and I, too, have had some issues with law enforcement that I am going to share in my next speech on Wednesday. I will be giving three speeches. This is the first one. In the next one, I will talk about some of the issues that so many folks have experienced. I want to spend time on this, but this is a moment in time when we should stop the camera, create a frame. Let's focus on the fact that our law enforcement officers are true American heroes, period. When you are looking for a hero, sometimes you look for athletes; maybe that is not the best place. You look for entertainers; maybe that is not the best place. You look at Congress--9 percent approval rating; that is probably not the right place. But our men and women who put on a law enforcement uniform--these folks are real American heroes. In my State of South Carolina, officers like Greg Alia, who gave his life last year in Columbia, SC; officers like Allen Jacobs, who gave his life in Greenville, SC; and in Charleston, Joe Matuskovic, who was killed by a man shooting through a door--body slumps over, and my mentor, whom I have spoken about for so long, John Moniz's son--I call him a brother from another mother--was the first deputy on the scene and dragged the lifeless body of his friend, his colleague, from that door, trying to get that body completely out of harm's way. To me, as I said a few seconds ago, Brian Moniz, sheriff's deputies, and police officers are our heroes, and we should focus on that for a moment. We must come together. We must find solutions. We must get to a point where the American family--our family--has a real conversation about the issues that divide us, the differences of our experiences, yet remain a single family with a single mission and make sure that every part of the American family feels valued. I am starting tonight with our law enforcement, the part of the family we depend on, as Miss Taylor so perfectly stated. If we do have this necessary, painful conversation as an American family, we can say with a new freshness, ``God bless America.'' We can say with new focus to our American heroes, ``God bless our law enforcement community.'' I don't expect to give such a speech without having some folks respond positively and some even negatively. But this night, this day, knowing that tomorrow in Texas our current President, our former President, and a number of folks throughout the State of Texas will be together in a part of our family territory, celebrating the sacrifices, mourning the loss, but doing something that needs to be done. It is simply this: not coming as a Democrat, not coming as a Republican, not coming as a Black American, not coming as a White American, not coming as a Hispanic American, but coming to a family gathering for family funerals--plural--which hopefully will start a family conversation that I will look forward to continuing on Wednesday. Madam President, I thank you.

Mr. SCOTT

Mr. SCOTT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate be in a period of debate only for the next 30 minutes.

Mr. SCOTT. Mr. President, a few weeks ago, when I started preparing to give this speech, I must admit I was overwhelmed with emotion. One year ago tomorrow, a brutal attack, fueled by hate, led to the deaths of nine parishioners at Mother Emanuel AME Church in my hometown of Charleston, SC. A year later, the idea that someone's heart could be filled with so much anger and venom is still jarring. Then, over the weekend, we saw it again. In Orlando, FL, a brutal attack, fueled by hate, led to the deaths of 49 people at the Pulse nightclub. This was an assault against the people of Orlando, the State of Florida, and the United States as a whole. We can, and we will, have a much longer discussion on ISIS, Islamic terror, and the steps that must be taken in those areas. But today, as Orlando mourns and Charleston remembers, I want to return to 365 days ago and show how, with the world watching, love overcame hate. On the night of June 17, 2015, I was here in Washington. Much like this week, we were debating the NDAA and our military priorities. But in Charleston, there was a Bible study. Cynthia Hurd, Susie Jackson, Ethel Lee Lance, Depayne Middleton-Doctor, Tywanza Sanders, Daniel Simmons, Sharonda Coleman-Singleton, Myra Thompson, Felicia Sanders and her 5-year-old granddaughter, Polly Sheppard, and my friend, the Reverend Clementa Pinckney, had gathered together for a Bible study at Mother Emanuel. Among them was a young man who was new to Emanuel--a young man they welcomed into their presence with God's love. While they did not and could not possibly see the darkness in his heart, they showed him the loving nature of their own hearts--so much so that he later told police that he almost, almost did not go through with this vicious, vile attack because everyone was so nice to him. But, tragically, almost was not enough. In an instant, the horrors unleashed by this young man changed South Carolina forever. I remember getting a phone call about 9 o'clock p.m. on that Wednesday night from one of my friends at the Sheriff's office about the shooting at Mother Emanuel. Reports continued to come in, and so I texted my friend, Clementa Pinckney, hoping that he would respond and tell me what was going on at the church. I am looking at my texts from June 17, 2015, at 10:31 p.m. I asked him: Are you and your parishioners OK? It was met with silence--silence that is still deafening, silence that I will never forget. He should have been able to text back. He should have been able to go home and see his family, raise his daughters. He should have been able to have gone on and finished his work as a State senator in the statehouse and to continue spreading God's love. As we people of faith know, sometimes things simply don't go as they are planned. But as the families of the Emanuel nine showed you, God had a plan. Within 48 hours, these men and women set the tone for my grieving city, my grieving State, and my grieving Nation. On Friday morning, about 36 hours later, looking into the killer's eyes, they said to the killer of their family members: ``I forgive you.'' Family member after family member, nine consecutive times, to the shock and the amazement of the world that was watching, said: ``I forgive you.'' Your life can be better in God's hands. Those of us here today cannot even imagine how hard that must have been--how in their immense grief, these families chose to take this unique path. But they did. We as a nation, as a State, and certainly as a city are forever thankful. I am fortunate enough to have had the opportunity to talk to many and all of the families at some point. I continue to be amazed at their grace, their dignity, and their righteousness. They have truly been the rock on which we all stand. In the days and weeks after the shooting, Charleston and South Carolina came together like never before. As the clergy and parishioners at Mother Emanuel said after the attack: ``Wrong church, wrong people, wrong day.'' It was the wrong place to try and sow the seeds of discord. It was the wrong people to try and break their faith and the wrong day to try and bring down the people of South Carolina. Last summer, we saw chapters of history close and new ones open. While the debate over the Confederate flag may be the most widespread symbol of Emanuel's aftermath, the actions and words of folks across Charleston and South Carolina are the most enduring. Looking ahead, we have come so far, but we certainly still face many challenges. It is going to take a lot of effort and strength to stand together in times of division. It is going to be hard sometimes in a world that is too often so full of hate to know that we are still taking steps forward, and it is going to require a continuing conversation on issues that are uncomfortable for some but necessary for all. So where are we headed from here? Three words show where I believe that we, as a nation, are headed. These three words show where I believe we, as a nation, must head. They are simple words--words found in 1 Corinthians 13: faith, hope, and love. We saw these in abundance throughout South Carolina over the past year, and they remain our final goal. As I head back to Charleston tonight, I will be thinking about the events honoring the Emanuel nine tomorrow. I am certain there will be tears--lots of tears. There will be moments, as there have been in the last few minutes, when it will be hard to speak, to truly show what all of this means to all of us, but the world will also see this from Charleston, SC: They will see that you can cannot destroy love with hate and that you cannot kill the spirit. We have not been torn down by this fury of hate, but instead we will continue to build a bridge, brick by brick, to a future without hate, a future filled with faith, hope, and love. I will close by asking one more time, as I did a little more than a year ago in this very same place for a moment of silence to remember Cynthia Hurd, Susie Jackson, Ethel Lee Lance, Depayne Middleton-Doctor, Tywanza Sanders, Daniel Simmons, Sharonda Coleman-Singleton, Myra Thompson, and my good friend and former State Senator, the Reverend Clementa Pinckney. You are forever in our hearts.