Weekly Newsletter   Official Newsletter This week, our office hit the ground running, achieving significant victories for our community and our nation. From advancing critical legislation to supporting our local businesses, we've been hard at work for you, the citizens of the Lowcountry. Not only that, President Biden delivered his last State of the Union address before his election, and we have some things to say about it. We're excited to share our accomplishments with you and to continue serving the Lowcountry! Are your neighbors aware of everything our team is doing in DC and in the district? Be sure to share our newsletter with them! They can sign up for it by visiting Mace.House.Gov or by clicking here. Our Legislation in Action We Introduced H.R. 7567 the Protect Victims of Digital Exploitation and Manipulation Act of 2024 With AI rapidly advancing, the creation of sophisticated deepfakes poses significant risks to individuals' safety and privacy. Bad actors exploit digital editing techniques to produce inappropriate and exploitative images and videos without consent, threatening the integrity of visual depictions and endangering individuals. Our legislation is a crucial step towards preventing the production and dissemination of harmful images, safeguarding people's rights and privacy in an increasingly digitized world. In the Oversight Committee markup, our bill, H.R. 4552 – The Federal Information Security Modernization Act, passed by a bipartisan vote. This updates cybersecurity rules set by the Federal Information Security Management Act of 2002. This modernization clarifies roles, streamlines reporting, and reduces assessment frequency while ensuring continuous monitoring of systems for improved cybersecurity. Also in the Oversight Committee markup, our amendment passed on a bipartisan basis to strike mandatory minimum requirements for youth offenders out of the underlying bill, H.R. 7530 - DC CRIMES Act. Joint Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Veteran Service Organization Hearing This week, we joined the second of three annual joint House and Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs veteran service organization (VSO) hearings with Chairman Bost. We discussed crucial issues like toxic-exposed veterans' healthcare, claims decisions, & sought insights on alternative therapies & military sexual trauma. State of the Union President Biden’s SOTU address was everything we expected it to be– full of lies, false promises and avoiding issues that really matter to the American people. His silence on the escalating crisis at the southern border spoke volumes, showcasing a lack of accountability and ability to confront pressing challenges head-on. He ignored the skyrocketing costs of essential goods and the consequences on hardworking Americans grappling with the burden of inflation. Instead of offering a unifying vision, Biden shamelessly transformed this speech into a partisan political rally. His dismissive remarks regarding Laken Riley's tragic murder showed exactly how he feels towards the suffering of American citizens thanks to failed border policies and unchecked illegal immigration. Fact Check: “Inflation has dropped from 9% to 3%, the lowest in the world!” While inflation has decreased from the previous year, other countries have much lower rates of inflation. Fact Check: “Since I’ve come to office, our GDP is up.” This is not a unique achievement. In fact, since President Truman, every president has experienced GDP growth during their presidency. Fact Check: "Our trade deficit with China is down to the lowest point in over a decade." While Biden claims credit for the reduction in the U.S. trade deficit with China, the decline was also influenced by policies enacted by President Trump. The previous administration imposed higher tariffs on Chinese imports in 2018 and the Biden administration has kept most of these tariffs in place. Fact Check: "The Alabama Supreme Court shut down IVF treatments across the state." Our office has advocated for protecting IVF and making sure everyone has the ability to start a family. Many Republican lawmakers are voicing their support for protecting IVF and other reproductive technologies, including Speaker Mike Johnson. President Biden falsely claimed that Alabama shut down IVF. They did not. In fact, Biden conveniently left out that this week Alabama state lawmakers gave the final approval for legislation protecting IVF patients and providers. Fact Check: "There are 1,000 billionaires in America. You know what the average federal tax rate for these billionaires is? … 8.2 percent!" Biden has repeatedly claimed that the average federal tax rate for billionaires in America is 8.2%, in fact, he’s mentioned that statistic 30 times in the last year. However, this claim is made based on a White House conducted study on only 400 wealthy taxpayers. In reality, IRS data shows that the average tax rate for the top 0.001% of taxpayers was 23.7%, while the top 1% paid nearly 26%. Fact Check: “15 million new jobs in just three years — a record.” President Biden came to office as jobs were beginning to return after huge losses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Biden did not create 15 million new jobs. He also claimed that he added 800,000 new manufacturing jobs. The fact is 740,000 of those jobs were added in February 2021, after the pandemic. Since then, growth has relatively flatlined. Minibus Spending It’s no surprise to the American people that federal spending is out of control. We’ve seen billions of wasted tax dollars spent over the last three years. We voted ‘NO’ on this outrageous spending bill. We want you to see just a few of the outrageous funding requests that got approved. Yes, we’ve tried our best to wrap our heads around some of these projects, but we still can’t figure out why we need $4,000,000 for a crab enhancement project and another $500,000 to access Indigenous ecological knowledge. The American people deserve better. Enough is enough. House Republicans and Democrats have let the American people down once again. We need fiscal responsibility. Our Votes This Week: We voted ‘Yes’ on H.R. 7511 – Laken Riley Act Not only did we vote ‘Yes’, our office cosponsored this bill as well. It's incredibly disheartening to see 170 of our colleagues on the Left voted against this commonsense legislation. The Laken Riley Act condemns Biden's border policies and calls on him to reinstate the “Remain in Mexico” policy. It mandates ICE to detain illegal aliens committing theft or other related crimes, and finally, it allows state Attorney Generals to sue DHS for policy failures. This bill passed 251 - 170. We voted ‘Yes’ on H.R. 4467 – DHS Border Services Contracts Review Act Border security is national security. We voted yes on this bill because it enhances oversight of contracted companies providing services along the U.S.-Mexico border, ensuring accountability and efficiency in border security operations. We need to ensure taxpayer dollars are used effectively, and this increased transparency will help improve border security measures, ensuring the safety and security of American citizens while enhancing the integrity of immigration enforcement efforts. We voted ‘Yes’ on S. 206 – END FENTANYL Act  Fentanyl and other drug related deaths are skyrocketing. S. 206, the END FENTANYL Act, which was handed down to us by the Senate, passed overwhelmingly in the House. This bill requires the U.S. Customs and Border Protection to review and update policies related to inspections at ports of entry to ensure the best inspection practices to effectively detect illegal activity along the border, such as the smuggling of drugs and humans. We voted ‘Yes’ on H.R. 5969 – Improving Travel for Families Act Our office voted ‘Yes’ on this bill because it ensures that children aged 10 or under can accompany their Global Entry member parent or guardian in the expedited Global Entry lane at U.S. international airports. Global Entry is a trusted traveler program that allows for the expedited processing of preapproved, low-risk travelers. This change will make traveling more convenient for families with young children, simplifies airport procedures while maintaining security measures, We voted ‘Yes’ on H.R. 4403 – Securing the Cities Improvement Act We voted yes on this bill because it establishes performance metrics and milestones for the Securing the Cities (STC) Program, the program seeks to reduce the risk of a successful deployment of a nuclear weapon against a large metropolitan city in the United States by establishing response and detection measures within Global Nuclear Detection Architecture (GNDA). This legislation will help enhance the safety of cities by improving preparedness and response capabilities when dealing with hazardous weaponry. The bill passed the House. We voted ‘Yes’ on H.R. 3838 – Preventing Maternal Deaths Reauthorization Act of 2023 This bill helps women by supporting programs that make childbirth safer and improve maternal health. Voting ‘Yes’ on this piece of legislation was critical in making sure we reduce disparities in health outcomes for mothers. Overall, this bipartisan legislation will lead to all women receiving better care during pregnancy and childbirth. Passed the House 382 - 12. We voted ‘Yes’ on H.R. 3821 – Firefighter Cancer Registry Reauthorization Act of 2023 Our office will always stand with our first responders. Firefighters are at the forefront of disasters in our community. This bipartisan bill extends the National Firefighter Registry for Cancer until 2028. H.R. 3821 will allow for collecting health data and gain insights into the causes of cancer among firefighters and find ways to reduce these risks. This bill helps firefighters by providing valuable data to understand and address cancer risks in their profession, ultimately working towards improving their health and safety. This bill passed the house with an incredible 413 - 7 vote. We voted ‘Yes’ on H.R. 3843 – Action for Dental Health Act of 2023 We voted ‘Yes’ on this bipartisan legislation because it will bolster dental health services in underserved areas by extending grants for states to address shortages in dental health providers until FY2028. By supporting this bill, we can significantly improve access to essential dental care in rural and underserved regions. This measure will ensure that communities lacking an adequate dental workforce receive the support needed to address oral health disparities effectively. The House passed H.R. 3843 by a vote of 391-32. We voted ‘Yes’ on H.R. 3391 – Gabriella Miller Kids First Research Act 2.0 This bill extends funding for a pediatric disease research initiative within the National Institutes of Health (NIH) until FY2028, opening the door for expanded research and innovation. The NIH would be required to streamline pediatric research endeavors to prevent repeat studies. Lastly, under this bill, the Department of Health and Human Services is obligated to provide progress reports to Congress, ensuring transparency and accountability in funds used for research. Passed the House 384 - 4. We voted ‘Yes’ on H.R. 2799 – Expanding Access to Capital Act of 2023 After much deliberation, and plenty of votes on amendments, we voted ‘Yes’ on the Expanding Access to Capital Act. This means businesses in the Lowcountry will have easier access to essential funding. This EACA will help reduce bureaucratic hurdles. This passed the House 212 - 205. Congratulations to Daniel Island's School Student Council! We helped secure a $100,000 grant for special needs equipment from Berkeley County Council. Another day putting the #LowcountryFirst! Palmetto Goodwill Awards Our Office a Certificate of Appreciation AbilityOne employs over 46,000 people nationwide, including 3,000 veterans and wounded warriors. We requested the NDAA to increase their funding by 1%. Yours in Service, Congresswoman Nancy Mace Need Help with a Federal Agency? Call us today. If you or someone you know ever needs assistance with a federal agency, we are just a phone call away and are ready to help you! Please contact my Beaufort Office at (843) 521-2530, my Mount Pleasant Office at (843) 352-7572. You can also file a case online here. I am honored to have the opportunity to represent you. Have news or updates to share? Email us!  If you have updates regarding events in the community or other news to share from across Lowcountry, please visit here. Love sunsets and dogs? Us too. Be sure to submit your favorite Sunset photos here or a photo of your dog here. Our team will try to include as many of your updates from around #SC01 as we can each week Our Company | Contact Us | FAQs | Privacy Policy   Rep. Mace | 1728 Longworth House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515 Unsubscribe [email protected] Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice Sent by [email protected]