February, 2022

In This Issue

• Thoughts on "voting rights" legislation
• Update on vaccine mandates
• Concerns over FDA guidance
• Fighting for the right to life
• Update on New Indy Containerboard
• How can I serve you?
  
  

Thoughts on So-Called “Voting Rights” Legislation

Despite an honorable sounding title, I strongly disagree with liberals who were advocating for so-called “voting rights” legislation in Congress. If you’ve kept up with the news, you know this effort passed the House of Representatives earlier in 2021. Fortunately, it failed to advance in the Senate last month.

Among the troubling provisions within this legislation in the House was an attack on voter ID laws, forcing states to simply accept a signed declaration of a voter’s name in lieu of valid identification. For a society that requires a photo ID for almost every important transaction, I believe it’s intellectually dishonest to assert that verifying one’s identity with a valid ID — which is free in most states, including South Carolina — is somehow an obstacle to exercising our right to vote.

Next, this bill would have provided a 6-to-1 funding match for contributions up to $200 in federal races. I believe this is wildly inappropriate and that public dollars should never be used to fund the campaigns of candidates whose values and ideas you disagree with.

The bill would have required states to count ballots cast by voters outside of their assigned precincts, which I believe would have created a fog of uncertainty across the nation over late arriving ballots, ballot security, and election results.

Additionally, this bill would have made it more difficult for states to remove voters from their rolls who have died or moved away. It would have made the Federal Election Commission a partisan agency controlled by the majority party. It would have prohibited states from requiring witness signatures for absentee ballots by mail. And it would have restored convicted felons’ right to vote immediately after leaving prison, even if they have incomplete parole, probation, or court-imposed restitution requirements.

Ultimately, I believe this bill would have weakened election integrity across the country. For all these reasons and more, I could not support this legislation. Click here or the button below to read more posts about this topic.

Update on Vaccine Mandates

I am pleased the U.S. Supreme Court recently halted the vaccine mandate that President Biden was trying to implement through OSHA (the Occupational Safety & Health Administration). This mandate would have affected more than 80 million American workers according to the New York Times and placed massive compliance burdens on many businesses.

In Congress, I have either sponsored or co-sponsored more than a dozen pieces of legislation opposing vaccine mandates. Friends, I’m not opposed to vaccines. I am, however, opposed to government forcing people to choose between a vaccine they may not want versus their livelihood or religious liberties. Please click here or the button below to find more of my recent posts about this topic.

Concern Over FDA Guidance

Last week, I sent a letter to Janet Woodcock, the Acting Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, regarding guidance from her agency suggesting that someone’s race or ethnicity – by itself, apart from any underlying medical conditions – could be used to determine eligibility for Covid treatments. I believe that is not only inappropriate, but could set a dangerous precedent. Click here or the button below to learn more.

Fighting for the Right to Life

This past Saturday marked the 49th anniversary of Roe v. Wade. Last week, I introduced a resolution in the House of Representatives to recognize January 22nd as National Sanctity of Human Life Day. As your representative in Congress, I will always fight for the lives of unborn children. Click here or the button below to read more about this resolution.

Update on New Indy Containerboard

Last week, I was pleased to meet personally with the Regional Administrator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). I also was present at the EPA's public hearing on January 25th, and had another in-person tour of the New Indy facility this past Friday.

I certainly understand that the odors from this facility have had a significant impact on those who live in proximity to, or downwind from, the New Indy facility, even if those odors are technically safe from a scientific and health standpoint. We cannot understate the impact of these odors. Click here or the button below to read more.

How Can I Serve You?

I am so proud of the work my congressional staff in both South Carolina and Washington, D.C. have done to help constituents. Last year, we helped almost 45,000 constituents with various questions and issues.

If you or someone you know needs assistance with any branch of the federal government, my congressional office in Rock Hill is here to help. Whether it's the IRS, Social Security, immigration, passports, veterans’ affairs, or anything else related to the federal government, please give us a call at (803) 327-1114.

Meanwhile, if you have questions about legislation or my votes in Congress, my office in Washington, D.C. can answer those. You can reach my D.C. office at (202) 225-5501.

The most important job I have in Congress is to help folks here at home in South Carolina. Please don't hesitate to call my offices at the numbers listed above. You can also reply to this email or click the button below to contact me online anytime.

You can also follow my Facebook page to stay up to date on my work for you in Congress.