- DC Update
- Around SC-05
- Veterans Care Bill
- November Visitor Guide
- How Can I Serve You?
Update on Changes in D.C.
Following the election last week, we now know that Republicans have won control of the Presidency, the Senate, and the House of Representatives. I would like to congratulate all the newly elected representatives. I look forward to working together to get lots of legislation passed and to the President’s desk.
It is my honor to represent all of you in Congress and I am thankful for the work y’all do every day to make South Carolina such a great place to live. I will continue working on the issues that matter to all of us, including flighting rampant spending in DC which raises inflation, supporting law enforcement and Border Patrol, and safeguarding the rights of South Carolina parents.
2025 is going to be an exciting year, and I can’t wait to get moving!
October Around SC-05
October was a great month in SC-05! Being in the district visiting with constituents, attending meetings with local businesses, and speaking at events is something I enjoy most about my role in Congress.
I was able to attend the Spartanburg Solicitor’s Office Law Enforcement Banquet, where Solicitor Barnette recognized and honored member of law enforcement for their courage, sacrifice, and impact on the community.
In Columbia, Governor McMaster signed the South Carolina-Ireland Trade Commission into law, which is the first time South Carolina has formed a trade commission with another nation. This will strengthen and grow the economy in South Carolina. What an honor is was to be in attendance!
I had the privilege of recognizing two Eagle Scout recipients, Mickey and Owen. It is always with great pride that I am able to help honor Eagle Scout recipients.
In the 2nd district of South Carolina, I attended the naming ceremony for the Columbia Airport Expressway in honor of Congressman Joe Wilson. This section of the highway was named after Congressman Wilson for his many years of service to the great state of South Carolina.
Ensuring Quality Care for Our Veterans Act
Our nation has a responsibility to provide the highest levels of care for those who have served our nation. Those hired to treat and care for our veterans should have a proven record of providing quality health care. That is why, last week, I reintroduced the Ensuring Quality Care for Our Veterans Act.
This bill would require the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) to have a patient’s records reviewed by an independent, non-government medical provider if it is determined that the patient received care from a provider within the VHA system whose license had been previously revoked for cause.
This entire dilemma originated with a USA Today story that found out the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) knowingly hired providers whose licenses had been revoked or who had been accused of misconduct.
While the VA is taking corrective action, this bill goes one step further by ensuring that every healthcare provider that was hired by the VA with a revoked license undergoes a third-party clinical review of that provider’s care. If the review determines that a competent practitioner would manage the veteran’s care differently, the veteran will be notified.
This is a common-sense, low-hanging fruit issue that must be fixed to continue taking steps in the right direction of ensuring that those who have given everything to our country in service get the care that they undoubtedly deserve.
November Visitor Guide & Presidential Inauguration
The Constitution is our foundation, our shared heritage. It defines our government’s structure, protects our rights, and establishes the process for electing our representatives. This November, we uphold our Constitutional legacy by casting our votes as generations before us have done. Our founding fathers realized that election our leaders and announcing their victory required not only a process, but a place for the public when all was said and done. The Inaugural Platform is the “place” with provisions for all of us, too! America is, after all, created of, by, and for the people.
South Carolina constituents are invited to join a staff-led tour for a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the Inaugural moment and Capital foundations. Each spot on the tour will offer historical insight:
West Front Inaugural Platform
Ceremonies actually began at the U.S. Capitol over a month ago with construction of the inaugural platform on the Capitol’s West Front. Ronald Reagan was the first to take the oath of office on this side of the Capitol. According to tradition, platform construction always begins on September 18th, the exact same date the first Capitol cornerstone was laid by President Washington in 1793. This year, the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies (JCCIC) celebrated the “First Nail Ceremony.” At over 10,000 square feet, the completed platform will seat more than 1,600 people, while millions more will witness swearing-in ceremonies from the West Front lawn.
A bronze wall plaque just outside the Old Supreme Court Chamber commemorates the 100th anniversary of the moment President George Washington dedicated the U.S. Capitol corner stone in 1793. It is a reminder of the history we all share.
The stone memorial marker embedded in the floor below it is note the original cornerstone. In fact, that stone and its location have not been discovered. The stone marker actually commemorates Washington’s 200th birthday year and was dedicated by the Masonic order on September 17, 1932.
East Front Inaugural Platform
President Andrew Jackson was sworn in on the East Front Portico, an open air stonework porch just outside the Rotunda. By the time of President John Kennedy’s inauguration, the porch had been renovated, and a temporary stage was erected on the East Front Steps. This became the norm from then on for following inaugurations staged on the East Front.
Both the East and West Front platforms are physical extensions of the Rotunda, or “People’s Chamber,” a neutral area representing all with no majority or minority bias. Consequently, the platform location underscore the pivotal role of the people – first by voting and finally as witness to the historic moment.
The Original Foundation
A staff-led tour will take you to a tunnel just below the Old Supreme Court Chamber, where a section of the original foundation laid by Washington is exposed. The rocks and rubble, appearing haphazard and unstable, has sustained the budding for over 225 years, and reveal not only our determination to endure, but to also grow and improve with each succeeding generation.
Cox Corridors
Ceiling murals pained by Allyn Cox (beginning in 1973) in hallways off the Hall of Columns in the House Wing 1st Floor depict milestone moments in America’s founding, including a vignette of the Masonic ceremony of laying first cornerstone. On the 225th anniversary of the moment, the ceremony was re-enacted in the Old House Chamber on September 18, 2018.
Presidential Inauguration Timeline:
September 18: Inauguration Platform Construction Begins
November 5: Election Day
By December 11: States Issue Certificates of Ascertainment (Electors appointed)
December 17: Electors Vote in Their States
December 25: Electoral Votes Received by Archives & Senate President
On or before January 3: Archives Transfers Certificates to Congress
January 6: Congress Counts Electoral Votes & Confirms Election
January 20: Inauguration Day
Procession to the Capitol
Swearing-in / Oath of Office
Inaugural Address, Platform
Inaugural Luncheon, Old House Chamber
Honorary Departure, Capitol East Front
Signing Ceremony, President’s Room
Procession to the White House, Constitution Ave
How Can I Serve You?
If you or someone you know needs assistance with any branch of the federal government, my congressional office in Rock Hill is here to help. Whether it’s the IRS, Social Security, immigration, passports, veterans’ affairs, or anything else related to the federal government, please give us a call at (803) 327-1114.
Meanwhile, if you have questions about legislation or my votes in Congress, my office in Washington, D.C. can answer those. You can reach my D.C. office at (202) 225-5501.
The most important job I have in Congress is to help folks here at home in South Carolina. Please don’t hesitate to call my offices at the numbers listed above. You can also reply to this email or click here to contact me online anytime.
