South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley has announced that Rep. Tim Scott (R‑SC) will replace the departing Jim DeMint in the Senate. Scott is a member of the 2010 “Tea Party Class” of Republican freshmen and is considered a solid fiscal conservative. So let’s take a quick look at how he voted this year on opportunities to terminate federal agencies and programs.

The good:

Scott voted to terminate the Economic Development Administration, Advanced Manufacturing Technology Consortia, Essential Air Service program, Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy subsidies, Fossil Energy subsidies, the Department of Energy’s Title 17 guaranteed loan program, and the Community Development Block Grant program. He also voted against the lamentable continuing resolution in September.

The bad:

Scott voted to reauthorize the Export-Import Bank, a notorious example of corporate welfare. He also voted against terminating nuclear energy subsidies, which a lot of Republicans have an unfounded soft spot for.

Overall, that’s a good record and considerably better than the average freshman’s voting record. The votes against the EDA and CDBG program in particular indicate that Scott has an appreciation for fiscal federalism. Perhaps that will be a cause that Scott can join Sen. Rand Paul (R‑KY) and (hopefully) others in championing.