Scott to appear in Mason City tonight, says federal budget deal has to pare spending more

DES MOINES — Republican presidential candidate Tim Scott — who represents South Carolina in the US Senate — says he’s ready to draw a line in the sand on federal spending, even if it leads to a government shutdown.

Scott voted against this spring’s budget deal that set a two-year framework for government spending.   “Unless we have a deal that controls spending, I am an absolutely positively undeniably no again,” Scott says.

Scott supports the long term goal of making deficit spending illegal by passing a balanced budget amendment to the U-S Constitution. In the near term, Scott says federal spending should return to pre-pandemic levels and that would save half a trillion dollars over the next 12 months.  “And then finally, a new concept: the government’s too big in Washington. Let’s close some agencies, consolidate some and freeze vacant positions so you can’t fill them,” Scott said.

Scott discussed the looming budget fight in Washington during a weekend appearance at the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition’s fall fundraiser. Scott was interviewed on stage by Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird. She asked if Scott had a special lady in his life other than his mother.  “I’m dating a lovely Christian girl. One of the things I love about the Gospel of Jesus Christ is it points us always in the right direction. Proverbs 18:22 says: ‘He who finds a wife finds a good thing  and obtains favor from the Lord.’ So can we just pray together for me?” Scott said, and the audience laughed and applauded.

Scott, who is 57, is the only unmarried candidate in the GOP presidential field. Scott says he’s been getting a lot of questions lately about his dating life after a Washington Post story in which he talked about his girlfriend, but did not reveal her name. On Saturday, Scott told the audience of 12-hundred conservative Christians that as the child of a single mother he knew the consequences of an absent father, and made a commitment to take a different path.  “I’m so thankful to know a risen savior that has helped guide my way and I’m so thankful that he’s allowed my life to intersect with the right person and the right person and I just say: ‘Praise the living God,’” Scott said. Bird added, ‘Amen,’ and the crowd applauded. 

Scott is making a stop this evening in Mason City at the Columbia Club starting at 6:30