November 4, 2022

Friends, 

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

Stop the Sexualization of Children in Schools

The National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) recently sent congressional offices a concerning letter opposing H.R. 9197, the Stop the Sexualization of Children Act. Unfortunately, we have confirmed that the South Carolina Association of School Psychologists also opposes this common sense legislation that simply prohibits federal funds from going toward any sexually-oriented program, event, or literature for children under 10 years old.

Explicit sexual content should not be a part of our children’s public education, and NASP’s desire to push this agenda raises concerns about their resources and training materials being used in our schools.
If this organization believes sexually-oriented programming should be directed at children under 10, then they should be kept far away from our children and our public schools.

Thanks to Rep. Nancy Mace, Rep. Ralph Norman, Rep. William Timmons, and Rep. Joe Wilson for joining me in calling on South Carolina Superintendent Molly Spearman to cut all ties with the NASP and their affiliates in South Carolina. Click HERE for more coverage of this. 

Sexually explicit content should not be a part of our children's education, and we're fighting to ensure this has no place in South Carolina schools. Schools should cut ties with any organization that supports explicit programming for children.

Click HERE for a glimpse into H.R. 9197, the Stop the Sexualization of Children Act, that the National Association of School Psychologists railed against. This legislation should be commonsense and non-controversial. The point is this: children should not be exposed to sexually explicit material. Period. Why would certain organizations believe otherwise?

The House Energy Action Team Sounds the Alarm on the Impending Diesel Fuel Shortage

Our economy runs on diesel fuel, and the historically low supply of diesel reserves impacts our economy at every level. High diesel fuel prices especially hurt truckers and farmers who keep food on the shelves and our economy running, but the entire American economy will feel the ripple effects of a diesel shortage.

When our economy is truly hit by a diesel scarcity, trucks and trains stop running to deliver commodities, regardless of prices or inflation, and this will be a dramatic shock to the American economy. Energy is the foundation of everything, and when energy prices increase and energy reliability is jeopardized, the entire economy suffers.

As co-chair of the House Energy and Action Team, I joined co-chairs Whip Scalise and Rep. Mullin in calling on the President this week to wake up to this developing crisis, release his death grip on the oil and gas industry, and unleash American energy production now.

Joe Biden’s War on “Big Oil” Continues

Joe Biden guaranteed Americans he would end fossil fuel production, and upon his first day as president, he began to deliver on his promise by waging war on the American oil and gas industry. Now, Joe Biden wants to take his war on American energy a step further. Jimmy Carter, the worst president on energy policy until Joe Biden came along, was known for the “windfall profits” tax on oil companies, and Joe Biden is following suit by threatening to tax windfall profits (on top of the 21% corporate tax rate) if oil and gas companies don’t increase production.

Increasing taxes on oil and gas producers will further decimate this industry that’s already struggling due to efforts from the Biden Administration to impair domestic energy production. It is obvious that the oil and gas industry isn’t at fault for our energy crisis—Joe Biden is.

It’s basic economics that if you want less of something, you tax it. The reality is simple: taxing and overregulating a certain industry (in this case, oil and gas) inevitably discourages long-term investment and increases costs for consumers. Instead of prioritizing affordable and reliable energy for American consumers, he is trying to tax the industry out of existence. He’s gaslighting Americans into thinking “big oil” is at fault for high prices when the reality is that his administration’s policies are really to blame. Increasing taxes will simply make production more difficult and expensive, which in turn will make us more dependent on foreign oil and ups the cost for consumers. We saw this in the 1980s, which is why Congress eventually had to repeal the windfall tax the first time. It’s not just bad policy, but a flagrant misunderstanding of basic economics.

Those of us looking at the big picture realize this is all by design—Joe Biden is trying to regulate and tax the American fossil fuel industry out of existence to fulfill his rush-to-green agenda. He even said so himself that high gas prices are part of the “incredible transition” of the U.S. economy away from fossil fuels. This Administration’s reckless energy policy to force a “Green New Deal” agenda on Americans is self-sabotaging, and imposing windfall profits tax on oil and gas is a recipe for disaster.

Don’t be fooled—Biden Administration is to blame for high prices. President Biden says he wants to alleviate the high energy burden for consumers, but every single action he takes runs counter to that objective. I urge Congress not to take this idea seriously and look for real solutions to solving the energy crisis. Unleash American Energy Production. Click HERE and HERE for more information on this.

The Left Wants "Amnesty" for the COVID Hysteria Their Policies Caused

The Atlantic recently published a piece on declaring "amnesty" for all the poorly thought-out government policies inflicted on Americans during COVID. Americans will never forget the authoritarianism imposed by the Left and Washington bureaucrats like Dr. Fauci during COVID as we are still dealing with the ramifications. 

Our schools were closed, and children are still behind. Our churches were shuttered, and people were denied their First Amendment rights. Our small businesses were shut down, some never to reopen, and livelihoods were lost. Our families were forced into isolation, and many were separated from their loved ones when they needed them most. Many Americans were forced to get the COVID shot or lose their jobs.

I can assure you, Americans won’t forget, and we will keep fighting to hold people accountable.

Holding the Party in Power Accountable  

Under one-party Democrat rule, there have been ZERO hearings on the origins of COVID, Biden's botched Afghanistan withdrawal, or Biden's DOJ targeting parents. House Republicans have sent over 500 requests to the Biden Administration for information and documents demanding answers. The Democrats need to be held accountable and the American people deserve answers.  

In the District 

The Art Center of Clemson is hosting its two-day holiday market this weekend to allow an early start on Christmas shopping. The event will showcase local artists and allows a way to shop local and find unique gifts this holiday season.

Fountain Inn High School, which is just over a year old, leads in helping prepare students for careers in advanced manufacturing by offering apprenticeships, internships, and one- to two-year degrees at local tech colleges. Students at this school can work at achieving both their high school diploma and technical degree at the same time. Demand for skilled workers in advanced manufacturing jobs is not being met, and Fountain Inn High School is working to change that.

The Fujifilm manufacturing plant in Greenwood County prints photos and creates personalized products that are in high demand during the holiday season. The plant is holding job fairs throughout Greenwood and Laurens Counties and plans to hire about 500 seasonal positions to assist in its manufacturing, assembly, packaging, and shipping departments during its busiest time of the year. 

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.