Aiken Standard - Scott Makes History as He Is Sworn in to US Senate

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By Derrek Asberry

U.S. Sen. Tim Scott said his swearing-in ceremony, which made him the first black senator from the South since Reconstruction, is a sign of progress for the state of South Carolina and the nation.

The Republican senator was officially sworn in Tuesday morning at the U.S. Capitol. Scott, a North Charleston native, was appointed to the U.S. Senate in January 2013 after Gov. Nikki Haley named him to fill the seat vacated when Jim DeMint resigned.

Scott spoke about Tuesday's ceremony during a media conference call and said the event went very well because of the presence of family members, other S.C. Congressmen and vice president Joe Biden.

"I thought it was an exciting time and also a time for reflection," Scott said. "I was having thoughts of growing up with my grandfather, my mother and the challenges we faced in Charleston."

When asked about the significance of being the first black senator from the South since Reconstruction, Scott continued reflecting on both the good and bad times of growing up in the state, which included a racial divide.

"There's just a lot to be said about the progress that's been made in South Carolina," he said. "We still face challenges, but I hope that it says things have changed tremendously."

Scott's road to re-election began in June when he won the Republican primary with more than 90 percent of the vote. In November, he also won the general election handily with 55 percent of the vote and became the first black person to win a statewide race in South Carolina since the Reconstruction era.

Scott said his plan is to help secure government funding by passing some form of legislation before the Dec. 11 deadline. He added that both sides of the aisle will have to act quickly and that he is a fan of short-term funding, which would allow Congress to make more progress for the future.

Though the percentages show he is favored in the state, Scott said during the phone conference that he is a fan of term limits and does not plan on staying in the Senate for more than 14 years -- his two previous years and two six-year terms.

He added, "The significance of my election is that it's our election, it's South Carolina's and it shows that our state wants people who are looking in the same direction, trying to achieve the same goals."

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