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Good afternoon and happy Friday,
It’s been another extremely busy week in Washington as we continue the final end of year push. As always, we are working hard to represent you in Washington and make sure your voice is heard.
On Monday, we joined Governor McMaster, Senator Graham, Senator Scott, CEO of SC Ports Barbara Melvin and the US Army Corps of Engineers at a ceremony to celebrate the completion of the Charleston Harbor Deepening Project. With the completion of this project, Charleston harbor is now the deepest harbor on the east coast at 52 feet deep. Now, our ports are capable of serving the world’s largest cargo ships.
On Tuesday, we were back in DC for votes and committee work. After speaking at the Cowen Cannabis Conference about the States Reform Act and common sense cannabis reform, we spent the afternoon in the Oversight Committee.
On Wednesday morning, we worked in the Veterans Affairs Committee to further examine the Fulfilling our Pact Act and what it will take to continue to support our nation’s heroes. Wednesday afternoon, we met with the Ukrainian Ambassador and other top officials from Ukraine for an update on the situation there.
On the same day, the PFAS Definition Improvement Act passed the Senate and will be heading to the president’s desk. Our office is the Republican lead on this bill, and it will help ensure our troops are protected from dangerous chemicals at the military installations in the Lowcountry and beyond.
Thursday was a significant day in our nation's history and for the Lowcountry. In the morning, we voted for the Respect for Marriage Act which codifies the right to same-sex marriage in our country. To clarify, this legislation does not require churches or other religious institutions to marry anyone they don’t want to. Read more about this vote.
On the same day, the PFAS Definition Improvement Act passed the Senate and will be heading to the president’s desk to become law. Our office is the Republican lead on this bill, and it will help ensure our troops are protected from dangerous chemicals at the military installations in the Lowcountry and beyond.
In the afternoon, we voted to pass the National Defense Authorization Act which funds our military through the next year. In the NDAA, we secured multiple amendments and authorized approximately $124 million for the Lowcountry.”
Proposals from our office included in the final NDAA bill:
- Authorization for a hurricane and storm damage risk reduction project on the city of Charleston peninsula
- Federal reimbursement for a project for water navigation in Charleston Harbor
- $7,462,000 for stormwater management infrastructure in Beaufort County, including the Shell Point project
- $25,583,000 for waste and stormwater projects for the city of Charleston
- $7,822,000 for waste and stormwater infrastructure projects for the town of Mount Pleasant
- $55,000,000 for infrastructure improvements in and around Lakes Marion and Moultrie
- $55,465,000 for the City of Folly Beach for beach renourishment
- Authorizes a feasibility study for the development of water resources in Berkeley County
- Included Rep. Mace’s Amendment to allow electric aircraft to implement short take-offs and landings
- Included Rep. Mace’s Amendment to close a loophole and prevent Russia to use its gold reserves to circumvent sanctions
- As promised, Rep. Mace ensured language pertaining to Parris Island’s closure was not included
These wins for the Lowcountry are the result of months of hard work from our office, and we are looking forward to continuing to work for our constituents into the next congress.
As always, our office is here to lend a hand whenever we can. As we start this new year, please reach out to our office if you have any questions, concerns, or just want to be heard on any issue at any time. We’re here to help.
It’s an immense honor to serve each and every one of you.
Sincerely,
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