[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 102 (Wednesday, June 24, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4582-S4583]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




CONDEMNING THE ATTACK ON EMANUEL AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH IN 
                       CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA

  Mr. SCOTT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 212, submitted earlier today.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The bill clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 212) condemning the attack on Emanuel 
     African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South 
     Carolina, and expressing encouragement and prayers for all 
     affected by this evil assault.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. SCOTT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution 
be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motions to reconsider 
be laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 212) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  (The resolution, with its preamble, is printed in today's Record 
under ``Submitted Resolutions.'')
  Mr. SCOTT. Mr. President, I stand before you today and before the 
Nation not as a Senator, not as an elected official but as a humble 
South Carolinian. The past week has been one of terrible tragedy and 
amazing unity.
  Last Wednesday night, we experienced an unimaginable tragedy. Nine 
men and women--nine mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, sons, 
daughters--were lost forever. The hateful and racist actions of one 
deranged man have changed nine families forever. It has changed South 
Carolina forever and Charleston forever. But what we saw from the nine 
families at last Friday's bond hearing was simple. It was powerful and 
absolutely the best of who we are as Americans.
  A few minutes ago I was in the cloakroom, and I had the opportunity 
to talk to one of the victim's sons, Daniel Simmons, Jr. I was talking 
to him back there.
  I said: Is there anything you want me to share when I go on the floor 
of the Senate?
  He said: Please share that God cares for his people. God still lives.
  I was amazed.
  Then he said with great enthusiasm and energy and a sense of 
excitement: This evil attack will lead to reconciliation, restoration, 
and unity in our Nation.
  Those are powerful words.
  It is with great sadness and amazing hope that our future as a nation 
has been changed. It has been changed because one person decided to 
murder nine. It has been changed because the response of those nine 
families has been so courageous and so inspiring.
  If you permit me, I will read the names of those nine individuals.
  We honor the Reverend Sharonda Coleman-Singleton, beloved teacher and 
coach at Goose Greek High School. Her son Chris has shown us all what 
an amazing mother she was through his strength over the past 6 days.
  We honor Cynthia Hurd, whose love for education has been shared for 
over 31 years as a librarian in the public library system.
  We honor Susie Jackson, who at 87 years young still offered her 
beautiful voice to the choir and had recently returned from visiting 
her family in Ohio.
  We honor Ethel Lee Lance, who served her church with pride and whose 
daughter calls her the strong woman who just tried to keep her family 
together.
  We honor Depayne Middleton-Doctor, who dedicated her life to serving 
the poor and helping her students as an enrollment counselor at 
Southern Wesleyan University.
  We honor my good friend, the Reverend Clementa Pinckney, an amazing 
man of faith, a great dad, and a wonderful father.
  We honor Tywanza Sanders, beloved son of Tyrone and Felicia, whose 
warmth and heartfelt spirit has kept us moving.
  We honor the Reverend Daniel Simmons, Sr., whose granddaughter said: 
My granddaddy was an amazing man. It seemed like every time he spoke, 
it was pure wisdom.
  And we honor Pastor Myra Thompson, who served the Lord with grace and 
dignity. She loved her children, her grandchildren, and her great 
grandchildren.
  If you would pause for 9 seconds, I would appreciate it.
  (Moment of Silence.)
  Thank you.
  In closing, I want to thank all of my colleagues in the Senate and 
the House for their kind words over the past week and for the prayers 
that continue to come into our city from across the Nation.
  We are Charleston, we are South Carolina, and we are absolutely 
united. We are committed to replacing hate with love, pain with 
kindness, and ill will and hostility with goodwill and comfort.
  I yield to Senator Graham.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from South Carolina.
  Mr. GRAHAM. Mr. President, I want to recognize Senator Scott. We all 
know Senator Scott is a man of quiet

[[Page S4583]]

faith. He does it when no one is looking, by the way. I remember being 
in the cloakroom watching a basketball game, which is consistent with 
me, and the Senator was over in the corner with headphones on. I said: 
What are you listening to or what are you doing?
  He said very sheepishly: I am doing my Bible study.
  Senator Scott has been a great comfort to our State because he is 
truly a man of God.
  To the rest of you, I want to tell people in South Carolina that in 
the Senate we have a lot of differences and we display them a lot. I 
wish you could have heard what was said to me and Senator Scott. 
Everybody in this body has come up to us in one way or another and said 
the most kind things. In the Senate we have our problems, but we are 
still a family. Thank you all, from all over this country, for the 
kindness you have shown during these difficult times.
  Very quickly, I don't know how you can sit with somebody for an hour 
in a church and pray with them and get up and shoot them. That is 
Mideast hate. I didn't think it was something we had here, but 
apparently we do.
  I just can't imagine what it takes of an individual to be welcomed in 
a church--here is what happened. He went to Charleston with a plan. The 
people in the church had no idea who he was or what he had in mind. He 
came into the church, and he was sitting in the pews by himself and 
they invited him up for the Bible study and spent an hour with him.
  And he said: They were so nice, I almost backed out.
  That says a lot about them. It says a lot about him. But Senator 
Scott mentioned something that I cannot get over. Within 48 hours of 
having your family member murdered, to appear in a public setting, 
looking at the guy in the eye and to say: You ruined my life but I love 
you and I forgive you--that is a level of love and understanding that 
can only come from some higher authority. I don't have that within me.
  When it comes to representing South Carolina, Senator Scott and I 
will do our best. But on our best day, we are nowhere close to these 
people. There is no politician in America who can represent their State 
better than the people of Mother Emanuel AME Church when they went to a 
public place, looked the killer in the eye and said: I forgive you; I 
am praying for you.
  I wish we could muster that kind of love for each other, just for a 
little bit. What would America be like?
  Thank you all for your kindness.

                          ____________________