Lower West SC News

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.) released his 2022 year in review, highlighting the work his office did on behalf of the people of South Carolina and advancing his Opportunity Agenda across the country.

This year, Senator Scott introduced 18 bills, 7 resolutions, and 13 amendments. Twenty one pieces of his legislation were in part or fully enacted this year.

While he voted against the Democrats’ big spending increase in the omnibus bill, the senator was able to secure passage of many bills and provisions he led or supported in the accompanying legislative package. Among those wins were:

-Portions of Senator Scott’s MADE in America Act that strengthen the U.S. pharmaceutical supply chain;

-A 2-year extension of Medicare telehealth flexibilities;

-A 2-year extension of the hospital at home program, based off of language in Senator Scott’s Hospital Inpatient Modernization Act;

-Senator Scott’s Advancing Auto Portability Act, which cuts red tape to help Americans who change jobs frequently to increase retirement savings; and

-Key provisions of Senator Scott’s IGNITE HBCU Excellence Act.

South CarolinaSenator Scott continued his emphasis on communicating directly with constituents. To that end, he increased the number of letters sent annually by nearly 70%, amounting to more than 17,000 letters sent in 2022 alone.

The senator continued his efforts to aid the South Carolina Port Authority in its harbor deepening project, and joined with South Carolina leaders earlier this month to celebrate Charleston becoming home to the deepest port on the East Coast. 

As a result of his efforts to strengthen the Minority Business Development Agency, South Carolina was issued a grant for $1.6 million.

Law EnforcementIn recognition of his work to support and increase funding for training for police departments across the country, Senator Scott was given numerous awards from law enforcement organizations. At the beginning of the month, the Federal Law Enforcement Foundation honored the senator with their National Service Award. In July, he received the Florida Sheriffs Association’s National Legislative Champion Award, and in February he was given another legislative champion award from the Major County Sheriffs of America.

The Scott-sponsored Law Enforcement De-escalation Training Act, a bill that equips law enforcement officers with the tools to effectively and safely respond to people in crisis, was passed and signed into law by President Biden. The new requirements for developing de-escalation training standards contained in the bill are the same requirements included in Senator Scott’s JUSTICE Act, which was introduced in 2020.

Justice & FairnessOne of the marquee achievements this year was the passage of Senator Scott’s anti-lynching legislation, named in honor of Emmett Till. The senator first introduced the bipartisan legislation in 2018. This is a key component of his broader mission to combat hate crimes, which has included speaking out against bomb threats at HBCUs and forming the Senate Caucus on Black-Jewish Relations.

Senator Scott successfully lobbied FEMA to change its disaster relief policies that discriminated against Black homeowners. Known as heirs property, more than a third of Black-owned land in the South is passed down informally, rather than through deeds and wills, which precluded those land owners from getting much-needed FEMA aid after natural disasters. Following this push and policy change, 42,000 homeowners and 53,000 renters nationwide—who would have previously been denied—received disaster assistance, totaling $350 million.

EducationAs the co-chair of the Congressional School Choice Caucus, Senator Scott hosted the inaugural School Choice Caucus Breakfast with dozens of Congressional and education leaders to call attention to the growing nationwide support for school choice and fight against the Biden administration’s attempts to limit education options for students. He also led the charge to get answers from Education Secretary Miguel Cardona on his coordination with the National School Boards Association that led to concerned parents being labeled as domestic terrorists.

As the co-chair of the bipartisan HBCU Caucus, Senator Scott hosted the first ever HBCU Career Fair in conjunction with Benedict College. The event served as a forum to foster public-private partnerships and introduce students and alumni to career, fellowship, and internship opportunities with South Carolina’s top employers.

As the co-chair of the Congressional Financial Literacy Caucus, Senator Scott co-led a resolution designating April as Financial Literacy Month and led a forum on the importance of youth financial literacy. He also spearheaded efforts to build consumers’ financial capability and broader economic well-being.

Aging CommitteeAs the ranking member on the Aging Committee, Senator Scott led the charge to reopen Social Security field offices. After being closed for more than a year due to COVID, the senator’s pressure campaign to reopen allowed seniors and people with disabilities to once again receive in-person services for the benefits they deserve.

Throughout the year, the senator led a series of reports on issues that represent national imperatives for older Americans including senior nutrition programs, financial literacy, senior housing, retirement security, drug pricing, and home and community based services. He also led the effort to combat frauds and scams that target seniors through the publication of an annual Fraud Book, hearings investigating frauds, and a Fraud Hotline to support seniors.

Health CareSenator Scott led his colleagues in urging the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to support and strengthen the Medicare Advantage (MA) program. Following their efforts, CMS announced lower than expected premiums for individuals utilizing the MA program, which covers one third of the Medicare enrollees across South Carolina.

Foreign Affairs & National SecuritySenator Scott continued his vocal support for Israel and fight against threats to peace and stability in the Middle East. To that end, he introduced the Commission of Inquiry (COI) Elimination Act, a bipartisan bill to withhold U.S. funding for the United Nation Human Rights Council (UNHRC) for their targeted and biased investigation into Israel.

He also introduced the Solidify Iran Sanctions Act, which would make permanent sanctions against Iran’s energy sector.

Original source can be found here.