| Dear friend,
Welcome back to my Week in Review newsletter. You can sign up for my weekly updates and other issue-specific newsletters here. Please remember to follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube for regular updates on how I am serving the people of South Carolina!
Standing up for South Carolina
My number one priority is always to do what is best for the people of South Carolina. Unfortunately, some of the actions taken by the new administration risk harming the Palmetto State’s workers, job creators, and economy more broadly. In a Senate Finance Committee hearing last Tuesday, I asked President Biden’s nominee for Treasury Secretary, Dr. Janet Yellen, how raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour would affect the millions of small businesses around America that are on the brink of closing. I was disappointed in her answer. She failed to mention the 3.7 million jobs that the Congressional Budget Office estimates would be lost after enacting this change.
On President Biden’s first day, he issued an Executive Order to cancel the Keystone Pipeline. This decision will hurt the middle class, raise our energy costs, challenge our relationship with Canada, and cost us thousands of jobs in rural America. It is not too late to reconsider and I hope that he will do so before more damage is done.
You can always count on me to fight to protect small businesses and rural workers from these damaging policies.
FEED Act
Last Friday, I reintroduced my bipartisan FEED Act. If enacted, this bill would allow the federal government to cover the costs for states and localities to partner with restaurants and non-profits to provide nutritious meals to vulnerable populations across the country. In the face of the pandemic, this legislation could provide a critical tool for addressing food insecurity and nutritional access gaps, particularly for seniors and children from underserved communities. The FEED Act would also help small farms and restaurants stay afloat during these uncertain times by facilitating partnerships between food producers, restaurants, and non-profits. I am grateful to José Andrés and his team at World Central Kitchen for their continued support of this commonsense, life-changing legislation.
Heroes, Our National Guard
On Thursday, I visited with the members of the South Carolina National Guard stationed in DC to protect the Capitol during the inauguration. I thanked them for keeping us safe and for their commitment to country. Our troops deserve the utmost respect for defending our democracy. That’s why I was dismayed by the unsafe and unconscionable decision to put our troops outside in a parking garage last week. After several Members of Congress and I spoke out, the guardsmen were moved inside. I was glad to learn that they’d be safe and warm indoors, but those who made the initial decision should be held accountable. Sincerely, | 