A quick update on the violent protests we've seen pop up on college campuses across the country. I'm sure you've seen the pro-Palestinian tent encampments on the news the past few weeks. Since April 18th, over 2,600 people have been arrested on 50 campuses. Not all schools are taking that approach though, with some schools letting the protesters hold rallies and grow their encampments without any oversight.

Earlier this week in New York and Washington, D.C., these protesters not only clashed with police officers, but also burned American flags and, vandalized statues of George Washington and World War I heroes. In my opinion, there is a vast difference between peaceful protests and breaking the law.

I find an issue with these protests because Jewish students at these schools are being intimidated, harassed, and assaulted. ALL students deserve safety and free speech rights. Overtaking a campus with encampments and intimidation doesn't fall under the First Amendment. If students want to protest lawfully, that's fine. But occupying buildings, destructing property, and causing injury to officers or others ought to result in expulsion. 

Universities who take federal funding yet cannot protect nor ensure and uphold the civil rights of all their students run into an issue here. As your congressman, it's hard to justify why federal dollars are being sent to institutions who allow unlawful protests like this to continue.

I am proud the House passed H.R. 7343, the Detain and Deport Illegal Aliens Who Assault Cops Act, and included my amendment that adds campus police and school resource officers to the bill's definition of law enforcement officer. 

It is a busy time of year, from voting on important bills in Washington DC, to spending time in South Carolina meeting with constituents and attending events. Last week in Washington D.C., Congress passed the Equal Representation Act, introduced by Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-NC). This legislation requires a citizenship question to be included on the United States Census. I am proud to have been one of the cosponsors on this bill, as I strongly agree that decisions on redistricting, congressional representation, and allocation of taxpayer resources should be based solely on the needs of American citizens. 

This issue dates all the way back to the beginning of our country, and many don't know that the citizenship questions has been asked in some form or another for nearly two hundred years. In 1800, President Thomas Jefferson first proposed a citizenship question on the Census. Prior decennial census surveys consistently asked citizenship questions up until 1950. All this to say, a citizenship question was a standard, and non-controversial, part of the census until 2010. 

Like everything funded by taxpayer dollars, I believe that the U.S. Census should be fair and accurate for the sake of U.S. citizens! By adding the citizenship question back to the Census, as it was before the Obama administration, we can guarantee congressional appointment and Electoral College power is based solely on the interests of American citizens. Illegal immigrants and other non-citizens in our country cannot vote and should not be given the power to sway our elections or congressional maps. Excluding noncitizens from apportionment ensures that "one person, one vote" is not diluted by awarding more congressional districts to States with disproportionately high populations of noncitizens. 

On Wednesday, May 8th, the House of Representatives voted on the Equal Representation Act, and it passed by a vote of 206-202. I believe this is a crucial measure to protect our citizens' rights and ensure election integrity moving forward. 

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.