Tim Scott: Ideology and Voting 

DW-NOMINATE Score

Senator Scott's DW-NOMINATE score is a .729, which ranked him as the 5th most Conservative member of the 113th Congress once you exclude Senator Tom Coburn after his retirement.  He ranks behind widely renowned Conservatives like Ted Cruz, Rand Paul, and Mike Lee.  Scott's .729 score was actually the same score he was given in 2012 while in the House.  GovTrack has Scott ranked a bit lower, coming in at 15th, with a score of .83 on a 1.0 scale.  

ADA and Other Interest Group Scores

According to Americans for Democratic Action, Scott ranks with only a 10% score according to their standards.  According to ADA's website, part of their mission is "Americans for Democratic Action has and will continue to be a forthright liberal voice of this nation. We work to advocate progressive stances on civil rights and liberties, social and economic justice, sensible foreign policy, and sustainable environmental policy."  ADA's mission makes it clear why Scott, and fellow Republicans, score so low.  The lower the score actually means the more Conservative a member is, so the ADA's score goes in hand with the DW-NOMINATE score.  

Unfortunately for Scott, he did not make the ADA's "Zero" list as he did in their 2011 issue when he was a member of the House.  Losing such a distinction clearly has to be a loss to Scott.

When it comes to other interest groups, their ratings and scores once again show Scott's conservative position. Project Vote Smart, a well known website that provides inside information on political figures, has listed Scott as receiving these rankings from the respective interest groups.  

American's for Prosperity (2014) - 100%

American Conservative Union (2013) - 97% 

Center for Security Policy - Positions (2013-2014) - 100%

National Journal - Conservative on Economic Policy (2013) - 93%

Gun Owners of America (2014) - 93%

Heritage Action for America (2014) - 93% 

Progressive Punch (2014) - 0%

National Organization for Marriage (2014) - 0%

Americans for Democratic Action (2014) - 0%

Environment America (2014) - 0%

American Library Association (2013) - 0%

ACLU - Positions (2013) - 0%

None of the rankings are a surprise.  Scott ranks extremely high in interest groups covering economic, defense, and gun rights, all historically Conservatively-owned issues.  On the other end, he almost always ranks near 0% by Liberal groups and did so by groups promoting same-sex marriage, the environment, education, and other issues.  

Party Voting

When it comes to party voting, Scott ranks near the top.  According to VoteView, the same site who provides the DW-NOMINATE score, Scott scores a party unity score of 98.621. This ranks extremely similar to his 2012 score of 97.731 that he received while in the House.  Scott has stuck to his guns, no pun intended, and historically voted for gun rights, pro-life, and other Conservative go-to's. According to GovTrack, Scott ranked essentially in the middle of the pack, 52nd, when it came to joining bipartisan bills, the co-sponsoring of bills proposed by the opposite party. He ranks in a similar position to a few fellow noteworthy senators.

Scott clearly does tend to vote in his party's best interest, but he also tends to vote strongly against the position of President Obama as well.  According to a Congressional Quarterly report, he voted opposite of Obama 71% of the time compared to 29% of the time when he voted in accord with the president.  Despite this, Scott has gone across the aisle to get done what he wants when necessary. Scott and Cory Booker recently came together on the LEAP Act, legislation proposed to increase apprenticeships in the country.  As an article by the renowned political paper The Washington Post proposes, maybe the fact that both are "single, in their 40s, and shave their heads" is the real reason why the two came together here.  I personally think that this is unlikely, and believe that the real reason is that both are newcomers trying to make their mark in Washington by coming together on an important issue to both of them.

Making Sense of All of This

So, what does all all of this information mean?  Put simply, Scott is a very Conservative politician ideologically.  Because of this, he almost always tends to vote along the party lines, as both sides have become more partisan in recent years.  However, Scott is not afraid to support legislation that he believes is best for his nation or the his state.  The other big question is why Scott votes this way.  A large reason for this is the Conservative nature of South Carolina. When in the House, South Carolina had three representatives serving in the 112th Congress that rated in the top 20 most Conservative members.  Also, the senator Scott replace, Senator DeMint, ranked in the top three most Conservative members in every year he served as well.  From this, it is apparent that the state's voters like their members to vote along strongly Conservative lines.

Senator Scott's Committee Assignments

Finance Committee

One of the four "Power" or "Prestige" committees in the Senate, the Finance Committee concerns itself mainly with taxation and other revenue-related measures and issues, according to its website.  The Committee's website also says that since the turn of the 21st Century, the Committee has focused heavily not only on tax, but trade and health issues as well.  New to the Committee, Scott is the youngest and shortest-tenured  Republican member by several years.  I think this has a lot to do with the fact that Scott is undoubtedly a rising start within the party.  He also is in the committee with Senators Hatch, Cornyn, and Thune, all powerful, experienced members of his party he can learn from.  Scott has used his position in this committee to introduce another part of his Opportunity Agenda, the LEAP Act, which seeks to increase apprenticeship through government funding.  In speaking to national news powerhouse The Washington Post, Scott said about the LEAP Act, "it will help ensure the next generation of employers can help the next generation of employees." Scott's position in this committee does not just limit him to advancing his Opportunity Agenda, it allows him to position take and credit claim on the various important issues this committee goes through yearly.  This year, the Committee has introduced bills dealing with abortion, the IRS, and Obamacare, which I think will be a continuing big issue depending on the Supreme Court's ruling.  In this new Congress, Orrin Hatch (UT) serves as Chairman with Ron Wyden (OR) serving as the Ranking Member.  This committee has a long history as being a vital committee within Congress, and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. 

Scott's Subcommittee Assignments include:

• Chairman, Subcommittee on Housing, Transportation, and Community Development
• Member, Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Protection
• Member, Subcommittee on Securities, Insurance, and Investment

Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP)

The Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions deals with issues mainly in these four areas, but several other related one as well.  Other important issues the Committee deals with include child labor, student loans, public health, and equal opportunity employment.  As I touched on in the blog about Scott's Congressional strategy, a large part of Scott's focus is on his Opportunity Agenda.  Part of this, the CHOICE Act deals with allowing more say for parents in where their children receive education, amongst other things.  Maybe due to the fact that Scott had previously served on the Committee, he proposed the CHOICE Act within the Committee at the start of the recent session.  So Scott being in this committee clearly helps him advance part of his largest agenda issue.  According to the Committee's hearings list on their website, the Committee has recently dealt with fixing No Child Left behind this year and various issues on Ebola last year.  Alexander Lamar (TN) is the new sitting Chairman with Patty Murray (WA) serving as the Ranking Member.

Scott's Subcommittee Assignments Include:

• Member, Subcommittee on Health Care
• Member, Subcommittee on Social Security, Pensions, and Family Policy
• Member, Subcommittee on Taxation and IRS Oversight

Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs

The Banking Committee, for short, has long dealt with legislation focusing on the country's banks. However, according to their website, the Committee deals in many other areas, all of which affect various important parts of Americans' everyday lives.  Some of these areas besides banking include insurance, the stock markets, and housing.  Newly appointed to the Committee, Scott does not necessarily have a direct link to this committee, I think one can still be made.  According to his website, one of Scott's main focus is to help redevelop the "poorest areas" while preserving the residence of current residents.  Although HUD plays a much bigger role here, the housing and urban affairs part of the committee clearly can play a role into parts of Scott's goals for his time in the Senate.  Since the new Congress was sworn in, this committee has been holding hearings mainly on banking issues while introducing a variety of bills.  One large one, also one that Scott co-sponsored and has been outspoken about, was the Nuclear Weapon Iran Free Act of 2015, which proposes just what it says in its name.  Richard Shelby (AL) is currently serving as committee Chairman with Sherrod Brown (OH) filling in as Ranking Member.

Scott's Subcommittee Assignments Include:

• Member, Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety
• Member, Subcommittee on Primary Health and Retirement Security

Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship

According to the Committee's website, the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee is to study, investigate, and help solve all problems facing American small businesses.  Another chief task of this committee is the oversight of the Small Business Administration (SBA).  According to their website, the SBA has given millions of dollars in loans, contracts, counseling, and other help to small businesses throughout the country for over 60 years now.  The committee has not passed legislation since early 2014.  Instead, the Committee has recently been focusing on holding hearings and events speaking of the importance of small businesses within the country and how to reduce their future burdens.  Scott's position on this committee probably has a lot to do with his past in which owned his own insurance and real estate businesses.  He was once a small business owner, giving him valuable insight to the committee, which was also noticed while he served in the House, as he served on their sister committee while in the House as well as previously while in the Senate.  David Vitter of Louisiana and Benjamin Cardin of Maryland are the Chairman and Ranking Member respectively.  

Special Committee on Aging

Following the recent trend of special/select committees that we talked bout in class, the Committee on Aging originally started out as a temporary committee in 1961.  However, in 1977, the Committee was granted permanent status within the Senate.  According to the Committee's website, the Committee on Aging has acted as a central point of knowledge within the Senate when it comes to issues and matters dealing with America's elderly population.  Being a special committee, the Committee on Aging has no legislative power.  Because of this, the Committee's activities usually include conducting studies, issuing findings, and overseeing related governmental programs.  Currently, Susan Collins (ME) is the serving Chairwoman, and Claire McCaskill (MO) is the Ranking Member.  This issue is important specifically to Scott's home state of South Carolina.  According to a recent AARP report after the 2010 census, with every age group over the age of 60 rapidly increasing, the South Carolina senior population is the fastest growing in the entire nation.  South Carolina's Lt. Governor Glen McConnell called the impending age problem a "gray tsunami" in an interview with local South Carolina newspaper The Post and Courier.  Also according to the report, 42% of this senior population has at least one disability, making the issue even more pertinent.  Because of these numbers, Scott's position on an otherwise less important committee offers him a position on a powerfully relevant topic to his state, which is likely why he had served on this committee previously. The Committee has recently focused on financially preparing the elderly for retirement and preventing scams of the elderly.

Tim Scott: Electoral Circumstance

2014 Election

Image taken from ElectionProjection.com

The 2014 election in South Carolina was not your typical mid-term election.  It was actually a special election competing for the final 2 years remaining on Jim DeMint's original term from his 2010 election. DeMint left his seat in the Senate to take over as head of the Heritage Foundation because, as he was quoted in the "Wall Street Journal" as saying, he took the job because "he sees it as a vehicle to popularize Conservative ideas in a way that connects with a broader public."  Scott was then appointed by Governor Nikki Haley, a Republican, to fill the vacated spot.  Scott started his election bid by easily defeating Randall Young in the primary, with the "New York Times" reporting a 90% to 10% split.  Scott then defeated Joyce Dickerson in the general election, once again winning easily, in a margin reported by RealClearPolitics as being 61% to 39%.

Financial Status

Figure taken from OpenSecrets.com

For the last election cycle, Scott raised just shy of $7 million dollars, but spent about only $4.4 million of that, leaving him with almost $2.5 million cash on hand with a reelection bid coming up in 2016.  Not surprisingly, Scott has accumulated most of his money from individual contributors, with large contributions making up the vast majority of that portion.  Scott also received over $2.5 million from PACs during the election cycle.  Sector-wise, Scott's top three contributors came from the investment, real estate, and insurance sectors.  Being a former real estate and insurance
agent, this connection is not surprising.  

Looking Ahead

With money left over from his previous election and no viable competitor, from within or outside the party, out there yet, Scott's fortunes for reelection in 2016 look bright.  South Carolina is also a historically red state, voting Republican in every presidential primary since 1964 except in 1976, so the political climate of the state heavily favors Scott. Scott was quoted by the political publication the "Washington Examiner" as saying he intended to be elected to two more 6-year terms before exiling himself from politics, so it is clear he will run.  If he is to run, I believe he will once again safely be reelected into the Senate.  However, some political "experts" and others in the media see potentially bigger and better things on the horizon for Scott.  While being listed by the RNC in several straw polls as a presidential candidate in 2016, Scott's name as a potential vice presidential have been much more common, and realistic.

However, Scott will still have several key issues to deal with during the 2016 election cycle.  As the "Huffington Post" shows from the last presidential election cycle, the economy will play a key role, as usual.  Being a presidential election year, I think many Congressional races around the country will become heavily nationalized, with South Carolina no exception.  Immigration will most likely continue to be an issue, and it is a top one in the state today as evidenced by this "New York Times" piece.  An article by the "Island Packet," a local South Carolina newspaper, shows Scott as being adamant and strong in his stance on this issue as well.  I predict other relevant issues to include Obamacare, depending on the Supreme Court's ruling, and the Middle East.  All-in-all, Scott is a rapidly-rising star within the Republican party due to his youth, race, and relate-ability.  While I find the chance of him being a realistic presidential candidate slim, the 2008 election shows that a candidate can get past a lack of political experience.  I think him being a vice presidential candidate is highly probable though.  His youth, popularity, and race are three large factors in a potential VP nomination.  Regardless, the future is clearly looking bright for him.

2016 Republican Presidential Ticket?

The Tim Scott Strategy

Scott's less than usual start to his tenure in the Senate limited him in terms of passing legislation and imposing his agenda in Congress.  Scott was originally appointed by the Governor of South Carolina to take the place of retiring Senator Jim DeMint.  However, after winning a special election this past year, Scott now has two more years of DeMint's original term left in order to make his mark in Congress and on the country.  

When it comes to lawmaking, Scott is one of the most infrequent members of the Senate to introduce legislation.  According to OpenSecrets, Scott sponsored only 7 bills and co-sponsored 156 during the 113th Congress.  Three of Scott's 7 sponsored bills are part of his pet project since he entered the Senate, the Opportunity Agenda.  According to GovTrack.us, this makes Scott the lowest freshman senator in terms of bills introduced and 16th lowest in all of the Senate in terms of co-sponsoring bills.  

A few of the popular bills Scott has co-sponsored are S.2880 which is a bill to approve the Keystone XL Pipeline and the CASE Act, which attempts to prohibit the EPA from lowering the ambient air quality standards. In regards to the Keystone XL Pipeline bill, Scott released a statement saying, "Now the President will have to decide whether to construct the Keystone XL Pipeline, creating tens of thousands of jobs and generating billions of dollars for America's economy, or continue to restrain our nation's energy future."

While Scott has not been the most active in the quantity of his legislation, he has been very active in pushing his Opportunity Agenda and overall want to reduce poverty, increase educational opportunities, and create a better future for America's youth. According to Scott's personal Twitter account, he has been speaking about these issues throughout the state of South Carolina by holding "community office hours" in towns throughout the state.  Also, according to the local South Carolina newspaper the Aiken Standard, Scott recently visited North Augusta Middle School where he spoke of the positive possibilities of the school's apprenticeship program.

                            President Obama's (not)official press release after vetoing the Keystone XL Pipeline bill

The Opportunity Agenda: "A New Way Forward"

The goal of Scott's Opportunity Agenda is to "refocus Washington on expanding economic activity and unleashing the potential of all Americans." As part of his broader Opportunity Agenda, Scott has introduced four corresponding bills in order to achieve this plan.  The first bill Scott has introduced is the CHOICE Act, which seeks to give parents more choice and influence on educational choices for their children. The second part is the SKILLS Act, which aims to better train individuals in their desired work-relataed skills and was passed into law last July. The last two parts of Scott's Opportunity Agenda are the SEA Jobs Act and LEAP Act, which seek to expand energy exploration in the Atlantic states and increase apprenticeships in the U.S., respectively. 

Senator Scott speaking on Fox News about the CHOICE Act

                                                        

Tim Scott (R): South Carolina Junior Senator

Biography

Timothy Eugene Scott was born in Charleston, South Carolina on September 19, 1965. Scott was raised in a single-parent household by his mother for much of his adolescent life, something he says went a long ways in forming the man he has since become. He received his bachelor's degree from Charleston Southern University in 1988.  After college, Scott first forayed into both insurance and real estate before moving into the political realm. Today, Scott is currently unmarried but is a devout Evangelical and influential parishioner of Seacoast Church.

http://www.scott.senate.gov/about-me/biography

Political Career

Scott started his political career in 1995 by running for, and winning, a seat on the Charleston city council. He served on the city council until being elected to the South Carolina State House of Representatives in 2009. Scott then went on to win a seat in the U.S. House in 2010, serving until 2013. That year, Scott was appointed to take the place of retiring Senator Jim DeMint. Scott won a special election this last year to serve the remaining two years left on DeMint's original term. He currently serves on the Finance, Small Business and Entrepreneurship, Banking, Health and Education, and Aging committees.

http://www.biography.com/people/tim-scott-21105641#early-life

Tim Scott, a Man of Many First's

Scott's recent tenure in Congress has resulted in many firsts for both South Carolina and the nation.

• 1st African-American Senator for the state of South Carolina
• 1st African-American to serve in the Senate in the South since Reconstruction (1881)
• 1st Republican African-American Congress member for the state of South Carolina since 1897
• 1st African-American in U.S. history to serve in the House and Senate

South Carolina Quick Facts 

All facts taken from 50 States.com. 

• 8th state to join the Union
• The "Palmetto State"
• Stahe Civil War, Fort Sumter, took place in the state
• Capital city is Columbia
• 68% Caucasian and 28% African-American demographically
• 93% of the state is Christian, with 84% being Protestant
• Heavy agricultural economy with industry piggy-backing off of this 
• State dance is the "Shag"
• Home of a 1,500 + year old tree 
• And a mysterious lizard man..?
• Actually produces more peaches than this state