Dear
Friends,
Happy
Memorial
Day!
I
am
very
grateful
to
our
troops,
veterans,
and
their
families
for
the
sacrifices
they
make
to
protect
freedom
and
preserve
our
way
of
life.
Their
bravery,
dedication,
and
commitment
are
unmatched
and
we
owe
them
all
our
gratitude
–
on
Memorial
Day
and
every
day.
Working
to
Get
Veterans
the
Benefits
They
Earned
Currently,
more
than
600,000
of
our
nation’s
veterans
–
including
almost
16,000
from
South
Carolina
–
are
stuck
in
a
backlog
for
disability
claims
with
the
Department
of
Veterans’
Affairs
(VA).
The
number
of
claims
pending
for
more
than
a
year
has
grown
by
more
than
2,000%
over
the
past
four
years.
I
joined
my
Senate
colleagues
to
send
a
letter
to
President
Obama,
urging
him
to
establish
a
plan
to
end
the
backlog
at
the
VA
so
veterans
from
Normandy
to
Afghanistan
can
receive
the
services
they
need.
Our
veterans
dedicated
their
lives
to
keeping
our
country
safe.
They
protected
American
values
and
risked
their
lives
for
our
freedoms.
I
will
continue
working
to
make
sure
they
receive
the
benefits
they
deserve.
Getting
to
the
Bottom
of
the
IRS
Scandal
By
now,
we
know
that
the
Internal
Revenue
Service
improperly
targeted
conservative
groups
for
additional
scrutiny.
We
also
know
that
executives
at
the
IRS
and
top
aides
at
the
White
House
have
been
aware
of
these
inappropriate
actions
for
some
time.
With
each
passing
day,
the
facts
of
the
IRS
scandal
become
more
troubling.
It
is
entirely
inappropriate
for
a
government
agency
to
single
out
certain
individuals
or
groups
based
on
their
political
beliefs.
I’ve
taken
action
by
co-sponsoring
legislation
to
protect
taxpayers
against
ideology-based
targeting.
The
Protecting
Against
Ideology-Based
Targeting
Act
will
prohibit
the
IRS
from
developing
discriminatory
methods
for
organizations
applying
for
tax-exempt
status
based
on
political
beliefs
expressed
in
the
organizations’
names
or
stated
purposes.
It
also
requires
the
semi-annual
report
to
Congress
from
the
Treasury
Department’s
internal
watchdog
to
include
information
about
complaints
of
ideology-based
targeting.
Americans
have
to
be
able
to
express
their
political
beliefs
without
fear
of
being
targeted
by
the
government.
I’m
working
to
make
sure
the
ongoing
problems
within
the
IRS
never
happen
again.
Fighting
for
American
Energy
Independence
and
the
Jobs
that
Come
with
It
Energy
will
be
a
major
part
of
the
country’s
economy
as
we
continue
to
rebuild
American
prosperity.
The
construction
of
the
Keystone
XL
Pipeline
and
expansion
of
our
own
nuclear
generation
station
in
Fairfield,
SC
are
especially
important
as
we
look
to
move
towards
energy
security
and
job
creation.
Earlier
this
month,
I
had
the opportunity
to
visit the
V.C
Summer
Nuclear
Station
and
learn
more
about
the
nuclear
reactors
that
are
currently
contributing
significantly
to
our
power
system
in
South
Carolina,
and
helping
to
keep
Fairfield
County
and
all
of
South
Carolina
on
the
cutting
edge
of
energy
production.
I
am
proud
that
South
Carolina
has
a
world-class
nuclear
facility
and
I
believe
that
its
expansion
will
be
pivotal
in
creating
opportunity
and
new
pathways
to
success.
The
proposed
Keystone
XL
energy
pipeline
would
create
as
many
as
42,000
jobs.
Despite
the
overwhelming
support
of
the
American
people
and
a
bi-partisan
majority
of
Congress,
opponents
of
the
pipeline
are
trying
to
make
its
approval
contingent
on
burdensome
stipulations
such
as
a
harmful
emissions
tax
and
new
stringent
environmental
regulations
that
we
simply
can’t
afford.
I
joined
my
colleagues
in
sending
a
letter
to
President
Obama
asking
him
to
approve
the
Keystone
XL
pipeline
with
no
strings
attached.
As
we
continue
to
work
towards
creating
jobs
and
strengthening
our
economy,
projects
like
the
Fairfield
nuclear
generator
and
the
Keystone
XL
pipeline
will
be
stepping
stones
on
the
road
to
a
stronger
America.
National
Labor
Relations
Board
Last
week,
I
questioned
three
of
the
President’s
nominees
for
the
National
Labor
Relations
Board
in
the
Senate
Health,
Education,
Labor,
and
Pensions
Committee.
Two
courts
recently
ruled
that
the
recess
appointments
of
two
of
these
nominees
were
unconstitutional.
Despite
that,
the
board
has
made
over
200
rulings
in
the
last
few
months.
The
NLRB
is
making
it
harder
for
businesses
to
succeed
and
I
want
to
make
sure
that
their
actions
are
in
the
best
interest
of
the
American
people,
not
a
political
agenda.
Click
on
the
image
above
to
watch
my
questioning
of
the
NLRB
Nominees
New
Website
I’m
happy
to
announce
that
I
have
launched
a
new
website
that
you
can
visit
at http://scott.senate.gov.
This
website
is
a
great
resource
for
you
to
share
your
thoughts
with
me,
contact
my
staff
regarding
issues
with
federal
agencies,
and
learn
more
about
my
work
on
behalf
of
South
Carolina.
It
also
includes
important
resources
for
parents,
senior
citizens,
students,
veterans,
and
visitors
to
Washington,
D.C.
Please
take
a
look!
Around
South
Carolina
Over
the
past
few
weeks,
I
have
visited
Cherokee,
Chester,
Lancaster,
York,
Beaufort,
Charleston,
Anderson,
Oconee,
Pickens,
Fairfield,
Union,
Horry,
Marion,
Dillon,
and
Darlington
Counties.
(Left
to
Right)
Speaking
with
Sampit
Elementary
from
Georgetown,
Making
Care
Packages
for
Troops
Overseas
with
the
USO,
Honoring
Special
Olympics
Athletes
in
Rock
Hill,
Talking
with
Constituents
in
Dillon
Answering
Student
Questions
at
Union
County
High
School
It
is
my
honor
to
represent
South
Carolina
in
the
United
States
Senate.
Please
let
me
and
my
office
know
how
we
can
best
serve
you.
Sincerely,
Tim