GOP president candidate Tim Scott brings campaign to Creston

Oct. 26—Republican presidential candidate and South Carolina Senator Tim Scott highlighted his interests if he wins the presidency during a campaign stop Tuesday at Creston's Pizza Ranch.

Scott said the Hamas attack on Israel earlier this month is a strong reminder of the need to protect America's southern border.

"The more we understand the challenges we face in Israel, the more important for us to close our southern border. It's absolutely essential we see a national security threat that is our porous, open, unsecure border," he said. In recent years, officials are working with a sharp increase in the number of people entering the United States through Mexico.

"Thousands of people cross the border," Scott said, adding how some are from other continents. "The opportunity to finish the wall is in our national security interest."

A security wall between Mexico and the U.S. was started under the Trump administration but was put on hold when President Biden took over. Work on the wall in Texas has resumed because of actions taken by the Biden administration.

Scott said America's foreign relation interests should also emphasize China as the country is attempting to acquire American farmland and involved in learning about American intellectual property.

"We have to stop them," Scott said. "The more we do that, the stronger we will be." He said Biden's interactions with China is one of his weaknesses.

Scott said his interest in domestic issues includes supporting law enforcement with funding and training.

"We have to back our local law enforcement. We have to make sure we provide resources so our officers have the best training so the best want to wear the badge," he said.

Scott referred to how 1-in-5 law enforcement positions are vacant, which became more noticeable after the 2020 riots across the country in response to the George Floyd death in Minnesota by a police officer.

"The more you demoralize and defund police, no one will do the job," he said.

Scott said he has legislation for additional funding for law enforcement.

"We have to put our resources behind the men and women and respect the police. Refund the police if we want our communities to be safe."

Scott said the turmoil within the Republican party is taking away work to improve American lives.

"We have to learn how to unite around a single leader in the House so we can focus our attention, not on the confusion, but the fact the average family around the country has lost almost $7,000 in spending power because of Biden's economic problems he has brought to our country."

Scott said his campaign platform is to put the American residents first, regardless of party.

"Getting someone to go work for you is how you solve the problem, getting people to work every single day in Washington on behalf of the American people," he said.

His work will include to freeze assets of the Mexican drug cartels which are linked the growth of fentanyl use in the country causing overdose deaths.

"Every county in this nation is a border county because of challenges we see. Focus on America's interest, not what is left or right, that is what you work for the American people. High interest rates have made home affordably almost unaffordable for starters (first-time home buyers) in this economy."

Scott will also research government agencies and hold employees accountable for their actions.

"If we want Americans to trust government, government has to be trustworthy. We have to hold who lied to American people accountable and bring them before Congress. That hasn't happened yet," he said.

Scott said how some government agencies are targeting Republicans while Democrats get overlooked.

"The Department of Justice lost her blindfold," he said.

That culture has not created a government he wants.

"Politicization is at the top is a cancer that metastasized. We can correct that with a new president who has the power and backbone to fire leadership, create a new culture, get better results for American people," he said.

Budget

Scott said he would like the government spending strategy to return to 2019, before the COVID pandemic changed spending. He said it was 2011 when the government last had a reduction in spending.

He also wants government agencies to prove the needs for their budget, not just expect to have similar amounts, or more, to use as in the previous year.

"There is too much automatic increases, prove you need the resources," he said.

Scott said he will protect Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid budgets since those are programs working people pay into with the expectation of using the benefits, if needed. He said creating more private-sector jobs is the best way to continually fund those programs.

"We have an obligation to honor the promises to American people," he said.

Scott said more Americans are needed since he said based on current statistics in 2040 the United States is expected to have more people older than 65 than younger than 18.

"That will be a first time in history. That's where we are heading," he said.