| Dear Friend,
Welcome back to my Week in Review newsletter. Please remember to follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube for regular updates on how I am serving the people of South Carolina!
A ‘Day in the Life’
This week, I was honored to host Fox News’s Brian Kilmeade in Charleston to film a special “Day in the Life” episode in my hometown. We had some of South Carolina’s best barbeque and discussed everything from the progress our nation has made to my first job as a kid. He also accompanied me to a business roundtable, where local business owners told me about how they are keeping their businesses alive in the midst of a struggling economy — and what Congress can do to help.
Brian and I wrapped up the day by visiting the neighborhood I grew up in, where I shared a small house with my mom, brother, and grandparents. Watch part one and part two of this special episode on my YouTube page.
Click for part one and two of the episode Opportunity Zones: A Success
In 2017, I championed legislation to incentivize private investment in low-income areas across the nation, called Opportunity Zones (OZs). This week, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report on the impact of OZs, and the findings are great news for our most impoverished communities.
In just the first two years of the program — before it was even fully up and running — OZs generated nearly $29 billion in investments. The report also found that investments are targeting low-income and minority communities — exactly the populations OZs were meant to help. I look forward to seeing how they will continue to revitalize parts of our nation that have been overlooked for far too long! Read more in Fox News.
Protecting our Older Population
In South Carolina, we are all too familiar with floods and hurricanes. As ranking member of the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging, I’m working to ensure older Americans are protected in the face of these natural disasters. This coming Thursday, I’m holding a hearing, along with Chairman Bob Casey (D-Pa.), on the effects of natural disasters and public health emergencies on older adults. You can follow along with the hearing online at 9:30 am this Thursday by clicking here.
Sincerely, | 