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Here is what the Schumer Shutdown, caused by Senate Democrats’ reckless obstruction, means for the Lowcountry:

  • 34,000 active-duty servicemembers in South Carolina are still required to work, but without pay. Federal law enforcement and TSA officers will also remain on the job without pay until the shutdown ends.
  • 25,000 federal employees in South Carolina face furloughs. Some will continue working without pay, while others will be sent home. All will receive back pay after the shutdown ends.
  • Veterans’ services: VA medical facilities and clinics will remain open and most benefits will continue to be processed. However, some Veterans services may experience disruption and delays.
  • Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and Disability Insurance payments will continue. But certain services (like benefit verifications or processing overpayments) may pause and wait times for customer service could increase.
  • Flood insurance: Existing NFIP policies remain valid and claims will be paid, but new policies, renewals, or coverage increases cannot be issued.
  • Federal retirement benefits: Military and federal retirees will continue to receive their retirement checks, though new applications or changes may be delayed.
  • Small businesses: SBA will pause most business loans, however the SBA Disaster Loan Program will continue.
  • Housing: HUD, FHA and USDA will stop processing certain housing loans. VA will continue guaranteeing home loans.
  • Disaster relief: FEMA will continue responding to emergencies, however limited funds may impact FEMA’s ability to respond fully to an emergency and long-term projects may face delays.

Our office will remain open. Please reach out at Mace.House.Gov/Contact.
 

We Are Urging Financial Institutions To Stand With Servicemembers As Democrats Hold Troop Pay Hostage

We are calling on South Carolina banks and credit unions to take immediate steps to protect military families and servicemembers from financial penalties during the ongoing government shutdown.

If Senate Democrats fail to act by October 15, servicemembers nationwide, including approximately 34,000 in South Carolina, will miss their next paycheck. While our troops continue to show up for duty, the Schumer Shutdown has left their families facing financial uncertainty.

In a letter to the South Carolina Bankers Association, the Carolinas Credit Union League, the Independent Banks of South Carolina, and the Mortgage Bankers Association of the Carolinas, Congresswoman Mace is urging financial institutions in South Carolina not to penalize our military families for a government shutdown beyond their control. Specifically, Congresswoman Mace is asking banks and credit unions not to impose late fees or penalties, or to foreclose on the homes or repossess the vehicles or assets of our servicemembers. 

House Republicans already passed a clean continuing resolution, the same kind Democrats supported 13 times during the Biden administration, to keep the government open and ensure our troops are paid. Instead of working across the aisle, Senate Democrats blocked the measure to push a $1.5 trillion ransom note on taxpayers, a partisan grab bag packed with far-Left demands unrelated to funding the government.

In the letter, we reaffirmed our commitment to reopening the government as quickly as possible and ensuring those who serve our nation are paid on time and treated with the respect they deserve.

You can find Congresswoman Mace’s full statement on forgoing her congressional salary until the government is reopened and military pay is restored HERE.

The Democrats’ shutdown is hitting our troops hardest. While they refuse to fund the government, President Trump took extraordinary action to make sure our men and women in uniform still get paid.
 

Earlier this week, President Donald Trump awarded Charlie Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom, a lasting tribute to a life devoted to faith, family, and the defense of truth.

The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian award in the United States, and there is no one more deserving than Charlie Kirk.

Charlie dedicated his life to the values making America strong: faith, freedom, and courage. He gave a generation of young people the confidence to live their beliefs out loud and never apologize for standing up for what is right. He inspired millions, led countless souls to Christ, and never flinched in his defense of free speech and the First Amendment.

This award is more than a recognition of Charlie’s work. It is a symbol of the movement he built and the values he stood for. His legacy lives on in every young American inspired by his faith and love of freedom. 
 

This week, we announced Hopeful Horizons in Beaufort, South Carolina, will receive a $500,000 grant from the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Office on Violence Against Women to strengthen services for survivors.

This funding, awarded through the DOJ’s Legal Assistance for Victims (LAV) Grant Program, will expand free civil legal services for survivors across Beaufort, Colleton, Hampton, and Jasper counties. With this grant, Hopeful Horizons will add one full-time and one part-time attorney, along with two full-time court advocate paralegals, to provide life-saving representation and safety planning for victims.

Our office worked closely with Hopeful Horizons and the DOJ throughout the process, including providing a letter of support for the grant application to highlight the urgent need for survivor services in the Lowcountry. Without this support, many victims would continue to face overwhelming barriers to justice and safety.

Our Office's Letter of Support: 

We also met with Hopeful Horizons CEO Kristin Dubrowski and her team to thank them for their tireless work supporting survivors across the Lowcountry.
 

We announced the University of South Carolina Beaufort (USCB) has been awarded $3.87 million over four years through the Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) Nursing Education, Practice, Quality, and Retention (NEPQR) Workforce Expansion Program Grant.

The funding will support USCB’s Lowcountry IMPACT project, which addresses South Carolina’s nursing shortage, a challenge felt across the Lowcountry. The program provides stipends, strong support services, and a 12-month transition program to prepare graduates for success and keep more nurses serving in the Lowcountry.

According to the National Center for Health Workforce Analysis, South Carolina is projected to face a 19% shortage of registered nurses by 2037, which is nearly 11,900 nurses. Investments like USCB’s grant are critical to closing this gap, ensuring families have access to quality care and nurses have the support they need.

Our office supported this application and worked closely with HRSA & USCB, including submitting a letter of support to HRSA on behalf of USCB, underscoring the university’s strong record in nursing education, including a 100% NCLEX-RN pass rate.

Our Office's Letter of Support: 
 

On Support Your Local Chamber of Commerce Day, we joined the Greater Summerville/Dorchester County Chamber of Commerce and Depot Connect International (DCI) to celebrate the grand opening of DCI’s new Summerville facility, strengthening the logistics chain tied to the Port of Charleston and creating jobs across our region. When business, community, and leadership come together, the result is progress you can see right here in the heart of the Lowcountry.
 

We joined Fox Business to talk about President Trump’s leadership in freeing the Israeli hostages, something the world said couldn’t be done. Thanks to President Trump’s unwavering commitment to stability in the Middle East, families are reunited and hope is restored.
 

We joined Newsmax to talk about how our troops are being held hostage by the Schumer shutdown. President Trump is stepping up to use available funds to ensure our servicemembers get paid — something Democrats refused to do. We’re also calling on financial institutions to stand with military families caught in the crossfire.
 

We held two virtual press conferences with our local news outlets to discuss key wins for USCB and Hopeful Horizons, celebrating major investments supporting nurses and survivor services across the Lowcountry. Check out some of the coverage below:
 

We spoke with ABC News 4 about the importance of Domestic Violence Awareness Month and our push for legislation to protect victims, hold abusers accountable, and make sure every survivor is heard.
 

We attended a hearing regarding financial sanctions ordered against attorney Barrett Brewer and his client Patrick Bryant, one of the four men named in Rep. Mace’s February floor speech. A South Carolina judge has ruled their discovery tactics were “a severe abuse of the system.” They weaponized the courts to smear and intimidate a survivor, and they got caught. A circuit court judge will soon decide what penalties Brewer will face.
 

WCBD News 2 covered our letter to South Carolina banks and credit unions urging them to take immediate action to protect military families and servicemembers from financial penalties during the ongoing government shutdown.
 

Military Academy nominations open doors for the next generation of leaders who will serve our nation. Students can apply to one of five prestigious service academies: the U.S. Military Academy, U.S. Naval Academy, U.S. Air Force Academy, U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, and U.S. Coast Guard Academy. A congressional nomination is required for admission to any of the service academies. Applications close November 1 at midnight, apply now at Mace.House.Gov/Apply.
 
 
 

Yours in Service,
Rep. Nancy Mace signature

Rep. Nancy Mace

Member of Congress