| Meeting South Carolinians Without a doubt, the best part of my week is always the time I get to spend with South Carolinians. From meeting families at my weekly Palmetto Wednesdays – a chance for folks to stop by my office and say hello – to spending time with kids from Charleston’s Palmetto Christian Academy, I was thrilled to meet many folks from across the state this week. You are the reason why I am in Washington, and it is the honor of my life to represent y’all in the Senate! Protecting Small Businesses from Big Government America’s small business owners are some of the hardest workers and most innovative people in the world. Instead of giving them the support they deserve, the Biden administration recently released a proposal threatening our job creators’ access to critical capital.
The Biden administration’s plan to make the Small Business Administration a direct lender forces community banks and credit unions to compete with the federal government – a move that will have a devastating impact on small business owner’s ability to access credit and further impose the government on everyday aspects of American life.
I was proud to introduce the Protecting Access to Credit for Small Businesses Act to stop the administration from enacting this massive federal overreach. Americans don’t need another ineffective big government policy.
Read more about my bill to help small businesses here. Strengthening America’s Healthcare System Approximately 12 million Americans, including thousands of South Carolinians, are jointly enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid. Unfortunately, many of these dual eligibles lack fully integrated care between Medicare and Medicaid, leaving them with fragmented care and the headaches of confusing bureaucracy.
We can, and must, do better for this vulnerable population. I am proud to champion the Delivering Unified Access to Lifesaving Services (DUALS) Act of 2024, which helps ensure that dual eligibles gain streamlined access to high-quality healthcare. I’m proud to help pave the path toward making sure every South Carolinian has reliable access to high-quality care.
Read more about this bill here. Making Sure Everyone in America Can Access Healthcare During the pandemic, telehealth was one of the few bright spots that helped our nation through a dark time. In South Carolina, and around the country, this innovative technology helped patients access the care they need.
With critical telehealth flexibilities set to expire at the end of 2024, I led the Senate in introducing the Telehealth Modernization Act. This bill updates coverage restrictions that have long prevented life-saving telehealth services for many of America’s roughly 65 million Medicare beneficiaries. It must be a priority for Congress to pass this commonsense legislation and make sure we can always meet patients where they are.
Read more about the Telehealth Modernization Act here. Celebrating South Carolina’s Farmers and Ranchers During National Agriculture Week, I was thrilled to celebrate our farmers and ranchers who fuel and feed America. With nearly 25,000 farms thriving in South Carolina, this was a moment to proudly recognize the incredible contributions of the agricultural community in strengthening our great state!
This week, I worked to support the agricultural community by urging the Biden administration to address the record agriculture exports trade deficit and alarming decline in America’s international competitive advantage. U.S. agriculture exports fell by more than $17 billion in the last fiscal year as Europe, Canada, and China continue to amass critical export opportunities. I will continue to do everything in my power to strengthen the future of farming and ranching and support these hardworking Americans.
Read more about our letter to the Biden administration here. Protecting South Carolina’s Jobs The Palmetto State is a proud leader of forestry exports, ranking 13th among all states in forestry exports, and sending more than $1 billion worth of products to 129 different countries. However, a new regulation from the European Union could hold back South Carolina’s forestry market because it imposes costly reporting requirements on forestry product exports to the European Union.
This week, I joined a letter to the Biden administration, urging them to examine the rule and protect our valuable forestry industry. We must take every precaution to protect the thousands of South Carolinians who stand to be impacted by this rule. Their jobs, and role in fueling our economy, is critical to the success of our great state.
Read more about our letter to the Biden administration here. | 