South Carolina First: A Tragedy That Never Should Have Happened

Tragedy struck South Carolina last week when an illegal alien struck and killed 21-year-old Nathanial G. Baker, a USC student with his whole life ahead of him.

The driver of the pickup truck fled the scene but was apprehended shortly after by the Columbia Police Department. He was identified as 24-year-old Rosali Fernandez-Cruz—an illegal alien who’s been wanted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and had a removal order issued back in 2018.

We still have questions. How did Fernandez-Cruz end up in South Carolina? How long was he here? And why wasn’t he removed when the law demanded it?

Nathanial’s blood is on the hands of an illegal alien who should never have been in our country—let alone in our state. Nate was ours. A Gamecock. A son. A friend. His life was stolen on the doorstep of his future.

This is our home, and we’re done letting lawless invaders tear it apart.

We put South Carolina first. And we always will.

In a letter sent to our office, Chief Rick Gebhardt of the Hanahan Police Department shared how our team has been a consistent partner — helping them navigate funding opportunities, responding to emergencies, and even working to source life-saving equipment like gas masks and filters that are vital for HAZMAT response.

Thanks to our team’s efforts, we’re helping departments like Hanahan’s secure these resources at little to no cost to taxpayers.

We attended a key hearing this week to hold the Department of Defense accountable for how it’s using your tax dollars to confront growing threats in the Indo-Pacific. China’s military buildup and aggressive behavior toward Taiwan and our allies can’t be ignored. As we prepare to shape the next National Defense Authorization Act, we’re asking tough questions to make sure our strategy is laser-focused on countering the Chinese Communist Party and protecting America’s national security.

We introduced the Increased Accountability for Nonconsensual Pornography Act which hits predators with $500K fines and real protections for women. There are predators roaming around the Lowcountry, and we need to make sure they think twice before victimizing another woman or girl.

We just reintroduced the Increased Accountability for Nonconsensual Pornography Act of 2025—raising fines up to $500,000 and closing dangerous legal loopholes that let offenders off the hook. It’s time our laws caught up to protect survivors of revenge porn.

We hosted a Telephone Town Hall to hear directly from you. Thousands of constituents joined us to talk about the issues that matter most—from the economy and immigration issues to veterans’ services and government transparency.

Your feedback helps shape our work in Washington.

If you missed it, we made sure to record it! Check it out on Youtube, Facebook or X, @RepNancyMace. 

Major Votes in DC

Budget Reconciliation:

We supported budget reconciliation—but let’s not get it twisted: this only works if Congress actually delivers the spending cuts we were promised. The House set a floor of $1.5 trillion in cuts. The Senate came back with a pathetic $4 billion. That’s not a compromise—that’s a joke. We’re standing with Rep. Andy Harris and other conservatives to make sure this doesn't turn into just another Washington bait-and-switch. No more games. No more gimmicks. We either rein in spending, or we walk.

SAVE Act:

There’s been a lot of misinformation circulating about the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, so let’s set the record straight. The SAVE Act simply requires proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote in federal elections—something the vast majority of Americans already have, like a REAL ID, military ID, or any government-issued ID showing place of birth in the U.S. Claims that this bill would prevent married women, individuals who’ve changed their name, or deployed servicemembers from voting are flat-out false.

The bill doesn’t touch military absentee voting laws and explicitly allows documentation combinations that prove citizenship. What the bill does is close a glaring loophole in the current system—because yes, non-citizens have registered to vote, and in some cases, they’ve voted.

States like Virginia and North Carolina have already flagged and removed ineligible voters from their rolls. This bill is about protecting the integrity of our elections. If Democrats have a problem with verifying citizenship, maybe the question should be: why?

We were invited to the South Carolina State House to stand alongside our state legislature to pass a first-in-the-nation Trump-style ban on radical DEI mandates.

We attended The Citadel's School of Business Dinner.  It’s been 26 years since graduating from The Citadel. We wish the very best of luck to all of our seniors who graduate next month!

We had a meeting with staff from the South Carolina Bankers Association to talk about their work across the district and beyond. From supporting local financial institutions to promoting economic growth, SCBA plays a key role in keeping our communities financially strong and connected. 

We connected with the Charleston Defense Contractors Association to talk about the Lowcountry’s growing role in national security and innovation. From supporting our defense workforce to strengthening partnerships with local contractors, we’re working to ensure Charleston remains a hub for cutting-edge defense technology and economic opportunity. 

We met with the policy team from the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) to discuss our continued efforts to support survivors of sexual violence. We recently reintroduced our rape kit backlog bill and introduced new legislation to strengthen protections for survivors such as the Increased Accountability for Nonconsensual Pornography Act. These common sense, bipartisan efforts aim to deliver justice, restore trust, and ensure no survivor is ever left waiting.

We toured the Century Aluminum plant in Goose Creek—one of the last remaining aluminum smelters in the U.S. and a critical supplier for our national defense and manufacturing sectors. We spoke directly with workers and plant leadership about the importance of protecting American industry, creating good-paying jobs, and boosting domestic production. 

We’re committed to ensuring that facilities like this one continue to thrive right here in the Lowcountry.

In case you missed it—Rep. Mace went on Fox News to lay it all out. Trump is dominating the polls, the momentum is his, and the left has no idea how to stop it.

She breaks down exactly why the American people are done with the Biden-Harris disaster, and why Trump’s comeback is no accident.

​In another interview, Rep.Mace expressed opposition to proxy voting exceptions for new mothers in Congress, stating, "as a woman and as a mom," she supports "zero" such exceptions. ​She underscored the constitutional duty of elected officials to be present for votes, advocating for in-person participation regardless of personal circumstances.​

Congresswoman Mace took to Fox News to keep the American people informed in real time about one of the most important votes in the 119th Congress—a vote to start restoring fiscal sanity. She called on Congress to codify real, permanent spending cuts in the budget resolution and stop the broken cycle of reckless budgeting. Washington can’t keep writing blank checks—and we won’t let it.

Yours in Service,

Rep. Nancy Mace

Member of Congress

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