| 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!
My Vote Against Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson This week, I voted against Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s confirmation to the Supreme Court. While having a Black woman on the court is certainly a mark of our nation’s racial progress, I have been focused on Judge Jackson’s judicial philosophy — not her identity. And unfortunately, her record shows she uses the courts to further a progressive agenda that is bad for America, which is why I voted ‘no’ on her confirmation. I joined Fox & Friends to respond to some of the backlash against my decision; click below to watch the interview. Click to watch Extending Opportunity Zones Back in 2017, I championed legislation to create the Opportunity Zones program, which incentivizes private investment in communities with high poverty rates. Recent reports have shown that, in just the first year of the program, $29 billion was invested in poor neighborhoods just like the one I grew up in. This program truly represents the good that leaders can do for communities across the country when we work together toward commonsense solutions. This week, I introduced a new bill with Senators Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) to extend the Opportunity Zone program and ensure we have updated reporting moving forward. Click here to read more. Helping Officers Better Serve Their Communities I’ve often said that, in order to protect our most vulnerable communities, we must support and equip our law enforcement officers. This week, I cosponsored a bill to do just that. The Law Enforcement De-escalation Act would provide training for officers on mental and behavioral health, along with other resources, so they are better prepared to assist individuals in crisis. I have been calling for this kind of reform for years, and I’m excited to see a bipartisan group of my colleagues working to finally make it happen. Click here to read more. Protecting Education Choice As a strong proponent of education choice, I know that charter schools provide high-quality, affordable education to thousands of students across our nation. But rather than supporting and expanding these schools, the Department of Education (DoE) has proposed new rules that would restrict their work and limit families’ options. Senator Cassidy (R-La.) and I wrote a letter urging the DoE to reconsider its proposal for the sake of America’s students. Click here for the full letter. Supporting Ukraine The images of violence and destruction coming out of Ukraine as a result of Vladimir Putin’s evil assault are enough to make anyone’s stomach turn. As a beacon of freedom and hope, the United States must support the Ukrainian people as they face a humanitarian crisis due to this unjust war. I was recently appointed to join the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the U.S. Helsinki Commission. This week, we held a hearing on protecting Ukrainian refugees, as more than 4 million people have fled Ukraine in recent weeks. Click below to watch my remarks. Click to watch Sincerely, | 