good evening from los angeles, i'm tavis smiley. tonight part two of our conversation with the only two poplarly elected african-americans to serve simultaneously in the u.s. senate. u.s. democrat cory booker and south carolina republican, tim scott. the new congress convenes and the republicans are controlling both chambers. questions from both senators on what to expect, common ground or gridlock. part two of our conversation with cory booker and tim scott coming up, right now. ♪

♪ and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. ♪ tonight in part two of our exclusive conversation with the only two african-americans in the senate, we'll talk about everything from the gop takeover of the senate to tax reform to steve scalise. i started the conversation by asking senator booker what it feels like to be a minority in the minority in the senate. >> this is all -- i have had 13 months in the senate. the first 13 months i was in

the majority. i spent a lot of time learning. we had frank conversations, i within the always happy with the way things went. i'm a prisoner of hope that there will be a way to navigate now that i am in the minority. speaks of criminal justice reform, when i have kofrss with senator cornyn and senator scott with rand paul mike lee, i can go through, you know at least ten plus senators on the republican side who talked to me about this issue or cornyn, lee and paul put bills in. i'm hopeful, even with a republican majority, legislation can be done. we agree on the urgency tr tax reform to stop where you have

corporations inverting or keeping jobs over seas. i would agree there's still work we can do on education in this country. we would agree there are things we can do with the apprenticeship program. the key for me in this minority role is to search for common ground, not bicker in a partisan way or play defense, but where can we come together. >> senator scott, there are a lot of americans, particularly african-americans who are concerned about what the future holds for them with the republicans now controlling both houses in washington. anything you want to say or can say about their fears and the agenda to come? >> l0gcertainly. give folks real reason to be hopeful about where the agenda of the republican party is going. one thing we want to do is focus on americans. the most corrosive is partisan debate that focuses or isolated

the conversation within rooms of the nation as opposed to the living room of our country where everyone has an opportunity to engage in the conversation and the debate. i'm conservative. i think it's good news from my perspective. what happens is we'll focus on issues like education and opportunity. we will focus on how to get the energy economy to hum. the pipeline 40,000 jobs. this is a positive step in the right direction. we both agree on the necessity of tax reform. the president says he wants to lower corporate tax rates. now the devil is in the detail. all hands on deck to have a serious conversation. i'm now on the finance committee how to make the tax reform happen and part of the prerequisite is changing and allow the dynamic to be part of the conversation. when that happens, we can see

realistically, the highest corporate tax in all the worldcoming down to something that is competitive. if that happens, we could see another in my opinion, another million jobs created by lowering the corporate tax rate. we would say there's a need to bring home overseas profits to our country. bring home perhaps up to $2 trillion. we are creating hundreds of thousands of new jobs with those resources. what america will find with the new majority is we are not going to focus on any republican agenda, we are going to focus on an american agenda. if we do it and do it right, we could have a serious conversation. >> i suspect the people watching right now, not just african-americans, pbs brings a lot of white progressives watching and others. they watch trust me. i get the mail, they watch. i detect there's some watching.

they heard what you said about what the public agenda is going to be. there are people who really feel that the republican agenda is basically anti-obama. they don't want this president to succeed. mitch mcconnell said his number one job was to defeat president obama. it's spoken about time and time again. i don't know how much we spend in barbershops, given the way we look. there are brothers and sisters in beauty salons that believe the republican party wants to defeat him because he is a black men. you are two black men of the united states senate. give me a sense of whether or not you think there are forces in this country, in the house, in the senate who want to defeat him in part because she's the first black president. >> clearly, when george bush was the president or barack obama was president, there are people

coming from partisan camps trying to take somebody down. i have not seen things i have seen in the obama presidency. for a president, i don't care who you are democrat or republican, when you give a state of the union address, you are speaking for the country. the globe is watching. they are watching in china. when you have a republican congressman heckle the president's seat, forget who the president is and show that level of disrespect then raise money on that, a lot of money that's unacceptable. i see how moments of that symbolize they are not going to give this guy a shot. but i want to give credence to something he said. i think when he talked about the corrosive talks, that type of partisanship, as soon as i open my mouth, a lot of americans say oh, he's a democrat. i'm not going to listen to what he said. a lot of people watching your show won't take time to listen

to who he is what his background or his values because he's a republican or touch third rail and make them shut down. you mentioned the keystone pipeline. i'm sure we disagree on that. they use that for a reason not to listen to him on anything else he has to say. i found in my history we had a great conversation, not on tv, but about jack kemp. it was at the jack kemp foundation. i told people when i was in college, i heard he was coming to an inner city -- i said no he won't. that republican is not coming into inner city for a photo-op. i was going there to tell him off. i got in his face. he is a persuasive speaker. he shut me down walked me through all the ways that our government policy was undermining. ultimately, he was responsible for legislation that i use as a mayor ideas of empowerment and thought that went into that to

create an economic boom. >> i think that's important. i don't want to leave the show not having addressed the issue. do republicans just not like president obama? i think we philosophically disagree. philosophically disagree with the executive actions he's taken. when you find the heart beat of why we are indiscriminate with the president, not because he's black, he's liberal. we don't like the policies of the president. one of the challenges we face in d.c., the partisan reality is a challenge. in america, the racial issue is so easy to ignite a fire. that should be put out. it's important to realize this country, one nation under god, if we act like it, america will -- if we don't act like it on either side of the aisle americans don't. >> the problem, cory, senator

booker -- i think your analysis and story about jack kemp. i get that. i spent time with him, hung out with him a number of times while he was living. those kinds of republicans don't exist in washington anymore. the same is true of brook. brook was a different kind of republican. give me your sense of how the work gets done. i'll give you a chance to answer that question. i'll give you a chance too, senator scott. >> i want to continue to talk about -- >> should we be talking about the realities of race in america? it's an important conversation. right now, let me say this. when i went up to orrin hatch and talked to him about the eulogy he gave to ted kennedy beautiful, and how they had a

sincere love for each other and despite they are right and left, far and firm and found places to work together on. i understand i bemoan the fact that the republican party didn't return dick lugar and olympia snowe. i mourn the fact we don't have republican diversity in that sense. they exist when i see a gas tax. surprise me to deal with infrastructure. the point i'm trying to make is that my job here is not to cast on republicans. there are days i'm frustrated. now that i'm a minority, there are going to be a lot of days i'm frustrated. my obligation is to seek out republican colleagues and say we could disagree, but can we find two or three things to work

together? >> that's my point. i'm not demonizing it. is it not the case that washington is so partisan now and so polarized, because there aren't the kind of moderates there used to be in this town to establish the friendships and relationships you were talking about? >> we are doing it now. i have been in the senate over two years. we have been able to establish enough of a relationship where the trust factor has been answered. i trust him. i don't agree with him all the time, but i trust him. hopefully he agrees with me. >> we agree on haircuts. [ laughter ] >> i'm trying to help small businesses. >> okay. >> i go to the barber. >> there's an opportunity for us to move this forward.

frankly as a conservative republican, we have found areas of agreement. that is empowering for this nation. not to see moderates who are barely on the other side of the ail for one another come together. it's more dynamic when you see folks who are philosophically and stronger oppositions on some issues finding the common ground. >> the two of you are the only african-americans in the senate create a special sort of bond or trust to use your word? >> i think it helps. when i walked in to watch him being sworn in, i said i want to know this guy. i want to know his story. his is exactly the opposite of mine. smart guy from stanford. >> a football player. >> i flunked out of high school. two parents, ibm. single parent household, having to live with my grandparents. >> you sound like the democrat.

you sound like the republican. >> common ground. >> in spite of our differences here is what it takes to make progress in america. you don't have the time to establish repour you don't have time. second is credibility. be credible on the issues you want to advocate on behalf. third, uncover the problems so we can present it and overcome the objections. if we follow that basic formula, we find more progress with the average american in this country and have more resources around this country helping grow the economy helping to devastate poverty that has been devastated. >> you weren't joking a moment ago about the bald caucus that cory was asking me to join. >> yes. >> all jokes aside, you turned down an opportunity, invitation to downthe congressional black caucus. so i understand and the audience

understands, what was your reason? >> i think we are going to move this country forward together. we are better together. i have not been a member of the black caucus. i had a conversation about a month ago with the chairwoman of the black caucus about my legislative agenda on education and skills. we have found an area where her staff and my staff are looking for ways to bring our teams together. once again, if we can get votes on different sides of the aisle from philosophical dispositions we all win. while i'm not a member of the congressional black caucus, many members of the black caucus and i have found common ground. we disagree on a number of topics. >> i have heard the word common ground more times than i can count between last night and tonight. seems to me what is lacking in this town is exactly that compromise. there are a lot of reasons

senators and house members don't want to compromise. one you don't want to look like a loser and let the other guy win. how do you get to bipartisanship if one doesn't want to give in to the other side? >> i hope it starts to swing back. when congress has a lower rating than color os xis and cockroaches, that's sad. >> that's not a joke. >> we in america, reflect the partisanship. i see, i'm sure you did, the first time we sat down together, my commentary i got from social media and you got remarks as well how could you dare to sit down together. this is not just a washington problem, it is a national issue that we focus so much on the lines that divide us. they don't realize the ties that bind us are stronger. he and i of this next generation

of united states senators and great mentors we have in the caucus like lamar alexander. i hope there's more of a chance for us to work together. i'm down here. i'm not committed for life. i'm willing to supplement ego to try to find that common ground. look, there are things that are going to divide us. if we spend time, all we could have done is debate keystone pipeline, issues of abortion. we could have gone and he would not compromise and i would not compromise. my experience with governor christie, i have disagreements with him. we were joking before christmas about the day i came to talk to him about a big economic package for newark. it happened to be the day that new jersey's legislature approved marriage equality, an issue i'm passionate about.

i wouldn't conduct a marriage like that. i'm not going to until everybody can get married. i knew the governor was going to veto it. people put microphones in front of me. they wanted to know if i gave it to the governor. i didn't say anything because i'm not going to change his mind. i'm going to spend every minute to the jobs. when i sit with him, i don't want to debate with him. if i think i can convince him of something, i'll try. i would rather spend my time fighting common ground and pushing for a piece of legislation. >> how do you compromise without surrendering your principles? >> i think you look for common ground. there's a difference between compromise and common ground. common ground is available for those looking for it. on the issue of education i

start talking school of choice. not necessarily private school of choice. the public education. i'm very interested in that conversation. others have been open to the conversation. what i keep looking for is the win. ultimately, i want people to walk away understanding what i believe is that it's open for anyone and everyone who wants to move america forward. that conversation needs to be had. i want to make sure we are having it on my side and cory on his side. we are committed to having a conversation together. >> do you get the sense or think about whether they like you because you are a fellow u.s. senator but don't care for your people, they get you, but don't care to get the people you come from? >> he goes home to -- i go home to new jersey. i live in newark, new jersey and

live in the central ward of newark. when i talk to friends of mine on my block or in my neighborhood, they can't name more than three or four united states senators. when you ask them about if the criminal justice system is fair they think it's unfair. they saw the incredible overincarceration of african-americans. what they are in tune with, can i find people, they don't care what color, party, what have you, correcting an american wrong that we are the leader in the globe. we are the incarceration nation, not china and russia. destroying lives in my neighborhood. they don't care about all the stuff we often talk about in washington. what they care is can we come together and get something done? if we are successful in expanding apprenticeship in the

united states of america for white people black people, folks going on to get their ph.d.s from princeton and open up our economy, opportunity economy, then they are happy. that's what we need to focus on a lot more. only 13 months old is exciting to me is that despite all the noise in washington about gridlock and the like, in 13 months, i have been able to find democrats and some republicans to try to find a pathway to make a real difference to the folks i'll return to in new jersey. >> i'll start with you first senator scott. the senate is changing. this is an august body. there are 100 at a time. it's changing. the age of the -- the average age of the senator has gone down. there are at least two african-americans in the senate and women in the senate. the senate is starting to change. i don't mean from democratic hands to republican control.

what do you hope to leave or history to say about what happened in the senate and what you were able to do to help change the body? >> for me my life mission has been the same for the last 30 years. impact lives. if i were to answer that question honestly, matthew 25: 21 well done, my good and faithful servant. how does that happen? for me look at the least of those in our country and community and see, perhaps the most powerful, political body in the world that came together to serve those folk who is many say it would never happen. hopefully our presence and the presence of a living god present in us, we have an opportunity to impact this world, this nation in this body for the rest of eternity. >> one of the reasons i have affection -- i'm not sure i ever

said this to you. one reason i have affection for tim, not just color of skin, but he's like my dad, born to a single mom, under tough circumstances strong mentors. >> your father passed away -- >> six days before i was elected. it was a tough conversation. he said out loud to me he thinks a guy born poor, black, to a single mother in a segregated environment in 1936 would have a better chance of making it than a kid born of the same circumstances today. it was a jab at my generation. so you know we have got to change it. my father's words, you can look at them with data and see that some of the things he's saying is right, black or white social mobility declined compared to&w0é other countries. better to be born in canada or germany, easier to move up.

wealth is being exaggerated in our country where there's similar between black and white in the country, not just in general. black and white. it's one author saying recently in south africa as well. so, we have to make the american dream real for everyone. there's a dream in this land with its back against the wall to save the dream for one, we must save the dream for all. i'm hoping all our generation of senators can preserve, embolden this american dream and make it more penetrating to everybody's experiences the best this country has to offer and aren't cut out because of the circumstances of their birth, because they were born poor because they had challenges. we have a lot more work to do to get back to an opportunity and economy and back to a growth economy and to training. to make sure the fruits of this economy are enjoyed by all.

>> thank you for your time. >> absolutely. >> thank you appreciate it. >> thank you. >> good to have you both here. i hope you enjoyed our conversation with the only two african-americans serving in the u.s. senate, cory booker and tim scott. if you missed night one of the conversation go to our website, pbs.org/tavissmiley. thanks to my friends for letting us use their set. that's our show for tonight. thanks for watching and, as always, keep the faith. for more information on today's show, visit tavis smiley at pbs.org. i'm tavis smiley. join me next time with patrick stewart. that's next time. we'll see you then.

and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you.

>> rose: welcome to the program am we begin this evening with a look at the oscar nominations with matt bean, the editor of entertainment weekly. >> there's politicking that goes on. to cast dispersions on some of the other films. when it is set in reality, that is a particularly easy task. in some ways it not one of the things that is beseejd. >> we continue with a conversaon aboutslam with reza aslan will mccants shadi hamid and michael hanna. >> yes it's true. they are were good muslims. people fighting isis are also muslim. the people who support isis and the people who argue against isis are muslims. so what does this actually say about isla not that much.