Updated April 28, 2021 at 11:47 PM ET
South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott delivered the official Republican response to President Biden's address to Congress.
Scott, the lone Black GOP senator, spoke after Biden concluded his remarks Wednesday night.
When Scott was announced for the role, he said in a statement that he would be "sharing Republicans' optimistic vision for expanding opportunity and empowering working families." In his address, he sought to offer an alternative to the Biden agenda while defending the GOP, and the nation at large, against charges of racism.
"America is not a racist country," Scott said. "It's wrong to try to use our painful past to try to dishonestly shut down debates in the present."
Watch Scott's address here. Below that, you can read his remarks in full with fact checks and analysis from NPR reporters.
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