Tim Scott

Mr. SCOTT

Mr. SCOTT. I ask unanimous consent that I be allowed to speak as in morning business.

Mr. SCOTT

Mr. SCOTT. It is indeed a humbling honor to serve the great people of South Carolina in the Senate. I am so grateful for the support I have received from South Carolinians. The success of the Palmetto State can be measured in many ways, but today, let me share the success of our economic engine. From insourcing jobs from other countries, jobs such as Otis Elevators in Florence, SC, or the high-tech boom that is happening throughout South Carolina, companies such as BMW in the upstate continue to expand. Michelin, in Anderson County expands. Continental Tires finds a home in Sumter, SC, and there are more than 5,000 new jobs on the coast of South Carolina because of Boeing. And let's not forget Aiken, SC, where Bridgestone has made a new home. South Carolina is and will continue to be a leading manufacturing engine for America. I stand before you today on the shoulders of two very amazing Americans. One has gone home to be with the Lord. The other is my hero, my mother, Frances Scott. Growing up in a single-parent household, my mother would have to work sometimes 16-hour days in order to keep me and my brother off of welfare. She wanted us to have a good example of someone who believed in hard work for us to follow. My mother used to tell me all the time that if you shoot for the Moon and you miss, you will be among the stars. But I didn't always listen to my mother. By the time I was a freshman in high school, I was drifting. Have you ever noticed that you don't really drift in the right direction? As a freshman in high school, I failed out. I failed world geography. I think I am the only U.S. Senator to fail civics. I also failed Spanish and English. When you fail Spanish and English, they don't call you bilingual. They call you bi-ignorant because you can't speak in any language. That's where I found myself. I found myself in a very strong and hard position, but good fortune strikes. I had two blessings. One was a mother who believes that sometimes love has to come at the end of the switch. For those of you who are not aware of what a switch is, it is a motivational apparatus, and it encouraged me a lot. I will say that, along with my mentor John Moniz, who came along at the right time--I was a sophomore--I found my way back on the path. John Moniz was a Chick-fil-A operator who made such a major impact in my life over the last three decades. John came along as I was a sophomore in high school, and he taught me some very, very valuable lessons. A couple of those lessons John started teaching me very early on were about being a business owner. John believed that you could literally think your way out of poverty. You didn't have to be an entertainer or an athlete, but you could become an entrepreneur. So John started teaching me some of the lessons of being a business owner. He said having a job is a good thing, but creating jobs is even better. John would teach me later that in earning an income, you have done well. But if you can learn to create a profit, you have done fantastically. He taught me some other lessons about individual responsibility. John once told me: If you don't like where you are, look in the mirror. Blame yourself. John was trying to teach me some very valuable lessons about individual responsibility. I learned very quickly from John that if you were a part of the problem, you were also part of the promise; that in fact if you saw yourself as a part of your obstacle, you may have found the key ingredient to your opportunities. It took a little time before the lessons of my mentor and the strong discipline of my mother started to germinate in my soul, but it finally did. After 4 years of having John as my mentor, something very tragic happened. At the young age of 38, John suddenly passed away. I remember the day before his funeral as though it were yesterday. I sat down and wrote out my mission statement: to positively impact the lives of a billion people with the message of hope and opportunity--hope being my faith in Christ Jesus and opportunity being the lessons of financial literacy and financial independence I learned from my mentor John Moniz. I decided to follow in the footsteps of my mentor John. I started my own business, and I learned very quickly the challenges of signing the front of the paycheck when you could not sign the back for yourself. Over the last two decades, as a business owner and as an elected official--whether it was as a member of the county council or a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives or being elected to the U.S. Congress--I have used as my foundation the lessons I learned from my mentor and my mother. During my time here in the Senate I will focus on a few key issues, including education, economic empowerment, and controlling our spending addiction. As a small business owner over the last 15 years I can tell you firsthand that our Tax Code is broken. With the highest corporate tax rate in all the world, and the taxing of small and family-owned businesses at an alarming rate, we will continue to produce a slow- growth economy. The regulatory nightmare facing our small business owners today is only worsened by the ``Unaffordable Care Act,'' as my good friend Congressman Kucinich said yesterday. Further, with over 70,000 pages of new regulations in the last 5 years, the compliance cost for small business is staggering. We do not simply need a delay in the employer mandate, we need a repeal of the employer mandate. On education, I can tell you as a poor kid, by the time I was in the fourth grade, I had already attended four schools. It is very difficult for us to fund the right school with the sometimes transient nature of poverty where you have to move a lot. I believe the system and the people closest to the child are in the best position to provide the highest quality of education for that child. So there is no way a bureaucrat in Washington, DC, can better educate a child in Lexington County than that child's parents and the teachers who are so involved in that education. We need a national debate on education. Parents need more choices so their kids will have a chance. So let's debate it. Let's debate charter schools, let's debate public school choice, private school choice, tax credits, home schools. Whatever it takes to improve our education system should be on the table for discussion. Let me close with this. If we create a competitive Tax Code and a fair, sensible regulatory environment, as well as a world-class education system, we will create the best economy known to man, as we have in times past. You see, the best and the brightest days are still ahead for America. Our strongest moments, our strongest stands, are still in our future. I believe in the greatness of America because I have experienced the goodness of her people. In America, an ordinary guy like me can be blessed with an extraordinary opportunity like this. Thank you, and God bless America.

Mr. SCOTT. I thank the Leader.

Mr. SCOTT

Mr. SCOTT. Madam President, my amendment is very simple. It prohibits the automatic deduction of union dues from Federal employees' paychecks. I yield back the remainder of my time.

Mr. SCOTT

Mr. SCOTT. Mr. President, in the heart of Charleston, SC, lies Cannon Street; it's a modest street spanning just a few city blocks. However, within its history lies the story of what Dr. Creighton Hale, the former CEO of little league baseball, called ``the most significant amateur team in baseball history.'' In 1955, the area surrounding this street was one of economic blight and social unease. In an effort to keep kids out of trouble and teach skills that only team sports can provide, the local YMCA organized four little league teams for the neighborhood kids. The Cannon Street YMCA All-Stars consisted of seventeen players: John Bailey, Charles Bradley, Vermont Brown, William Godfrey, Vernon Grey, Allen Jackson, Carl Johnson, John Mack, Leroy Major, David Middleton, Arthur Peoples, John Rivers, Norman Robinson, Maurice Singleton, Leroy Carter, George Gregory, and Augustus Holt. They were coached and founded by: Lee J. Bennett, Walter Burke, Rufus Dilligard, A.O. Graham, Robert Morrison, R.H. Penn, and Benjamin Singleton. The team would advance to the Charleston City Little League playoff games but would never be given the opportunity to earn a spot in the Little League World Series. It was not because they were unworthy players or because they could not afford to go. The color of their skin stifled the dreams of these twelve-year-old boys. The Charleston playoff games were boycotted in 1955 to preserve racial segregation. Because teams again refused to play against them, the Cannon Street All-Stars advanced past the state and regional playoffs. The National Little League invited the All-Stars to the Little League World Series as special guests; they could not compete for the title because technically they hadn't played their way to the championships. They returned to Charleston, dismayed and disappointed. As children, they embodied the very characteristics that organized sports aim to impart--teamwork, courage and respect. As adults they have worked in productive and valuable careers such as architecture, law enforcement and education. As they have grown older, they are now volunteers in their communities--giving back, yet again. While they never had the opportunity to compete, their story has demonstrated where we have come from as a nation. Last month members of my staff had the opportunity to meet several of the original Cannon Street Little Leaguers who traveled to Washington, DC to be recognized at Nationals Stadium before the Nationals-Phillies game. Their story remains powerful more than 65 years later, and I know my staff will never forget having the opportunity to meet them. Today, the neighborhood that encompasses Cannon Street has developed into an integral part of the Charleston education and science community. It is home to a number of colleges and universities and a world-class research hospital. The boys of the Cannon Street Little League Team are men who through their careers and service to the community have become assets to their neighborhoods. In spite of the adversity they encountered and the challenges they confronted, these young people illustrated to the world the absurdity of segregation and the hatred inherent in racism. In the 55 years since they were excluded from competing to earn a spot at the Little League World Series in their own right, America has matured. I would like to believe that a handful of twelve-year-olds contributed to our maturity. It is with great admiration that I share their story and my respect for these men with you, my colleagues.

Mr. SCOTT

Mr. SCOTT. The drone issue is not an issue. It is not a question about Democrats versus Republicans or the DNC versus the GOP. It is not a question about the executive branch versus the legislative branch. It is not a question about conservatives versus liberals. It is a question about the Constitution. Another one of our friends said that this Nation, our great Nation, needs to stand and recognize what Rand Paul is doing today for Americans. All of our aspirations mean nothing, nothing at all without our rights. Another said you do not have to like our political party. You did not even have to like Senator Rand Paul to stand with Rand. You only need to be against the assassination of Americans without due process on U.S. soil. I will close with the question that we have heard many times already. Why will this administration not simply state it is unconstitutional and illegal--unconstitutional and illegal--for the government to kill Americans in the United States on our soil or, as I think about it, it is illegal on the soil of Greenville, SC, it is illegal in Oconee County, SC. It is illegal in Charleston, SC. It is illegal throughout the coast of South Carolina, without due process, to kill an American citizen. Is that what you are asking?

Mr. SCOTT of South Carolina

Mr. SCOTT of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to say farewell to the House. I first want to say thank you to the wonderful people of the South Carolina coast. From Myrtle Beach to my hometown of North Charleston to Hilton Head, your support over the last 3 years has truly humbled me and inspired me. I also want to thank my friends, my colleagues, and the members of the South Carolina delegation: Mr. Clyburn, Mr. Wilson, Mr. Duncan, Mr. Gowdy, and Mr. Mulvaney. We have a great group who truly understands we are here to represent the great State of South Carolina and the citizens of America, and I thank them all for their friendship. Finally, I'd like to thank all of my colleagues here in the House. We may not always agree on things, but we are here for a reason: to try and make this Nation better. As I prepare to move to the United States Senate, it is that belief that makes me incredibly optimistic about our future. The battles of today will, in the future, be seen as a positive turning point for our Nation, where we got our fiscal house back in order and revitalized the American Dream for our children and our grandchildren. I look forward to continuing to serve the residents of South Carolina, some of the most passionate people in the Nation. And I will never forget my time here in the people's House, where we worked every single day to build a brighter future for our Nation. Thank you.

Mr. SCOTT of South Carolina

Mr. SCOTT of South Carolina. Thank you, sir. Let me just say thank you to everyone. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time in the House. To my delegation members, there is no better delegation in America to serve with than all of you. I thought I would get a standing ovation for that one, but obviously not. I will say this, though, that one of the things that I've learned in this House is that there is a way to disagree without being disagreeable. And Jim Clyburn, you've helped me to understand that. To my guys here, I will say without any question that being a part of the team is important. And when I think about our country, I think of our country as a team. And as a kid coming from a single-parent household looking for opportunities, I found that in my team at home and my mentor. And now as I head to the Senate, I hope that we will continue to be a team. But America needs us to remember them. So thank you all so very much for this opportunity.

Mr. SCOTT of South Carolina

Mr. SCOTT of South Carolina. I have one.

Mr. SCOTT of South Carolina. Madam Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 747 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. SCOTT of South Carolina. Madam Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Slaughter), pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only. General Leave

Mr. SCOTT of South Carolina. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks.

Mr. SCOTT of South Carolina. House Resolution 747 provides for a structured rule for consideration of H.R. 8, a bill to extend the current tax rates for all Americans for 1 year; a structured rule for consideration of H.R. 6169, which provides a legislative path for true tax reform; and for other tools allowing the House to finish its business and continue to operate during the August district work period. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of this rule and the underlying bill. Madam Speaker, why are we here today? My friends on the left will tell you that we are here today to discuss the issue of fairness in our Tax Code. I would agree. America is the land of opportunity. We believe that the worst possible thing you can do during a fragile recovery-- that feels like a recession to me--is to increase taxes. Why? Because by increasing taxes, we jeopardize another 710,000 jobs, according to the experts, 710,000 jobs. One of those jobs could be held by one of my constituents, a friend of mine named Joe Stringer. Joe Stringer is a middle class American, 62 years old. His wife is 67 years old and on Medicare. Joe doesn't make $250,000, Joe doesn't make $200,000, not even $150,000 or $100,000, but Joe does have dividend income, like 9 million seniors around this Nation who have dividend income. And here is the interesting fact, Madam Speaker, when we hear the left talk about taxing the millionaires and the billionaires, here is the new definition: of those 9 million seniors who have dividend income, 68 percent of them have an income of less than $100,000, 40 percent have an income of less than $50,000. But my friends on the left would categorize these folks as a member of the rich, with their tax cuts being expired at the end of this year. We are looking at an increase in the dividend tax rate of 185 percent for millions of Americans who are on fixed incomes. These folks aren't rich. They depend on their dividend income, and yes, with the actions of the left, we would see their dividend income tax responsibility and burden go up by 185 percent. This is definitely not right. It is definitely wrong. Now this is on top of all the new taxes that we find as a part of the Affordable Care Act, another $804 billion of new taxes on Americans throughout this Nation. And in addition to that, Madam Speaker, under their proposal, we see the death tax going from 35 percent with a $5 million elimination to 55 percent. And for farmers, folks in agriculture, and for small businessowners, their wealth is not liquid. You would have to sell your land to pay these taxes. It's what we call a ``fire sale.'' So my friends on the left would punish people who work all their lives and come up with wealth to pass on to the next generation. But in this instance the taxes would go up significantly. And that's wrong. In spite of the results of all the surveys--yesterday we had a survey done in my district that said that 61 percent of folks would like to see the 2001 and 2003--and, oh, by the way, 85 Members of the Democrats voted for these exact same tax cuts to stay in place in 2010. It was good in 2010; it's still good right now. Sixty-one percent of folks say let's extend these tax cuts for all Americans, and let's keep those 710,000 Americans who would lose their jobs employed. But in addition to that, the environment that we're working in right now matters; it matters significantly. Because we have over 41 months-- over 41 months, Madam Speaker--of unemployment over 8 percent. It's devastating. It's devastating, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I hope all of my colleagues will come together here today and realize that the time for political points should be over; that my colleagues would come together today and realize that the time for trying to divide Americans is over; that we would come together today, Madam Speaker, and realize that the time for punishing success is over. In many ways, Madam Speaker, in many ways this debate today is about the very soul of who we are as Americans: Are we going to lift everyone up as one Nation, or are we going to push some down to bring everyone somewhere in the fuzzy middle in some misguided attempt to redefine fairness? Are we going to let the foundation of this Nation continue to crack, or are we going to strengthen it for another 200 years? We encourage--I encourage--success in this Nation. We have to ensure our children can learn about America the same way all of us learned about the land of opportunity. That's fairness that I believe in. Once again, Madam Speaker, I rise in support of this rule and the underlying legislation. I encourage my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the rule, ``yes'' on the underlying bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SCOTT of South Carolina. Madam Speaker, I just want to make sure that I note once again, reinforce the fact, that this 1-year extension that we are suggesting on the right is in fact an extension of not only the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts, but also the tax cuts that passed this House in 2010 in a bipartisan fashion. There is no doubt that an action not to extend these tax cuts is actually increasing taxes on many people in this Nation. And, in fact, if we do extend these tax cuts, what we are actually doing is allowing current tax law to stay in place. But if we don't do that we are talking about 9 million seniors, 68 percent of whom make less than $100,000, seeing their dividend income go up in taxation by 185 percent. That's the middle class. We're talking about how the marriage penalty will place a $591 higher tax on over 88 million families. That's the middle class. We're talking about a reduction in the child tax credit that will pose a $1,028 tax hike on 31 million families. This looks like to me that my friends on the left are willing to tax the middle class and the poor. Madam Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from South Carolina, Mr. Trey Gowdy.

Mr. SCOTT of South Carolina. I yield the gentleman an additional 1 minute.

Mr. SCOTT of South Carolina. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Farenthold).

Mr. SCOTT of South Carolina. Madam Speaker, I just want to make sure that we remember the facts as they are. There's no reason for us to so quickly revise history to meet our political objectives. In 2010, this House, controlled by the Democrats, the Senate, controlled by the Democrats, and the White House, controlled by the Democrats, passed the 2001 and 2003 Bush tax cuts. So what we're talking about is a bipartisan piece of legislation that would continue the current tax law because the previous Congress, in a bipartisan fashion, decided that tax cuts were good for all Americans. And now we find ourselves, as Mr. Gowdy said, in the midst of a political season. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Florida, Mr. Rich Nugent, the sheriff.

Mr. SCOTT of South Carolina. I yield the gentleman an additional 30 seconds.

Mr. SCOTT of South Carolina. I yield the gentleman another 30 seconds.

Mr. SCOTT of South Carolina. I yield the gentleman another minute.

Mr. SCOTT of South Carolina. I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia and my colleague on the Rules Committee, Mr. Rob Woodall.

Mr. SCOTT of South Carolina. Madam Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the gentleman from Georgia.

Mr. SCOTT of South Carolina. At this time, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SCOTT of South Carolina. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlelady from Kansas, Ms. Lynn Jenkins.

Mr. SCOTT of South Carolina

Mr. SCOTT of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the House Republican Conference, I send to the desk a privileged resolution and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.