GM – FBF – Today’s American Champion is an American politician and businessman. He has served as the junior United States Senator for South Carolina since 2013. A Republican, he was appointed to the U.S. Senate by Governor Nikki Haley in 2013. He retained his seat after winning a special election in 2014 and was elected to a full term in 2016.In 2010, he was elected to the United States House of Representatives for South Carolina’s 1st congressional district, where he served from 2011 to 2013. He served one term (from 2009 to 2011) in the South Carolina General Assembly and served on the Charleston County council from 1996 to 2008.He is one of eleven African-Americans to have served in the U.S. Senate and the first to serve in both chambers of Congress. He is the seventh African-American to have been elected to the Senate and the fourth from the Republican Party. He is the first African-American senator from South Carolina, the first African-American senator to be elected from the southern United States since 1881 (four years after the end of the Reconstruction era), and the first African-American Republican to serve in the U.S. Senate since Edward Brooke departed in 1979.Today in our History – December 17, 2012 – Timothy Eugene Scott (born September 19, 1965) is sworn in as the junior Senator from South Carolina.Growing up in a poor, single-parent household in North Charleston, South Carolina, a young Tim Scott grew accustomed to moving every few years, as well as the long hours his mom worked to keep a roof over their heads. After failing four classes his freshman year of high school, Tim’s path forward was murky at best.But thankfully, he had a mom who stuck with him and met a mentor that showed him the wisdom of conservative principles. Through their belief and his own determination, Tim got his grades back on track, graduated from Charleston Southern University, and eventually built his own successful small business.Through the lessons taught by his mentor, Tim developed his mission statement: to positively affect the lives of a billion people. That led him to public service, where he was elected to Charleston County Council, the South Carolina House of Representatives, the United States House of Representatives, and the United States Senate.Since joining the Senate in 2013, Senator Scott has been a national leader in efforts to bring opportunity to every American family. His signature legislation creating Opportunity Zones was passed as part of the 2017 tax reform package and has the potential to bring billions of dollars of private investment into distressed communities across the country.As he continues to lead on the implementation of the Opportunity Zones initiative, Senator Scott also plays a critical role in issues regarding workforce development, education, and diversity. Whether it’s tackling the skills gap, making sure children have access to the educational environment best suited for them, or working to bring everyone to the table to find solutions, Senator Scott will keep fighting for South Carolinians every single day he serves in the U.S. Senate. Research more about this great American Champion and share it with your babies. Make it a champion day!