| Dear Friend,
Welcome back to my Week in Review newsletter. Please remember to follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube for regular updates on how I am serving the people of South Carolina! Staying Safe During Hurricane Ian As Hurricane Ian reaches the Palmetto State, it is important that you keep yourself and our first responders safe. Please adhere to your local advisories. The South Carolina Emergency Management Division recommends you follow the steps below during the storm: Stay tuned to local television and radio stations for emergency information. Be sure to keep a battery operated, solar-powered, or hand-crank-operated radio or television for use during power outages. Stay inside a well-constructed building away from the windows and doors, even if they are covered. Be alert. Tornadoes are very often spawned during hurricanes. Limit non-emergency phone calls to avoid network congestion. Once the storm passes, be patient. You will likely not be able to return home right away. For additional information, I recommend visiting: https://hurricane.sc/ or https://scemd.org/. Prioritizing Your Retirement In the past year, our nation has witnessed historic inflation rates— making life for Americans difficult and uncertain. Inflation has eroded and devalued the savings many Americans spent their lives accumulating. This week, I introduced the Retirement Savings Modernization Act along with U.S. Senator Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) and Congressman Peter Meijer (Mich.-03). This bill would modernize retirement plans to ensure they can provide diverse investments with higher returns. American workers and their families deserve to go about their lives with peace of mind, knowing their hard-earned money will be secure when they choose to retire. Click here to read more about our bill. Addressing the Mental Health Epidemic The mental health epidemic in our nation is affecting college students at alarming rates compared to other demographics. I introduced bipartisan legislation with U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and four of our Senate colleagues to encourage higher education institutions to develop and implement comprehensive mental health and suicide prevention plans. It is unfortunate that many students — particularly those at smaller universities with fewer resources — lack the help they need. This bill will help address those gaps to enable students to focus on what makes their college experience great: their education, friends, and activities. Click here to read more about our bill! Spilling the #SCSweetTea and Rediscovering Our History This week I am spilling the Sweet Tea on Ben Hodges and Chris Allen, two West Point alumni, who are honoring the first Black U.S. soldiers of the Civil War. During their time at West Point Military Academy, the two learned about the nation’s military history, but it wasn’t until many years later that they learned about the full contributions of African Americans before World War I. They recently learned about the 1st South Carolina Volunteer Infantry. This regiment is a testament to the courage demonstrated by African American soldiers during a tumultuous time in our history. The rediscovery of this vital piece of our nation’s story by General Hodges and Colonel Allen is phenomenal and should be shared by all. Read more about the 1st South Carolina regiment here! Sincerely, | 