Representative Ralph Norman

Update from Rep. Ralph Norman

April 2022

In this email newsletter:

Special Event for Law Enforcement
Replay: Telephone Town Hall
Legislation for Our First Responders
Concerns on Inflation
How Can I Serve You?

Special Event for Law Enforcement

Attention law enforcement officers and agencies – please join me for a special forum in Camden on Tuesday, April 19th. This event will start at 3:30 PM at the Woolard Technology Center, located at 70 Innovation Way in Camden.

We’ll cover a wide variety of law enforcement topics, including crime trends throughout our congressional district, the rise in fentanyl & other illicit drugs, plus insights into various federal funds that are available for local law enforcement agencies.

Joining us will be guest expert presenters from SLED, the U.S. Department of Justice, and the U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy. This will also be a great opportunity to hear directly from you, the men & women who keep our communities safe.

Click here or the button below to learn more.

Learn More

Replay: Telephone Town Hall

I want to give a very special thanks to Congressman Jeff Duncan and Rep. William Timmons. Last week, the three of us hosted an incredible joint tele-town hall, with tens of thousands of constituents joining us on the phone from back home in South Carolina.

There were many great questions about inflation, illegal immigration, Ukraine, and other issues facing our country. Click here or the button below to listen to a full replay of this call. While the entire call lasted almost an hour and 15 minutes, you can find timestamps for individual questions below the video.

Listen to Replay

Legislation for Our First Responders

We had a huge win in the House of Representatives earlier this week. Almost a year ago, I co-sponsored a bill in the House known as the “Putting First Responders First Act.” The purpose of that bill was to help police, fire and EMS personnel who are injured in the line of duty.

Under existing law, if a first responder is injured on the job and is unable to work, disability compensation is not subject to federal income tax. However, that tax relief applies only until reaching his/her original date of retirement. After that date, disability payments then become subject to income tax, which can often represent a financial burden to those heroes with long-term or career-ending injuries.

So my legislation would help first responders in this situation by exempting ALL disability payments to first responders from federal income tax for the rest of their lives, regardless of retirement age. It also provides the Internal Revenue Service and its auditors with much-needed guidance on the tax-exempt status of these heroes.

Anyway, I’m pleased to announce that my legislation was recently rolled up into a larger package called the “Securing a Strong Retirement Act” which itself has numerous retirement-related provisions. And this bill passed overwhelmingly in the House earlier this week, with my support.

Being in the minority, it can be difficult to get meaningful legislation through Congress. But I’m thrilled this particular effort is now one step closer to becoming law, and believe it’s the least we can do for those who put their lives on the line to serve & protect us all.

Concerns on Inflation

$5,200 this year, or $433 per month. That’s how much more the average family will spend just to maintain the same standard of living as last year, according to new research from Bloomberg Economics.

If your paycheck hasn’t kept pace with this inflation – and chances are it hasn’t – then guess what? You’re either saving less, dealing with a lower standard of living, and/or going into debt. That’s how it works.

I believe it’s going to take a lot to get inflation under control, which unfortunately includes the Federal Reserve carefully and gradually raising interest rates for a period of time. But one thing is clear to me: your federal government should NOT make this problem worse with out-of-control spending.

If there were ever a time for fiscal sanity in Washington, it’s right now. Click here or the button below to read more about this important issue.

How Can I Serve You?

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 here to contact me online anytime.