South Carolina’s Tim Scott, the only Black Republican U.S. senator, will deliver the GOP rebuttal tonight to President Joe Biden’s speech to a joint session of Congress. Scott said he does not intend for his rebuttal to be an overly scathing of the president’s agenda, but a hopeful speech on Republican Party values, despite what some in his party are calling for.
Scott, who has been reported as being happy to not say much in his day-to-day efforts in Congress, is giving his rebuttal as his role in policing bills on the Senate floors are being put in the national spotlight. More: The New York Times, ABC News
In other headlines:
White House proposes $1.8T package for education, safety-net programs. The White House on Wednesday unveiled a $1.8 trillion spending and tax plan aimed at dramatically expanding access to education and safety-net programs for families, the latest effort by President Biden to try to turn some of his campaign promises into new policy. More: The Washington Post
S.C. lawmakers reject transgender athlete ban for second time. A committee in the S.C. House on Tuesday rejected for a second time a proposal that would have barred transgender students from playing on girls’ sports teams in middle and high school. More: Associated Press
Lower-than-expected totals stoke census concerns. Some states and civic organizations wondered whether differences between projections and released data may be indications of problems with the count. More: The Washington Post
Executions could soon return after electric chair, firing squad OKed. Death penalty executions could soon resume in South Carolina after a state House panel approved a bill that would allow prisons to use the electric chair or firing squad instead. More: The Post and Courier
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