Jobs and Economic Growth

I think Democrats have all but conceded catastrophic losses in the 2022 midterm elections. That would certainly explain why they’re determined to remake as much of the country as they can, while they still have control of Congress and the White House. That brings us to two massive spending bills on the table this week: Bill #1 is a $1 trillion package that deals (to some extent) with… Read more »

Here’s the perfect example of “soft bigotry of low expectations.” To graduate high school, do you think students should reach some reasonable standard of knowledge? If so (and hopefully so), how do you determine whether or not that knowledge has been attained? Standardized testing would be one viable option, right? That was the case in Oregon, which had the “Essential Skills”… Read more »

It's been an exhausting week, but well worth it. We just wrapped up a series of in-person town halls all over the district, and I want to thank the hundreds of people who showed up. It was great to see and hear from so many folks! Also a special thanks to Rep. William Timmons who joined me in Spartanburg, the dozens of law enforcement officers who kept us all safe, and all the venues… Read more »

I'll be hosting seven (7) live, in-person town halls next week all throughout the congressional district. If you're interested in a legislative update from Congress and an opportunity to ask questions, this is your chance! Here's a link to my events page with details. We have a wide range of starting times, between noon and 5:30 PM, and a wide variety of venues. If you can't make it to… Read more »

Another solid report this morning for South Carolina. The number of people employed in our state is now HIGHER than it was in February 2020, right before the pandemic hit. That’s huge. Additionally, our state’s unemployment rate dropped from 4.5% in June to 4.3% in July. (For reference, the national unemployment last month was 5.4%.) Numerous factors played a role in this. One of which… Read more »

I’ve heard this comment more than a few times, even from people who should understand the bigger picture. It usually goes something like this: “Gov. McMaster is hurting South Carolina because he stopped the extra unemployment dollars coming from the federal government.”  Their rationale is often, “That’s just millions in ‘free’ federal money that now won’t be spent in our state.”… Read more »

Another month, another abysmal report on inflation. Filling up with gasoline?  Average gas prices in South Carolina are up 30% from this time a year ago.  If your mid-sized car drinks 13 gallons of fuel weekly, you’re now on track to pay $400 more over the next 12 months for gas. Forget about fuel for a minute – let’s just hope you don’t need to buy another vehicle!  If… Read more »

The numbers are not good. 1,194 people participated in the survey I posted a few days ago on inflation. Over 80% of respondents are being impacted by rising prices. Here’s the breakdown: ***** 49.5% said, “I’ve noticed higher prices. I can still afford everything I need, but am starting to cut back on non-essential purchases.” 32.3% said, “I’ve noticed higher prices, and am concerned… Read more »

I want to highlight a few things in President Biden’s recent budget proposal, because it really speaks to where his priorities are.   First, the crazed spending. For context, the federal government spent $4.1 trillion in fiscal year 2019, before the pandemic. This year, with COVID almost in the rear-view, Biden is proposing… get this… $7.2 trillion in spending – a 75%… Read more »

Prices are rising almost everywhere these days, and inflation is now a real & growing concern. Three points to remember on this:   1️⃣ First, everywhere you see higher prices, there are likely several factors. For example, our grocery and food prices are certainly on the way up. Adverse weather, the fact that we’re exporting more to other nations, an uptick in travel… Read more »