Dear fellow South Carolinians, Thank you for subscribing to my weekly e-newsletter, and please remember to follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. Supporting Our Troops After a weeklong mark-up process in the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), myself and my fellow committee members passed the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 out of committee, a critical first step in authorizing $716 billion for our Department of Defense. This bill funds critical military readiness initiatives and construction projects in South Carolina, and across the country. From day one of having been blessed with the opportunity to serve on this critical committee, my priorities have been simple: focus on personnel readiness and equipment modernization. Today with the passage of the NDAA out of committee, we are one step closer to reaching that goal by providing our troops with the adequate resources they need to carry out their missions. As someone who has two brothers who have both served in the military, I have an appreciation of the incredible sacrifices taken by our service members and it is an honor to be able to provide them with the resources they need to defend our nation. I am also happy to see the inclusion of many of my provisions in the bill, which you can read about here and here, and watch me talk about here. Opportunity Tour: Washington, D.C. Last Tuesday, I continued my national Opportunity Tour in Washington, D.C. I was joined by Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Washington D.C.’s Attorney General Karl A. Racine and representatives from Mayor Muriel Bowser’s office. I was happy to be able to meet with local residents and business leaders to discuss my Investing in Opportunity Act (IIOA) and other solutions and initiatives geared toward increasing access to opportunity. This was my third stop on my national Opportunity Tour, which was first launched in my hometown of North Charleston back in March, and included a stop in Miami, FL with Senator Marco Rubio last month. You can read more about my stop in D.C. here. Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act Last Tuesday was a great day for Main Street America as the bipartisan Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act (S. 2155) headed to the President’s desk for his signature after passage in the House of Representatives. I was excited that four of my provisions to protect American families were included in the final bill. To be able to strengthen protections for children and families in the fight against identity theft, provide more access for low-income and minority communities that often do not have access to credit and banking, and ensure educational and job training opportunities are available for more families all in the same bill is absolutely fantastic. This legislation is a huge victory for Main Street and will open doors to a brighter future for so many families across South Carolina and the nation. You can read more about the bill and my provisions here. Sincerely, Tim |