July 1, 2022

Friends,

I hope you and your family are well! I wanted to provide you with a few updates –

Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Religious Liberty

I applaud the Supreme Court for ruling 6-3 in favor of religious liberty and the First Amendment in upholding Coach Joseph Kennedy’s right to engage in personal prayer midfield as a high school football coach after he was targeted for practicing his Christian faith. This landmark decision upholds the Free Exercise Clause and Establishment Clause that are "equally integral in protecting religious freedom in our society." This is a win for people of faith and the freedoms guaranteed in our First Amendment.

Our Founding Fathers fought to ensure government could not infringe on the free exercise of religion and established constitutional protections to guarantee Americans could pray and worship freely. I am thankful the Supreme Court upheld this by upholding an individual’s right to live out his faith publicly without government interference. I agree with Justice Gorsuch that "respect for religious expressions is indispensable to life in a free and diverse Republic" and that the government has no right to "suppress religious observances even as it allows comparable secular speech." I was proud to sign onto an amicus brief supporting Coach Kennedy’s rights and am gratified to see he has been successful in this landmark case that is a win for religious freedom! To read more about this, click HERE. 

Supreme Court Reins In EPA's Authority 

The Supreme Court’s 6-3 decision in West Virginia v. Environmental Protection Agency is a win for the American people because it pulls back the EPA to its delegated authority and restores the power to give policy back to Congress. Relying on a broad interpretation of Section 111(d) of the Clean Air Act, the unelected bureaucrats at the EPA superseded congressional authority to make sweeping decisions to transform an entire sector of our energy economy. This was clearly outside the scope of the congressional intent of the Clean Air Act, and the Court’s decision made this explicitly clear.

The EPA acted outside of its scope of authority, and unelected bureaucrats weaponized federal authority to push their radical climate agenda. It is the responsibility of Congress to make decisions surrounding greenhouse gas emissions, which is why I was proud to sign an amicus brief to the Supreme Court affirming that the EPA acted outside its congressionally authorized authority by issuing significantly overreaching rules to attempt to transform the nation’s power sector through emissions regulations under the Clean Air Act. This Supreme Court decision is a significant step in the right direction when it comes to restraining the EPA and the Administrative State.

Fighting for Life in a Post-Roe World

Joe Biden and Democrats will stop at nothing to enshrine the “right” to kill babies in the womb and push their radical abortion agenda. I will continue fighting for the right to life to protect the unborn. Now that Roe is history, the fight for life is just beginning as the fight for life continues in the states, and leaders must continue to step up to the plate to protect the most vulnerable. I will always stand to protect a baby's right to life in the womb because an unborn child is a human life.

Bidenflation Raises Cost of 4th of July Cookouts

Americans will spend roughly 17% more this year for an average Fourth of July cookout, not to mention gas prices close to $5 nationwide. This is the direct result of Joe Biden and the Democrats' reckless, inflationary government spending and is forcing some Americans to choose between buying gas or groceries. To read more about this, click HERE.

Honoring Our Law Enforcement

This Thursday, I had the opportunity to honor SC Highway Patrol Troop 2 Captain J.T. Morf and Clinton Police Chief Sonny Ledda during a law enforcement network meeting to recognize them for their graduation from the FBI National Academy. I am thankful for these heroes and all of our fine men and women in the field of law enforcement!

Celebrating Five Years of Samsung in South Carolina!

Congratulations to Samsung for 5 years in Newberry, SC! I had the opportunity to attend their 5-Year Anniversary Celebration in Newberry this week. The impact Samsung has had on the economy is profound, and I look forward to many more years of continued growth. Thanks for choosing Newberry as the first Samsung appliance factory based in the U.S.

Happy Independence Day!

This weekend, we celebrate our nation's independence and the fact that we live in the greatest nation on earth. Happy Independence Day weekend to my fellow Americans as we celebrate 246 years of liberty in this land we love. We are the land of the free because of the brave. Thank you to all who have served our nation in uniform to secure our freedom.

On July 4, 1776, our Founders penned the Declaration of Independence, changing the course of human events forever and inaugurating a nation of the people, by the people, and for the people: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

God Bless America, and Happy Independence Day!

Legislative Action

This week, I cosponsored Rep. Matt Gaetz's "Disarm the IRS Act" to prohibit the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) from acquiring ammunition to curb the IRS' $725,000 ammo stockpile while Americans face ammo shortages. To read more about this, click HERE.

I joined my colleagues demanding answers from the Biden Administration about the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor’s unconstitutional grant program that espouses atheism and "humanism" and is something we fear will  "promote atheism worldwide." To read more about our efforts to combat this, click HERE.

I also joined in calling on the Department of Justice and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives to explain why they are intentionally closing small, family-owned gun stores across the country. To read more about this, click HERE. 

In the District

$3.2 million was awarded to Clemson University for Alzheimer’s research. The National Institute of Health awarded the money for Clemson’s PACT study that relies on individuals aged 65 and up to donate blood samples for research.  

A Smithsonian exhibit is making its way to the Laurens County Museum. Until July 16, the Laurens County Museum is hosting the “Voices and Votes, Democracy in America” exhibit as part of the traveling Smithsonian Museum on Main Street exhibit. 

A new football schedule format was announced for the Atlantic Coast Conference. Each team will play three teams annually and the other ten teams on a two-year rotation. Under this format, Clemson will face Florida State, Georgia Tech, and NC State annually while alternating home and away games every two years with the rest of the ACC.  

Renewing Your Passport

Whether you plan to travel out of the country in the near future or not, I encourage you to update your passport if it is soon to expire. U.S. passports must be renewed every nine and a half years, and it is a good idea to be proactive about updating your passport, as some countries will not let you travel within six months of your passport's expiration. Passport agencies are extremely overwhelmed at this time, and the turnaround time to expedite your passport is around five to seven weeks. In-person emergency appointments are also extremely limited in Atlanta. For more information on renewing your passport or applying for the first time, click HERE. If you have any further questions regarding passports, please reach out to my Anderson office.

Sign Up for Text Updates! 

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. Have a safe and happy Independence Day weekend!