Tim Scott

Recently, the Wall Street Journal published an article highlighting issues that are likely to have the biggest impact on Black Americans’ votes in the upcoming midterm elections. 

Of course, Republicans and Democrats have vastly different ways of looking at and addressing these issues – that is the basis of our two-party system. As election day looms, voters will have to decide which party has done a better job of representing them and delivering results.

Articles like these are not new. For decades, the Left and many in the media have treated Black voters as a monolith by pushing the idea that Black Americans all think and behave exactly the same way. Even when confronted by Black people who dare to think differently, those same elites will say we must not understand what’s in our own best interest. Where I come from, we call that hogwash. 

The truth is Black voters have many of the same, serious concerns that every group of American voters does: inflation is out of control, it costs too much money to fill up gas tanks and put food on the table, violent crime is ravaging our cities, public schools and labor unions are failing many of our kids, and we want a more free and prosperous America.  Sure, each of us is affected by different issues at different times, but in our country we shouldn’t look at issues as Black or White. These are Red, White, and Blue issues — because we are all Americans, and the issues that affect any one group, affect us all. 

The Economy 

According to a Quinnipiac poll referenced in the article, 21% of Black voters in Georgia saw inflation as their number one concern going into the election. The Atlanta area has the second highest inflation rate in the entire country, so it’s no surprise voters are worried. Inflation is, and has been, out of control. 

The White House can tell us all day that we’re not in a recession, that the economy is “strong as hell,” but Americans can see plain as day that they are being lied to.  We see it when we go to the grocery store or fill up at the pump. Even after some Democrats have acknowledged their spending drove inflation, the White House solution is to spend even more money — money coming out of our pockets.  I have a different answer for our country.  The Inflation Prevention Act, which I introduced early this year, would have made this reckless move illegal and forced Democrats to stop pouring gasoline on the fire. 

We need solutions. Before the pandemic hit — before the Left shut down the economy and drove inflation through the roof — poverty rates for Black Americans hit historic lows. In fact, in 2019 we reached the lowest level of poverty ever recorded for African Americans.  And this was when the GOP was in control of the Senate and the White House. We did it before, and we can do it again.

Education 

If you know me, you’ve heard me say, “Education is the closest thing to magic in America.” I say it so much because it’s true!  When children have access to a buffet of educational opportunities, there’s no limit to what they can achieve. Heck, my life is proof of the game-changing power of a quality education. 

​​Unfortunately, failed Democratic leadership has led to a severe drop in test scores. Children nationwide are falling behind because the left continues to prioritize party politics over the needs of our kids. 

There is no person better suited to decide what a student needs to succeed than his or her parents. Parental choice and involvement helps kids achieve their educational goals. As the Chair of the Congressional School Choice Caucus, I believe that when parents have a choice, kids have a chance. No child should be stuck with a poor education because of their zip code. In fact, the biggest beneficiaries of school choice are low-income and often minority families — kids that might be low on opportunities, but high in potential.

But during the pandemic, the Left colluded with the labor unions to keep schools closed. Who was impacted the most? Low-income and minority students. And what happened as a result? Devastating learning loss, social anxiety, mental health issues, food insecurity — all real issues to families across the country. The destabilizing impact on kids and families has been so far reaching that we still haven’t been able to fully measure it.  

Through it all, Republicans have been fighting to give parents a voice and keep students and families engaged with their educators. In 2021, I led an amendment to re-open schools for in-person learning. Thankfully, kids are back in the classroom, and as we continue to empower parents, I know that they will partner with teachers to begin to rebuild what was lost during the Left’s school closures.  If we learned anything during this time, it’s that parents are the best advocates for their kids, and they must always have a say in their children’s future.

Public Safety 

Public and personal safety is the most foundational element to a prosperous society. Only when communities are safe can people seize the opportunities our great nation provides them to achieve their American Dream. According to the WSJ, 19% of Black voters in Georgia cited gun violence as their number one concern with one Georgian saying, “The economy is going to always change, once you’re dead, that don’t change.” He’s right. The lawlessness enabled and often encouraged by the Left has created a record crime wave. Rather than providing solutions, Democrats have demonized police and called for defunding departments. They’ve implemented misguided policies that allow criminals to go free. It makes no sense.

What we need are common sense solutions like my JUSTICE Act to better fund and improve policing in America.  Everyone agrees: Only the best should wear the badge. But how can we expect our officers to get the training they need if we don’t give them the resources they need? If we want to improve policing in America we need to refund the police, not defund the police.

Creating a safer America doesn’t stop at our streets. When students and teachers are worried about their safety in schools, they don’t have time to do what they’re there to do: learn and grow.

With legislation like my Safe Kids, Safe Schools, Safe Communities Act of 2022, we would dedicate over $38 billion to make our schools and communities safer, including funding enhanced school security and doubling the number of school resource officers, investing in school mental health professionals, and reducing gun violence. 

Here’s the bottom line: Black Americans are Americans. The issues they care about are the issues all Americans care about. And Black Conservatives, despite what some of our friends on the Left would have you believe, are allowed to think independently — coming to their own conclusions about what’s best for their family and the best solutions for the issues we all face. This is America —  a country that was built by independent thinkers who dared to challenge the status quo to create the greatest nation on Earth.  If you want to stand for America, our families, and the prosperity of our people, get out to the polls, and vote for common sense conservative leadership in November.