| Dear fellow South Carolinians,
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Helping our Nation’s Farmers Succeed On June 28th, the Senate successfully passed the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018, colloquially known as the Farm Bill, with two of my important provisions. I worked with Senator Doug Jones (D-AL) to help so-called Heirs Property owners thousands of minority and other landowners whose family land has been passed through the generations often without a formal title gain access to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs they currently do not have access to without proper documentation certifying their possession of the land. I also secured the inclusion of the Peanut Parity Act along with Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), which ensures South Carolina, the fourth largest producer of peanuts in the country, has a presence on the federal Peanut Standards Board. Overall, the Farm Bill provides certainty for farmers, ranchers and growers by strengthening crop insurance programs, reinforces the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and invests in rural America by expanding high speed internet, providing resources to fight the opioid epidemic, and investing in water infrastructure. You can read more about the bill and the provisions here. The Credit Access and Inclusion Act of 2018 At the end of June, I introduced bipartisan legislation that would allow landlords and utility and telecom providers to report on-time payments data to credit reporting agencies- another step in my efforts to help creditworthy Americans climb the economic ladder. The Credit Access and Inclusion Act of 2018 would help millions of Americans who currently lack the payments history needed to take out a mortgage or finance a higher education to develop a positive credit history by allowing the credit bureaus to consider non-traditional lines of credit. If someone works hard day in and day out, pays their bills on time, and has demonstrated they are financially stable, that should be reflected in their credit score. Many of the folks who are negatively impacted by the narrow scope of the data used in credit scoring are also among the 50 million Americans who live in distressed communities across the country. We can help close this gap by recognizing the individuals who deserve access to credit and have proven beyond a doubt that they are ready for this responsibility. You can read more about the legislation here. The NDAA: A Crucial Step in Supporting Our Troops As a South Carolinian, member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and someone with loved ones who served in the military, I believe that supporting our nation’s troops should be our highest priority- and was proud to advocate for and support the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2019. The NDAA funds critical military readiness initiatives and construction projects in South Carolina, and across the country. As a member of the Armed Services Committee, I have had the privilege of working on the NDAA from the start, and my priorities have been simple: focus on personnel readiness, equipment modernization, and countering the threats posed by our greatest competitors Russia and China. I was very pleased to secure important provisions regarding military construction and troop readiness this year. With the passage of the Senate bill last month, I am happy to say we are one step closer to providing our troops with adequate resources to defend our nation while recovering from being underfunded for the last six years. You can read more about the bill here. Around the State Last week, I had a great time at community meet-and-greets in Walterboro, Hampton, Allendale, Barnwell and Bamberg. It was an amazing opportunity for me to hear the concerns of South Carolinians and to answer questions on taxes, trade, SCOTUS, tariffs, Opportunity Zones and more!
Sincerely, Tim | 