March 24, 2023

Friends,   

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

Championing H.R. 1 to Lower Energy Costs Act

Next week, the House of Representatives will vote on H.R. 1, the Lower Energy Costs Act. H.R. 1 is our proposed energy package to expand oil and gas lease sales and expand fast-track permitting for pipelines, renewable energy, and other projects to increase American energy production. H.R. 1 was assigned the number one because it is one of the top legislative priorities this Congress and will deliver solutions to the energy crisis Americans are facing.

H.R. 1 is the culmination of bills passed through the Energy and Commerce, Natural Resources, and Transportation and Infrastructure Committees this Congress, and includes 9 bills from my Subcommittee on Energy, Climate, and Grid Security, including my bill, the Protecting American Energy Production Act, which prohibits the President from imposing a moratorium on fracking.

This legislation is necessary because, from his first day in office, Joe Biden began an attack on American energy production that has resulted in an energy crisis and record-high prices from the gas pump to the grocery store. H.R. 1 will take action to reverse Joe Biden’s anti-energy agenda and unleash domestic energy production and help us achieve energy dominance.

H.R. 1, the Lower Energy Costs Act, will lower prices, make energy affordable and reliable for Americans, and restore American energy dominance. Click HERE for my remarks on H.R. 1 this week. 

Holding TikTok Accountable

There was a lot of buzz on Capitol Hill this week with the ongoing TikTok hearing as TikTok CEO Shou Chew faced hours of intense questioning from the Energy and Commerce Committee. In case you’re wondering why this is so important, I thought I would walk you through some of the concerns I have with TikTok. TikTok is owned by the Chinese parent company ByteDance. Being owned by China, ByteDance is required by Chinese law to make TikTok’s user data available to the Chinese Communist Party. We even have proof that ByteDance (TikTok’s parent company) harvested American journalists’ IP addresses and private information from TikTok last year. The amount of private American data the CCP has access to through TikTok is extremely concerning, to say the least.

The Chinese Communist Party is one of the greatest national security risks America faces, and through the seemingly innocuous TikTok app, China has access to over 150 million Americans’ data and is a threat to our national security. TikTok is banned from U.S. government devices and most state government devices because of this concern.

In yesterday’s hearing, TikTok CEO Shou Chew is continuing to evade, deflect, and sometimes outright lie about what we already know to be true: TikTok is a direct threat to our privacy and data security. Until TikTok is sold to a non-Chinese parent company, I am supportive of a national ban on the TikTok app in all U.S. app stores and government phones. The CCP has no place on American devices.

Parents Bill of Rights Passes the House!

Parents, not the government, know what’s best for their children and are the primary stakeholders in their education. The Parents Bill of Rights, H.R. 5, affirms parental rights and restores the voice of parents, and I was excited to see it pass the House today! 

It’s hard to imagine why anyone would be opposed to supporting parental rights in education, but H.R. 5 is opposed and has been lobbied against by woke, Left-wing organizations such as the National Center for Lesbian Rights and the National Education Association, the largest labor union in the U.S. Unfortunately,  groups like the National Association for School Psychologists and the National Library Association have also joined in as “under-the-radar” woke organizations – they are especially sensitive to their own internal practices, knowing parents wouldn’t approve of the trans-woke agenda they’ve been pushing on our kids through counselors and drag queen story hours. Why is the Left so intent on getting parents out of the classroom and out of their children’s education?

I’m proud to be an original cosponsor of this bill that will empower parents and protect students and was glad to see it cross the finish line in the House. I also support multiple amendments to H.R. 5 and, even though not all the amendments passed, I wanted to highlight a few of them:

-Rep. Thomas Massie’s amendment to abolish the bureaucratic Department of Education by the end of this year (an effort I have supported since coming to Congress). The less government in education, the better.

-Rep. Lauren Boebert’s two amendments to require parents to know if their child’s school allows biological males to use the women’s restroom or participate in women’s sports (these amendments passed by voice vote).

-Rep. Chip Roy’s amendment to allow federal educational funds to follow students whether they are public, private, or homeschooled.  

-Rep. Rich McCormick’s amendment that clarifies parents will be permitted to address the school board regarding a violation of their parental rights.

It is time we restore parental rights in education. This legislation empowers parents, and in turn, will improve educational outcomes for students.

Meeting with South Carolina's Lieutenant Governor

It was great meeting with my friend and our Lieutenant Governor, Pamela Evette, in Washington this week to discuss all things South Carolina. Thanks for visiting and for all you do for the Palmetto State!

Dominion Energy Control Room 

This month, I visited Dominion Energy in South Carolina to tour their Transmission Operations Center control room where we discussed the importance of energy reliability and increased grid strength to keep the state safe and secure. In the control room, Dominion employees work to ensure the system is balanced and that the energy produced is meeting the current demand. Dominion Energy maintains approximately 10,330 miles of natural gas pipelines in South Carolina and provides natural gas service to a combined one million people across the Carolinas.

In the Media

This week, I was the first guest on Bill Frady's new show on 106.3 WORD, Straight Talk, and you can listen to our conversation HERE. I also joined "In Focus" with Addison Smith on One America News Network where we discussed Joe Biden's climate agenda and H.R. 1, the Lower Energy Costs Act. Click HERE to watch my OAN interview this Wednesday. 

Thanking Our Farmers

Tuesday was National Agriculture Day, and I'd like to thank all the South Carolina farmers for the work they do. Agribusiness is South Carolina's largest economic sector with nearly 25,000 farms in South Carolina and nearly 5 million acres of farmland. I am proud to represent the many farmers in the Third District who keep our economy running and food on our tables. "If you eat today, thank a farmer."

Legislative Action

Here is a list of ten more pieces of legislation I have cosponsored this Congress.

I cosponsored H.R.1140, Rep. Grep Pence’s bill to make the processing and refining of critical energy resources more accessible at critical energy resource facilities by waiving certain application requirements.

I cosponsored H.R.1130, Rep. Bill Johnson’s Unlocking our Domestic LNG Potential Act of 2023, which would repeal restrictions on the export and import of natural gas.

I cosponsored H.R.1115, Rep. Michael Burgess’ Promoting Interagency Coordination for Review of Natural Gas Pipelines Act, which would improve coordination between Federal and State agencies under the Natural Gas Act to help secure the use of natural gas.

I cosponsored H.R.1102, Rep. Chip Roy’s UNRWA Accountability and Transparency Act, which would withhold U.S. taxpayer dollars from funding the United Nations Relief and Works Agency that has a history of anti-Israel and antisemitic propaganda and activity.

I cosponsored H.R.1100, Rep. Bill Posey’s SAFE for America Act of 2023, which would increase border safety and security by amending the Immigration and Nationality Act to eliminate the diversity immigrant program.

I cosponsored Rep. Robert Latta’s H.R.1085, REFINER Act, which would improve American energy reliability and security by requiring the Secretary of Energy to direct the National Petroleum Council to order a report on refining capacity to expand energy production

I cosponsored Rep. Buddy Carter’s H.R.1070, to amend the Solid Waste Disposal Act in order to grant the owner or operator of a critical energy resource facility with the proper permit protections.

I cosponsored Rep. Larry Bucshon’s H.R.1068, Securing America’s Critical Minerals Supply Act, which would secure the supply of critical energy sources for Americans.

I cosponsored Rep. Kelly Armstrong’s H.R.1058, Promoting Cross-border Energy Infrastructure Act, which would establish a more uniform, transparent, and modern process for international border-crossing facilities in order to facilitate proper import and export of oil and natural gas and the transmission of energy.

I cosponsored Rep. Dan Crenshaw’s H.J.Res.33, which acknowledges the courage and sacrifice of veterans of the Vietnam War and formally apologizes for the treatment they received upon returning home.

In the District

U.S. Marine Staff Sergeant Lewis G. Watkins received the Medal of Honor for paying the ultimate sacrifice during the Korean War, and a special ceremony to honor Oconee's only Medal of Honor recipient will be held this Saturday by Lewis G. Watkins Detachment of the Marine Corps League.

Southern Living ranked the ten best lakes in South Carolina for a sunny escape, and many of the Third District's lakes, including Lake Jocassee, Lake Russell, Lake Keowee, Lake Greenwood, and Lake Hartwell, made the list! 

Laurens County native Ophrah Kablan will compete in Hollywood on the 21st season of American Idol after winning the golden ticket last weekend during her audition in New Orleans. 

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.