South Carolina Senator insists on further investigation of The President's son-PROMOTES SCHOOL CHOICE.
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.) — co-chair of the bicameral School Choice Caucus — hosted his inaugural School Choice Caucus Breakfast, featuring former Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos and caucus co-chair, Congressman John Moolenaar (R-Mich.). Caucus members discussed ways to expand families’ access to education options that work best for their children.
“It’s unacceptable that, in America today, millions of kids still lack access to quality education simply because of their zip code,” said Sen. Scott.“Their futures — and the future of our nation — depend on us taking action. That’s why I founded the School Choice Caucus, to put the focus back on children and their unique education needs. I’m thankful for Secretary DeVos’ leadership on this issue and look forward to our continued efforts to advance education freedom for all kids.”
Sen. Scott released the following video recapping the event.
Background:
With education at the top of mind for parents and families across the nation, Sen. Scott has led several efforts to give them greater autonomy over their children’s education. This year, Sen. Scott:
Introduced the PROTECT Kids Act to protect parental rights and combat indoctrination in schools;Led Congressional Review Act (CRA) legislation to nullify the Biden administration’s new rules adding burdensome requirements to charter schools seeking funding;Introduced the RECOVER Act to allow states and school districts to use unspent COVID funds to issue Child Opportunity Scholarships directly to parents;Penned a Wall Street Journal op-ed on the RECOVER Act;Penned a Washington Examiner op-ed on families’ desire for school choice;Introduced a resolution celebrating National Charter Schools Week;Urged the U.S. Department of Education to reconsider proposed rules redefining the Charter School Program, stripping parents of their ability to choose the best school for their child;Penned a Washington Examiner op-ed with Congressman Burgess Owens about the merits of school choice;Introduced the Kids in Classes Act to allow families with children in Title I schools to put unused federal education funds toward in-person education, should their school close to COVID-19 or a teachers union goes on strike;Held a parental involvement panel to discuss the need for greater transparency within schools; andHosted a policy panel featuring former Secretary Condoleezza Rice and Congressman Burgess Owens to discuss how to expand education opportunity to all children.Read more about the breakfast from the Washington Free Beacon.
###
Scott, Cornyn, 31 Senate Republicans Call for Hunter Biden Prosecutor to be Given Special Counsel Authority
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and John Cornyn (R-Texas), along with Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and 30 other colleagues, have sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland demanding that U.S. Attorney David Weiss be extended special counsel protections and authorities to conduct the investigation into Hunter Biden.
“There is no way of knowing the entire scope of the investigation, but evidence seems to be mounting that Hunter Biden committed numerous federal crimes, including, but not limited to, tax fraud, money laundering, and foreign-lobbying violations,” the senators wrote.
“Given that the investigation involves the President’s son, we believe it is important to provide U.S. Attorney Weiss with special counsel authorities and protections to allow him to investigate an appropriate scope of potentially criminal conduct, avoid the appearance of impropriety, and provide additional assurances to the American people that the Hunter Biden investigation is free from political influence.”
“Given the politicization of the DOJ under your watch and the importance of avoiding any appearance of impropriety, the undersigned request that you provide U.S. Attorney Weiss the full protections and authorities of a special counsel. This is one important action that you can take that will go a long way in restoring faith in our governmental institutions.”
Scott Leads Effort to Protect Charter Schools from Biden Admin’s Attacks
WASHINGTON – This week, U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.) led 21 colleagues in introducing Congressional Review Act (CRA) legislation to nullify the Biden administration’s new rules adding burdensome requirements to charter schools seeking funding.
“Time and time again, this administration has bowed to big-labor unions and liberal extremists at the expense of children’s futures. Now they are outdoing themselves with rules that will undermine charter schools — tuition-free, top-notch public education options that serve primarily disadvantaged students,” said Senator Scott. “Support for these schools has never been a partisan issue. It’s time the administration put politics aside and joined parents in the fight for quality education.”
Co-signing the resolution are Senators Richard Burr, (R-N.C.), Bill Cassidy, (R-La.), Marco Rubio, (R-Fla.), Mike Braun, (R-Ind.), Ron Johnson, (R-Wis.), Thom Tillis, (R-N.C.), Kevin Cramer, (R-N.D.), James Lankford, (R-Okla.), Rick Scott, (R-Fla.), Steve Daines, (R-Mont.), Marsha Blackburn, (R-Tenn.), and John Cornyn, (R-Texas), James Risch, (R-Idaho), Mike Crapo, (R-Idaho), Roger Wicker, (R-Miss.), Todd Young, (R-Ind.), Cindy Hyde-Smith, (R-Miss.), Rand Paul, (R-Ky.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), and Bill Hagerty, (R-Tenn.).
Background:
Earlier this year, the Department of Education announced new rules overhauling the 28-year-old, bipartisan Charter School Program (CSP). The changes would place federal, one-size-fits-all requirements on charter schools, making it difficult — if not impossible — for many of these high-quality public schools to receive funding.
Despite substantial bipartisan backlash, the administration is moving ahead with its plans, which will strip families of education choice and give more power to big labor unions and bureaucrats in D.C.
For months, Sen. Scott has been leading the charge to protect charter schools from this brazen attack. He wrote to Secretary Cardona on several occasions:
In April, Sen. Scott and several Republicans expressed deep concern over the proposed CSP rules.In April, Sen. Scott and HELP Ranking Member Richard Burr (R-N.C.) requested an extension of the public comment period.In May, Sen. Scott and a bipartisan group of senators urged the Department to revise the new rules.
Scott, Finance Committee Republicans Introduce Bill to Protect Middle Class, Small Businesses from Supersized IRS
Legislation would prevent Democrats’ IRS funding from targeting Americans earning below $400,000
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.), a member of the Senate Finance Committee, joined Ranking Member Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and all other committee Republicans in introducing a bill to prevent the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) from using the Democrats’ massive, $80 billion infusion of taxpayer dollars to squeeze more revenue out of Americans earning less than $400,000 per year.
“The Democrats’ plan to supersize the IRS flies in the face of President Biden’s promise not to increase taxes on middle-class and low-income Americans. The truth is: The majority of taxes gained from IRS audits come from individuals making less than $200,000 a year,” said Sen. Scott. “The American people are tired of this administration’s vague, misleading messages. This bill would hold President Biden to his word and ensure hard-working Americans are not forced to pay for yet another broken promise.”
“Democrats cannot achieve their desired tax revenue goals without targeting the middle class, small businesses and taxpayers earning under $400,000 per year--taxpayers who cannot afford teams of lawyers and legal fees--which is why they rejected my original amendment,” said Sen. Crapo. “While advocates promise they do not intend to increase audits on people making less than $400,000, the best way to protect those taxpayers is to turn that promise into law.”
The legislation would prevent the IRS from using any of the $80 billion of funding for audits on hard-working American taxpayers — including individuals and small businesses — with taxable incomes below $400,000.
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.), a member of the Senate Finance Committee, joined Ranking Member Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Finance Committee Republicans in a letter to the Government Accountability Office (GAO), requesting the agency monitor the managing trustee’s flagrant disregard for statutory deadlines. Required by law, the Medicare and Social Security Trustees reports are to be issued no later than April 1, yet the 2021 and 2022 reports were issued August 31 and June 2, respectively.
The Biden administration has repeatedly ignored congressional inquiries as to why the trustees reports have not been submitted in a timely manner. Neither Treasury Secretary Yellen nor the Board of Trustees have signaled any intent to modify internal procedure regulating management of the report schedule, nor have they adopted previous GAO recommendations to improve communication with Congress. It is the responsibility of the treasury secretary to provide these reports to Congress in a timely manner, as required by law, or provide Congress and the American people with explanations for late work.
From the letter:
“With respect to reporting on the financial conditions of trust funds, once again this year the reports were issued well beyond the statutory deadline, and there was no process followed by the Managing Trustee for informing the public or members of Congress about the delay or reasons for the delay. …
“Late reporting on financial conditions of important trust funds that support multi-trillion-dollar Social Security and Medicare programs does not seem important to the administration, even in light of the striking decision by the President to politicize the Social Security Administration.”
Read the full letter here.
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.) introduced the Parental Rights Over the Education and Care of Their (PROTECT) Kids Act, to protect parental rights by preventing schools from concealing information about students’ gender from their parents.
“Schools exist to educate children — not indoctrinate them. And a quality education requires input from those who know children best: their parents,” said Sen. Scott. “Sadly, radical and secretive gender policies have shut parents out of the conversation and broken their trust. My bill will safeguard parental rights, improve the crucial relationship between parents and schools, and ensure that children can learn in an environment free from activist ideology.”
The PROTECT Kids Act would restrict federal funding for any elementary or middle school that allows students to change their pronouns, gender markers, or sex-based accommodations (including locker rooms and bathrooms) without the consent of their parents. The bill is supported by Parents Defending Education Action and Independent Women’s Forum Action.
Read more about the bill from the Washington Examiner.
Read full text of the bill here.
ALSO,Attorney General Alan Wilson joins coalition against Biden administration’s Title IX attack on parental rights and women’s sports(COLUMBIA, S.C.) – South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson and 16 other states are fighting the Biden administration’s attempt to redefine the concept of biological sex to include “gender identity” and weaken the protections women have received from Title IX for the last fifty years. Attorney General Wilson and the coalition submitted formal comment Monday to the U.S. Department of Education opposing the changes.
Issued in June, the Education Department’s proposed rule infringes on parental rights and conflicts with the text, purpose, and longstanding interpretation of Title IX. It would also negatively impact free speech, academic freedom, and campus life.
“This proposed rule would violate the law and it also violates common sense,” Attorney General Wilson said. “Title IX protects students, but this rule would harm students by eliminating single-sex bathrooms and locker rooms, deny equal access to sports for women and girls, and jeopardize their safety. Title IX was designed to protect women from discrimination, not used as a tool for novel social policy. The rule of law requires that Title IX be interpreted according to the intent for which Congress enacted it.”
In addition to South Carolina, this letter, led by Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen, was joined by the attorneys general from Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Virginia.
Click here to read the full comments.
THE RACE FOR GOVERNOR
Joe Cunningham Releases First TV Ad, “Something Different”
(Charleston, SC) - Today, Democratic nominee for Governor Joe Cunningham released his first TV ad of the general election. The ad, titled “Something Different,” is part of a six-figure buy and will begin running immediately in multiple media markets throughout the state.
“South Carolinians are desperate for a new generation of leadership with new ideas,” said Cunningham senior adviser Tyler Jones. “Henry McMaster has been in politics longer than Joe Cunningham has been alive - literally - and our state consistently ranks at or near the bottom of every quality of life category. Do we really believe four more years of the same old thing is going to change anything? It’s time for something different. Joe Cunningham will be a governor who will protect and expand our freedoms, provide more accountability for career politicians, and deliver better results for South Carolina families. And unlike Henry McMaster, he won’t need 40 years to get it done.”
The full transcript of the ad is below:
“What if, instead of politics as usual, someone different came along? Who champions freedom for our people and accountability for politicians? Someone has: Joe Cunningham. He’ll eliminate the state income tax so you have more money in your pocket. Put term limits and age limits on career politicians. And yes, protect a woman’s right to make decisions about her own body. Someone different. Joe Cunningham, Governor.”
Learn more at www.JoeForSouthCarolina.com
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging Ranking Member Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and Chairman Bob Casey (D-Pa.) held a hearing titled “Stopping Senior Scams: Empowering Communities to Fight Fraud.” Senators Scott and Casey examined the most common scams targeting older adults and released the Aging Committee’s annual Fraud Book in English and Spanish, detailing the top 10 scams reported to the Aging Committee’s Fraud Hotline in 2021.
During the hearing, the senators highlighted the passage of their bipartisan Stop Senior Scams Act, which directs the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to create a federal advisory council charged with improving education and training efforts so that businesses and financial institutions can better identify and prevent scams. In one week, the FTC will convene its first meeting of the federal advisory council.
“Scams targeting our nation’s seniors — many of whom live on fixed incomes — are truly evil,” said Ranking Member Scott. “Our bipartisan Fraud Book aims to stop these heinous crimes before they occur by providing meaningful resources to those working to protect themselves and their loved ones. I am thankful for Mrs. Fehler’s courage to share her story at today’s hearing and am confident that, by working together, we can help other seniors just like her and stop scammers in their tracks.”
Ranking Member Scott invited Mrs. Polly Fehler, a retired Air Force officer and registered nurse, to speak about the computer scam which robbed her of $20,000. She testified, “After suffering through this scam, I was alone and depressed, even losing my spirit to live. For days I sat alone and hated myself for what happened; at times, not getting out of bed. I thought I lost all faith in God. I opted out of all community and church activities, committees, and leadership roles. I couldn’t function as the person I had been. I am here today because I’m a survivor. God is giving me the strength to reclaim my life! I hope we can prevent others from falling into this unmatched misery, saving others from falling into the darkness that comes with losing your self-worth and retirement savings in a click.”
“While predatory scams have existed for decades, the pandemic has exacerbated this issue, as fraudsters preyed on fear and uncertainty surrounding the virus to scam seniors out of their hard-earned savings. As scammers get smarter, it is vital that we combat this from all sides—from businesses and banks preventing scams in real time to seniors educating themselves with the annual Fraud Book. We must continue to arm older adults with the information they need to protect themselves from scammers, and root out and prevent these scams before they happen,” said Chairman Casey.
Chairman Casey invited Aurelia Costigan, a scam survivor from Pittsburgh, PA. Aurelia was called by a scammer posing as a representative from her bank who convinced her to download Zelle and scammed her out of $1,800. She testified, “It takes me a long time to earn money like that. I’m on Social Security, I have to save my money. Because sometimes your car breaks down or a medical expense comes up…I thought I was never going to get that money back. But thankfully, maybe a month or so later, my bank was able to get my money back – the full $1,800…But I know not everyone has that experience. These scammers get away with this every single day. Elderly people like myself, we are always the trusting type of people. But now, I tell people: don’t give absolutely any information about yourself to anyone on the telephone. I tell my friends and family my story as a warning. I tell them to be careful. I hope that we can do something so that this doesn’t happen to someone else.”
The 2022 Fraud Book can be found in English here and in Spanish here.
###
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.), a member of the Senate Finance Committee, joined Ranking Member Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Finance Committee Republicans in sending a letter to Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Commissioner Charles Rettig, requesting detailed plans for how the agency will spend the massive $80 billion injection of funds provided through the Democrats’ latest spending bill, including whether it will fix existing problems and satisfy the critical need for improved customer service, transparency, and accountability.
Rather than vague plans outlined by the Treasury Department to date, the senators request detailed information on how the IRS will:
Prioritize taxpayer services;Guard against partisan targeting;Protect taxpayer privacy;Modernize technology; andTrack and publish timely and reliable reports to establish comprehensive transparency and accountability, allowing for meaningful independent oversight.From the letter:
On Prioritizing Taxpayer Services:
“…In 2021, taxpayers waited at length for their refunds and approximately 250 million calls to the IRS went unanswered. Millions of taxpayers should not wait well over a year for their refund or spend days trying to connect with the IRS. The situation is particularly dire for millions faced with 40-year high inflation and in need of their tax refund to support their families. . . . The IRS should use its additional funding to prioritize clearing the backlog of returns and correspondence, and expediently pay taxpayers who are owed a refund.”
On Guarding Taxpayers Against Partisan Targeting:
“Americans should be able to trust that the government will enforce the law without regard to political beliefs, religion, or party affiliation. Compared to other government agencies, the IRS has a broad and powerful reach into Americans’ daily lives. The American people have a right to expect the IRS will exercise its power in a fair, neutral, and impartial manner. There should be no hint of religious or political bias or partisanship; the IRS must take this responsibility seriously.”
On Protecting Taxpayer’s Privacy:
“The IRS must hold taxpayer information securely in order to preserve its confidentiality. The law protecting taxpayer information rests on sound principles that evolved from adverse experiences with the misuse of tax information.
…
“Regarding the ProPublica leak, the American people remain in the dark about who was responsible and how it was allowed to happen. Although we understand TIGTA is investigating the leak to ProPublica, the IRS is not a bystander in this ‘very damaging’ event.”
On Modernizing Technology:
“Modernizing the IRS’s technology infrastructure must be a top priority. With an additional $4.75 billion of the supersized IRS funding allocated to technological improvements, and with the IRS’s Integrated Modernization Business Plan providing loose sketches of what the IRS wants to do and how it plans on doing it, there is room for realizing productivity gains and accompanying improved taxpayer service.
…
“Refinement and clear articulation of metrics and milestones that independent overseers can objectively use for monitoring any IRS IT and/or business plan modernization are required.”
On Transparency and Accountability:
“The IRS needs to report to Congress and the American people clear, reliable metrics for monitoring productivity improvements and related customer service improvements facilitated by its supersized budget.
…
“With an infusion of $80 billion of new funding, the IRS must be accountable, and accountability requires transparency and timely communication with its authorizing Committees.”
