July 8, 2022

Friends,

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

Joe Biden’s Self-Imposed Energy Crisis

The Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) is reserved for times of war and natural disasters yet Joe Biden is draining our oil reserves to ship oil to countries overseas when the solution to our energy crisis is to unleash domestic production. To read more about this, click HERE.

Joe Biden’s Plummeting Job Rating

President Biden's Job Approval Rating is at a new all-time low. An open border, foreign policy failures, skyrocketing inflation, record-high gas prices, a nationwide crime wave, an America-last agenda, and deeply damaging policies. More and more Americans understand Joe Biden’s presidency is failing and that he is the culprit behind our national crises.

2nd Amendment Rights Being Upheld 

In response to the Supreme Court’s recent decision to uphold 2nd Amendment rights, Governor Hogan ordered Maryland state police to suspend their unconstitutional requirements for a wear and carry permit. I’m hoping we will start seeing this trend throughout the rest of the country soon! To read more about this story, click HERE. To read my full statement on this Supreme Court decision, click HERE. 

Biden’s IRS Stockpiling Ammunition 

Biden wants to disarm Americans and arm the IRS. In this year alone, the Biden IRS has stockpiled over $725,000 in ammo as Americans face a shortage. Why is Biden trying to weaponize the IRS? This is why I have cosponsored the “Disarm the IRS Act,” to prohibit the IRS from purchasing ammo.

This is nothing new – the Obama White House did the same thing. Why is it that every time Democrats are in control, they try to disarm Americans while arming agencies like the IRS? To read more about this, click HERE.

Meeting with Colombian Ambassador Juan Carlos Pinzón

I had the opportunity to welcome Colombian Ambassador Juan Carlos Pinzón to Washington last month for a great discussion. Did you know that the South Carolina National Guard has been in a State Partnership Program with the Republic of Colombia since 2012? During a typical year, South Carolina and Colombia will execute subject matter expert exchanges, capability assessments, and key leader engagements, as well as train together, share best practices, and continuously strengthen one another’s capabilities. South Carolina is thankful for this relationship with Colombia, and we look forward to many more years of this strong partnership!

Legislative Action

I cosponsored Rep. Jody Hice’s H.Res. 1214 to condemn the illegal intimidation tactics of extreme left-wing organizations and liberal extremist groups given the rise in intimidation since the release of the Dobbs v. Jackson draft and decision, including an assassination plot against Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

I cosponsored Rep. Carol Miller’s H.Res.1216 to designate the month of June as the “Month of Life” to commemorate the overturning of Roe v. Wade.

I cosponsored Rep. Lauren Boebert’s H.R. 8263 to prohibit the head of a federal agency from leasing certain Federal property to abortion-providing organizations.

I joined Rep. Ralph Norman and over 30 of my colleagues in calling on the Department of Agriculture regarding a recent memorandum suggesting the Biden Administration might withhold the funding of free and low-cost meals for lower-income students if schools do not embrace the Administration’s radical gender identity and sexual orientation policies.

Independence Day Weekend

This weekend, we celebrated 246 years of the United States of America and the fact that we live in the greatest nation on earth. Our Founders penned the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, 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.”

I hope you all had a blessed Independence Day celebrating the land of the free because of the brave! 

In the District

The Greenwood Police partnered with Blood Connection to honor when Capt. Travis Anderson, who died of cancer in September. This year, the police department is partnering with The Blood Connection to have a blood drive in his memory. 

A highway was dedicated to honor late McCormick trooper Junne “JR” Jones, who was a 31-year veteran of the South Carolina Highway Patrol and police chief for six years. He was honored on July 6, which also happened to be his birthday. His son was given the honors of presenting the name at the highway dedication, and said, “it’s surreal you know, couldn’t think of a better birthday gift for him.”

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.

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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.