Watch Live: GOP Sen. Tim Scott delivers response to Biden’s address
Republican Senator Tim Scott is delivering a speech responding to President Joe Biden’s first address before a joint session of Congress on Wednesday evening. The response provides an opportunity for Scott, a rising star in the Republican Party, to outline an alternative to the president’s ambitious legislative agenda.
Scott is delivering his response after Mr. Biden concludes his speech, which was expected to include details about his American Families Plan, a tax and spending bill focused on health care, child care and education. Between this and the American Jobs Plan, his infrastructure proposal, Mr. Biden is calling on Congress to pass over $4 trillion in spending on major projects. Republicans have balked at the price tags for these proposals, questioned their relevancy, and criticized Mr. Biden’s plan to raise certain taxes to pay for them.
How to watch Senator Tim Scott’s response
- What: Senator Tim Scott responds to President Biden’s address before a joint session of Congress
- Date: Wednesday, April 28, 2021
- Time: After President Biden has left the House chamber
- Location: U.S. Capitol, Washington, D.C.
- Online stream: Live on CBSN in the player above and on your mobile or streaming device
- Live Updates: Complete CBSNews.com coverage here
Scott is expected to offer an alternative vision for the future as the country begins to emerge from the worst of the coronavirus pandemic, which has shaken the economy and resulted in the deaths of more than half a million Americans.
“I look forward to having an honest conversation with the American people and sharing Republicans’ optimistic vision for expanding opportunity and empowering working families,” Scott said in a statement announcing his response last week.
Scott told reporters at the Capitol on Tuesday that he would “try to keep it simple,” and that he had been practicing his remarks “a bunch.”
“From my perspective, you figure out who your audience is, you figure out what you want to say, you try to find a way to say it well. And you lean into who you are,” Scott said.
Scott, 55, has served in the U.S. Senate since 2013 and has been seen by party operatives as a potential presidential contender. He has toed the line of support for former President Donald Trump, who remains a popular figure among Republican voters, while still being willing to criticize Mr. Trump on certain issues. Scott, the lone Black Republican in the Senate, is also currently engaged in negotiations with Democratic Senator Cory Booker and Congresswoman Karen Bass on a police reform bill.
