September 9, 2022

Friends,

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

September 11, 2001—We Will Never Forget

It's hard to believe 21 years have passed since September 11, 2001, one of the darkest days in our history when terrorists attacked American soil. We honor and thank our heroes — our brave First Responders and passengers aboard Flight 93 whose heroic actions saved lives and our service members who keep our nation safe from terror. And we remember the nearly 3,000 Americans who tragically died that day and their loved ones left behind. We will never forget.

Click HERE for the op-ed I wrote last year reflecting on the 20th anniversary of 9/11 and how we must remain vigilant. May God Bless America. 

Remembering the Queen

The Queen has remained a symbol of strength and fortitude during her monumental seven-decade reign. I am inspired by her love of country and faithful devotion, and her presence will be profoundly missed. Queen Elizabeth II’s grace and poise have been a constant for the United Kingdom during her ninety-six years of life, from her time serving in the military in World War II to reigning as monarch for an unprecedented seventy years.

I especially admired her strong and genuine faith in Jesus Christ and her steadfastness in her role as head of the Church of England. During her lifetime and as Queen, she established relationships with American Presidents and has been a close ally and friend to the United States. Our prayers are with Queen Elizabeth II’s family and the United Kingdom as they grieve the loss of an incredible woman who led an extraordinary life.

The Left's War on Energy Production

Joe Biden continues to double down on his war on American energy, destroying our economy and energy independence in the process. We won't stop fighting for this America-last Administration to unleash domestic energy production to bring down prices and make America energy independent again. Our nation is blessed with abundant natural resources but is cursed with liberal politicians who refuse to utilize them. Click HERE for more information on this. 

We should look no further than California's unprecedented energy shortage and impending blackouts to see how a Leftist rush-to-green energy agenda is unsustainable. Despite this, the state announced its plan to ban the sale of all gas-powered vehicles by the year 2035, a short-sighted move that would overwhelm the grid and lead to increased dependency, vulnerability, and higher vehicle sticker prices. Energy Secretary Granholm, however, commended California and said she backs California’s new policy, adding that the federal government has the goal of making half of all vehicles sold by 2030 electric. In what way does this make sense? Click HERE for more information on this. 

An all-of-the-above energy solution, especially through utilizing nuclear power, is clean and reliable, 24/7/365. Our energy strategy needs to be based on scientific and engineering realities to deliver reliable and affordable energy to consumers. 

Afghanistan SIVs and National Security

I sounded the alarm and took a lot of criticism last year when I voted against expanding the Afghanistan Special Immigrant Visa program due to documented national security concerns and fears of exacerbating our current immigration crisis. Now, my fears are being confirmed with reports of Afghanistan evacuee vetting failures and allowing hundreds of individuals on a Pentagon watchlist into our borders. This is an unfortunate reminder that what is popular is not always right, and that we all have an obligation to ask questions and provide vigorous oversight of government policies. Click HERE for the full story on this. 

Op-ed on Re-Opening Classrooms During COVID

This week, I wrote an op-ed on how the nation's pandemic response that led to some classrooms being shuttered led to a historic falloff of student test scores after my position on this got some criticism. Click HERE for my analysis of this, how the nation's COVID response and shutdowns impaired children's learning, and how South Carolina fought for children to return to the classroom. 

Standing for Life

The Biden Administration is illegally expanding abortion on demand to VA clinics nationwide at taxpayer expense, even in states where laws protect unborn children. This is an egregious injustice against life, an improper use of taxpayer dollars, and a clear violation of multiple state and federal laws. I’ll be supporting immediate legal action against the Biden Administration against this change of policy, and will use every tool at my disposal to fight against this.

Legislative Action 

I cosponsored Rep. Ralph Norman's H.R. 8776, the No Federal Funds for Abortion Travel Expenses Act of 2022, which would ban federal funds to cover expenses for travel to another state to obtain an abortion. 

In the District

The town of Troy’s (Greenwood County) Patriots Day Celebration is slated for Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. at the Troy Community Center to remember the families affected by September 11th, 2001, and to honor those who paid the ultimate sacrifice.

Medshore Ambulance will be holding a job fair in Anderson on September 13 and 15, with the hopes of recruiting new employees for numerous positions. This job fair will have interviews, contingent job offers, and registration for Medshore’s EMT Academy.

On Thursday, the Clemson Board of Trustees approved a contract extension for Clemson’s head football coach Dabo Swinney to extend through the 2031 season.

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.

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.