May 12, 2023

Friends,   

I hope you and your family are well! I wanted to provide you with a few updates regarding what’s going on –

Fighting to Secure the Border

This week, the House passed H.R. 2, the Secure the Border Act. This bill will take integral steps to safeguard our nation as we face an unprecedented border crisis and historic levels of illegal immigration. The Biden Administration’s dangerous open border policies have created a national security crisis, as well as a surge in human trafficking, crime, and drug smuggling across our porous southern border. With well over five million illegal border crossings since Joe Biden took office, it’s clear our nation is facing an invasion. This crisis is of the Biden Administration’s own making, we have no idea who is in our country, and the president has the constitutional duty to act.

I was proud to vote for the Secure the Border Act because it provides solutions to this problem by ending catch and release, restarting construction of the border wall, and closing loopholes in our asylum laws. It also includes principles from the immigration enforcement package I introduced in February, including cracking down on visa overstays and stepping up the deportation of those on the terror watch list. This is by far the strongest border security bill to come to the House floor in decades, and I urge my colleagues in the Senate to take this issue seriously and pass this important legislation. A nation without borders will cease to exist. It’s past time for us to build the wall, secure the border, and enforce our laws to end the crisis raging at our southern border.

Questioning the Energy Secretary Granholm on the DOE Budget

As Chairman of the Energy, Climate, and Grid Security Subcommittee, I brought in Department of Energy Secretary Granholm this week to testify before the Subcommittee on the DOE's FY2024 budget. The Department of Energy's FY2024 budget falls short of its core mission to confront the energy security needs our nation is facing. Yesterday, we questioned Secretary Granholm on the DOE budget since her department's energy policies empower our adversaries, harm our national security, and raise prices for Americans. When America is a world leader in energy production, the world is a safer and cleaner place. It's essential for the DOE to return to its core mission of protecting our energy security. Click HERE for my opening remarks and click HERE for my questioning of Secretary Granholm. 

The EPA's Proposed Power Plant Regulations

The Biden Administration Environmental Protection Agency has proposed a rule that would regulate the nation’s 3,400 natural gas and coal power plants and require them to capture 90% of their ‘planet-warming emissions’ by 2035 or run mostly on hydrogen by 2038. This rule intended to cut air pollution would threaten the existence of coal and gas-fired power plants, and some coal plants are expected to shut down in the wake of the new rule. This would essentially take power plants offline as the demand for power is increasing. 

Mandating more electrification while making it harder to produce electricity is a recipe for disaster. The Biden EPA’s new proposed rules for power plants will put Americans at risk of blackouts, energy shortages, and higher prices by shutting down reliable energy sources. 

President Biden’s rush-to-green energy policies are unsustainable and will lead to a future of energy reliability and vulnerability. Instead of shutting down our baseload power, overregulating American energy, and forcing a so-called ‘energy transition,’ it’s time to unleash an all-of-the-above energy strategy for the United States to thrive. 

"Closing the Digital Divide" and Overseeing Fund for Broadband

Ronald Reagan wisely said the closest thing to eternal life here on earth is a federal government program. As we oversee federal funds for broadband, it's important we ensure there are guardrails in place to ensure a limited government approach, so the free market can thrive. Click HERE for my questioning at this week's hearing on overseeing federal broadband funding. 

Biden Family Crime Oversight

House Republicans are conducting rigorous oversight into the Biden Crime Family’s influence-peddling schemes and unethical business dealings, both domestic and international. From the Hunter Biden laptop to a litany of Biden family scandals, the Bidens have a history of corruption and exploitation. There is evidence of at least $10 million from foreign nationals and related companies paid to the Biden family and their business associates, including millions of dollars from China with ties to the CCP and Chinese intelligence. The Biden family’s unethical influence and foreign business dealings coincide with Biden’s term as Vice-President, and a web of over 20 LLCs were formed by Hunter Biden, the Biden family, and their associates as they capitalized on Joe Biden’s public office.

This just scratches the surface of the Biden Crime Family’s illegal and unethical activities, and there is much more to unearth. The President and his family’s actions have compromised our national security. The American people deserve transparency, and the Biden family needs to be held accountable. Why won’t the DOJ act on the Biden family’s unlawful activity and corruption? Click HERE for more information on this. 

In the Media

I discussed the border crisis, the end of Title 42, the debt ceiling, and yesterday's Department of Energy budget hearing with Secretary Granholm on Fox Carolina News this week. Click HERE to see our full conversation. 

Oversight Update

The Oversight and Accountability Committee held a hearing this week with the Attorneys General of Utah and Alabama and the Illinois State Treasurer to examine Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Practices. They discussed the trillions of dollars at stake through ESG investing and the importance of holding the far-left accountable for forcing their interests on Americans that should be free to invest their money independently. As Chairman Comer said, "ESG is just window dressing for liberal activism and radical far-left ideology." Click HERE for more information on this hearing and the work House Republicans are doing to hold the Biden Administration accountable. 

Legislative Action 

Here's a look into some more of the legislation I have cosponsored this Congress. 

I cosponsored H.R. 3115, Rep. Chip Roy’s bill to designate all executive branch federal employees as "at-will employees."

I cosponsored H.R. 3111, Rep. Mark Pocan’s bill to remove the terms “mentally retarded” and “mental retardation” from Federal law.

I cosponsored H.R. 3102, Rep. Debbie Lesko’s bill to ban the use of the “X” gender designation in TSA Precheck by the Transportation Security Administration.

I cosponsored H.R. 3101, Rep. Debbie Lesko’s bill to ban the use of any designation other than “male” and “female” on any US-issued passports.

In the District 

Newberry College Baseball secured their first  South Atlantic Conference Tournament Title since 1999 this week. Congratulations, and Go Wolves! 

"Strive for 25," an outdoor event to promote reading habits in children, was held for over 600 students at Seneca Middle School last week. This festival was both a celebration and a reward for those students who participated in the "Strive for 25" reading program and who read the required number of books from August 19 to April 14 of this school year. 

It is an honor to serve the Third District of South Carolina. Should you or your family need assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact my office directly.