July 14, 2023

Friends,   

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

Welcoming Pastor Tony Foster of Greenwood as Guest Chaplain

Now, more than ever, our nation needs prayer. That’s why I was honored to invite my longtime friend, Pastor Tony Foster, to serve as Guest Chaplain for the House of Representatives and lead us in prayer before votes today. I admire Tony as a man of God, and it was an honor to welcome him and his wife to Washington this week for the rare opportunity to serve as Guest Chaplain of the People’s House.

As Dr. Foster prayed from 2 Chronicles 7:14 and Psalm 33:12, "if my people who are called by my Name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I hear from Heaven and forgive their sins and heal the land" and "blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord." Thank you again to Pastor Tony Foster for your love of God and country. 

The Guest Chaplaincy of the U.S. House of Representatives is a distinct honor that is made available on an extremely limited basis and was recently reinstated into Congressional practice. Since taking office, Pastor Foster is only the second Pastor from the Third Congressional District that I have had the privilege to invite to officiate the Chaplaincy duties.

Click HERE for Pastor Tony Foster’s prayer before the House of Representatives and click HERE for my remarks on the House floor honoring my friend, Pastor Tony Foster.

Holding the FBI Accountable

This week, my friend Rep. Jim Jordan and the House Judiciary Committee grilled FBI Director Christopher Wray about the politicization and weaponization of the FBI. The FBI operates a two-tiered justice system—protecting the Biden Crime Family and ignoring left-wing violence while attacking President Trump, concerned parents, and conservative groups. What does the FBI do under the direction of Director Wray? It labels concerned parents at school board meetings as domestic terrorists, calls pro-life Catholics extremists, censors free speech and spies on US Presidential candidates. Congress must hold the FBI accountable and put an end to the political games of our weaponized justice system. Click HERE to read more on this. 

NDAA 2024: Supporting a Stronger Military

Today, I voted for the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The NDAA is passed by Congress each year to authorize funding levels and allocate funds for our military. In addition to serving as an authorization of appropriations, the NDAA establishes defense policies and restrictions, and addresses administrative matters related to the Department of Defense (DOD). While it is unfortunate that the Biden Administration has attempted weaponize this institution to promote a leftist agenda, this year’s NDAA is a win for national security and is a step forward in returning our military to the non-woke, nonpartisan entity it was intended to be.

The 2024 NDAA pushes back against the radical woke ideology being forced on our servicemen and women by eliminating:
     1. Funding for sex reassignment surgeries or pharmaceuticals
     2. Pride and BLM flags from military installations
     3. Woke DEI programs and CRT trainings in any form
     4. Funding for drag shows and Drag Queen Story Hours

Of note, I cosponsored an amendment presented by Rep. Jackson to ensure your tax dollars do not pay for abortions. I'm proud of the House for standing for the right to life!

Also, I proudly voted for Rep. Roy's amendment that prohibits the establishment of senior diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) positions at the DOD. Another vital amendment from Rep. Norman that I voted for protects children by defunding gender transition through an Exceptional Family Member Program of the Armed Forces.

In addition, House Republicans ensured that the men and women who serve our nation will receive their largest pay raise in 20 years while continuing strong support for their families. Further, this year’s NDAA included critical provisions for financial accountability and oversight of the Pentagon—including a provision to penalize the DOD for cost overruns on major programs and an Inspector General to audit funds to Ukraine. The FY 24 NDAA aids the 8,000 servicemembers discharged for failing to take the COVID-19 vaccine and gives them a path back to service. On top of this, the NDAA puts our national security first by boosting innovation and providing our military with the tools necessary to counter the unprecedented threats we face from China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran.

Further, I proudly voted to stop the revisionist history with the renaming of our military bases and buildings but am disappointed this commonsense amendment did not pass the House. Lastly, I stood with Rep. Greene in voting to remove $300 million in funding to Ukraine from the NDAA. Again, a commonsense amendment that the House refused to adopt.

Providing for our national defense is the most important task given to Congress by the Constitution, and the NDAA is a critical part of fulfilling that duty. It’s time for the United States Military to once again operate from a place of peace through strength. The 2024 NDAA accomplishes this by strengthening our Armed Forces and prioritizing our national defense.

Calling Out Biden's HHS for Overriding Constitution 

In 2016, the 21st Century Cures act passed Congress with strong bipartisan support. This Act included a provision to ensure accountability at the NIH and set term limits of 5 years for NIH directors and senior officials that had to be appointed and reappointed by the HHS Secretary. The House Energy and Commerce Committee discovered the Biden Administration was flouting the Constitution by not following the law for reappointing 14 officials at the NIH after their terms expired in December 2021—including Anthony Fauci. Dr. Fauci—the HIGHEST paid federal government employee—was acting without authorization for over a year and a half before he retired.

This unprecedented failure and blatant disregard for Congressional oversight by Sec. Becerra is repugnant and contemptable. I proudly stood with my colleagues on the Energy and Commerce Committee this week in demanding answers from the Biden Administration about their unprecedented failure, refusal to follow the law and abide by the Constitution which has now placed the federal government in jeopardy. Click HERE for more information on this. 

Hearing Protection Act

I'm grateful to the Academy of Doctors of Audiology (ADA) for their recent support of the Hearing Protection Act. I reintroduced the Hearing Protection Act this Congress to remove suppressors from the National Firearms Act definition of a firearm to allow American gunowners to purchase firearms suppressors to protect their hearing while shooting a firearms. As a lifelong hunter and outdoorsman, I suffer from hearing loss due to firearm noise, and there is no doubt a firearms suppressor would have prevented this damage.

The ADA noted traditional hearing protection does not always offer adequate protection from firearm noise exposure. Suppressors can reduce noise levels at the ear by 7–32dB. It’s time to modernize the tax code to make suppressors accessible to law abiding citizens while also providing funding for state fish and wildlife agencies. After all, protecting the hearing of countless hunters and shooting enthusiasts just makes sense and shouldn’t be a partisan issue.

Addressing US Postal Service Issues

Recently, I was pleased to bring U.S. Postal Service officials from Washington D.C. and Columbia to the district to hear directly from constituents about various postal issues in their communities and to show them the concerns firsthand. USPS is an independent agency that operates largely out of the direct purview of Congress, but their mission is enshrined in the Constitution, and the people deserve to have their concerns heard. While repeatedly calling on USPS officials to resolve the safety concerns, I even received special permission to temporarily join the Subcomitttee on Government Operations for the sole purpose of questioning Postmaster General DeJoy himself. I will keep working to resolve this issue and will keep pushing for USPS to address the USPS concerns my constituents are facing.

Washington Meetings

This week, we had multiple groups from South Carolina and across the country come by the Washington office to meet with me and my team. On Wednesday, it was great to meet with Itron, a water and electric meter manufacturer, that is expanding its operations in Oconee County. We discussed supply chain issues, domestic manufacturing, and more. It was also great to meet with Discover Greenwood to discuss the economic importance of tourism in South Carolina's 3rd District. I'm thankful for their work to make the beautiful town of Greenwood a memorable place to visit!

In the District

During a Fourth of July celebration in Anderson County, a six-year-old boy named Atticus saved his two-year-old brother, Anson, from drowning. Atticus spotted Anson at the bottom of the pool after he had fallen into the water and quickly pulled him to safety. Atticus, you are a hero, and your quick action saved your brother's life! 

Clemson University announced it would ban TikTok on the university's WiFi in order to protect their data and network. I'm glad to see them taking action to protect students' and employees' data from the Chinese Communist Party.

Next week, Duke Energy's Oconee Nuclear Station will host a 50 years of operation celebration and is inviting the community to join for a free movie night on Friday, July 21, at the World of Energy.

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.