海角大神

The Republican Party is looking for an answer on how to respond to national outrage over聽the police killing of George Floyd. And they are looking to聽Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina to provide it.

The question is whether Mr. Scott, the lone Black GOP senator, will be able to pull Republicans behind legislation in the roiling aftermath of Mr. Floyd鈥檚 death. That challenge is steep enough in a mostly white party led by self-proclaimed聽鈥渓aw and order鈥澛燩resident Donald Trump. But Mr. Scott also is batting back at members of the Black community accusing him of allowing Republicans to use him in an election year to right racial wrongs.

Mr. Scott, who has kept lines of communication open with Mr. Trump even after the president called white supremacists in Charlottesville, Virginia, 鈥済ood people,鈥� is asking critics: Who better?

鈥淣ot surprising the last 24 hours have seen a lot of 鈥榯oken鈥� 鈥榖oy鈥� or 鈥榶ou鈥檙e being used鈥� in my mentions,鈥� Mr. Scott tweeted Wednesday. 鈥淟et me get this straight ... you DON鈥橳 want the person who has faced racial profiling by police, been pulled over dozens of times, or been speaking out for YEARS drafting this?鈥�

Mr. Floyd鈥檚 killing聽at the hands of Minneapolis police聽sparked painful upheaval and聽protests against systemic racism聽in the United States. But it also posed a stark test for the white Republicans who control the Senate. As Mr. Floyd's funeral聽was held in Houston on Tuesday, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell struck a new tone and acknowledged that almost all Senate Republicans, unlike Democrats, are white.

鈥淣one of us have had the experience of being an African American in this country and dealing with this discrimination,鈥� Mr. McConnell, who is up for reelection alongside Mr. Trump, told reporters. 鈥淚 think the best way for the Senate Republicans to go forward on this is to listen to one of our own, who鈥檚 had these experiences.鈥�

Mr. McConnell spoke after Mr. Scott finished briefing Senate Republicans on the legislation, which in part would establish a national database for police misconduct. Mr. Floyd鈥檚 brother, Philonise, challenged Congress on Wednesday to聽鈥渟top the pain鈥澛爓ith police reforms. Mr. Scott said he was talking with the White House, but not Mr. Trump so far, to agree on a package of legislation.

The former House member describes himself as 鈥渢he son of a son of a son of a slave,鈥� a descendant of a West African family who arrived in the U.S. aboard a slave ship, probably in Charleston, South Carolina, two centuries ago.

鈥淔or all of my life and for all of my family鈥檚 heritage, we had tried to avoid being confrontational,鈥� Mr. Scott writes in 鈥淥pportunity Knocks: How Hard Work, Community and Business Can Improve Lives and End Poverty.鈥� 鈥淎lways, we believed, the primary aim should be to find common ground in order to move forward.鈥�

In September 2017, Mr. Trump summoned the senator to the Oval Office to discuss Mr. Scott鈥檚 criticism of the president鈥檚 response to the race riots in Charlottesville, Virginia 鈥� notably, Mr. Trump鈥檚 description of the white supremacists involved as being among the聽鈥渧ery fine people on both sides.鈥澛燤r. Scott writes that the president was gracious 鈥� and that he walked out with the president鈥檚 commitment to opportunity zones for poverty-stricken cities. The proposal passed as part of the tax cut bill signed into law that year.

The police killings of Mr. Floyd,聽Breonna Taylor聽in Louisville, Kentucky, and others have made problems with police conduct and accountability hard for Republicans to ignore. Mr. Scott鈥檚 legislation is part of a burst of GOP-written bills on the subject. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky wants to stop sending surplus U.S. military equipment to local law enforcement. And Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah is backing several bipartisan bills to change police practices.

But the challenge is different for Mr. Scott, in part because of the trust issues between the Black community, the Republican Party, and Mr. McConnell. Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., said in a telephone interview that Mr. Scott will have succeeded if he 鈥減roduces a good product.鈥�

鈥淚 think that Tim has the background, he has the experiences that are necessary to bring Republican senators to the realization that this law enforcement issue is real and needs to be dealt with,鈥� Mr. Clyburn said in a telephone interview. 鈥淚 would hope that he would engage with enough of the other members to make sure that whatever he comes up with will have buy-in from others in his conference."

There are signs that they鈥檙e listening. GOP senators, who risk losing control of the chamber in the November election, are distancing themselves from Mr. Trump鈥檚 provocative response as the Black Lives Matter movement gains support.

On Tuesday, Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., said Mr. Scott had told their Bible study group that he'd been stopped by police in Charleston multiple times, even as a public official, for being Black at the wrong place and the wrong time.

"During these last few days I鈥檝e been thinking a lot about what Tim Scott told us,鈥� Mr. Alexander said on the Senate floor. 鈥淥ne result of George Floyd鈥檚 killing is that Black Americans are telling more stories like Tim Scott鈥檚.鈥�

At the political intersection, Mr. Scott on Wednesday addressed his critics in the Black community who chafed at his role.

鈥淒on鈥檛 throw 鈥榶ou鈥檙e the only black guy they know鈥� at me either,鈥� Mr. Scott tweeted. He鈥檚 one of three Black members of the Senate, he noted, the others being Democrats Cory Booker of New Jersey and Kamala Harris of California. 鈥淪top pretending there鈥檚 some huge racial diversity gap in the Senate.鈥�

It is true, though, that the GOP鈥檚 constituency and Mr. Trump鈥檚 base of support are overwhelmingly white. And though Mr. Trump insists he鈥檚 done more for Black Americans than any other president, his rhetoric often carries racial overtones. Last year, Mr. Trump tweeted that four female House members of color,聽known as the 鈥渟quad,鈥澛爏hould聽鈥済o back鈥� to where they came from. All four are American citizens.

Mr. Scott on Wednesday called himself an optimist.

鈥淗istory is a teacher,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he president has been receptive the last three years on the priorities that I鈥檝e brought to him,鈥� he added. 鈥淗opefully he鈥檒l have the same approach.鈥�

This story was reported by The Associated Press.

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