| Empowering the Futures of Our Students One of the greatest obstacles to a student’s success is not knowing where to look for resources or opportunities. That’s why I hosted a virtual career development event for students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in South Carolina and across the country. This event provided students with the opportunity to join federal regulators and industry leaders for a discussion on financial literacy and career pathways in financial services. Learn more about the event here! Holding the Small Business Administration Accountable Those affected by Hurricane Helene rely on us for urgent federal assistance. The Small Business Administration’s mismanagement of its disaster fund has greatly hindered our ability to support disaster victims. I’m looking forward to introducing legislation to enhance accountability through public reports on the Small Business Administration’s fund status. In the meantime, I joined my Senate colleagues in penning a letter to SBA Administrator Guzman about our serious concerns with the unacceptable failures by the SBA that allowed this funding shortfall to occur. Disaster victims across our nation deserve timely disaster assistance. Read more about my efforts here! Replenishing the Disaster Relief Fund Hurricane Helene brought a level of devastation we haven’t seen since Hugo. In South Carolina alone, the storm claimed 49 lives and left over a million without power. Communities back home and in surrounding states have come together to recover, but it will take every possible effort to get us back to where we were. That’s why I led legislation to replenish the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Disaster Relief Fund (DRF) following Hurricanes Debby, Helene, and Milton’s damage to South Carolina and neighboring southeastern states. FEMA’s Disaster relief fund exists to assist individuals, households, states, and non-federal government entities with recovery following a natural disaster. Read more about the legislation here! | 