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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.
National
Defense
Authorization
Act
Yesterday,
I
voted
in
support
of
the
National
Defense
Authorization
Act
for
Fiscal
Year
2019,
a
major
step
forward
toward
authorizing
$716
billion
for
our
Department
of
Defense
(DoD).
The
measure
passed
the
Senate
with
a
vote
of
85
to
10.
I
was
proud
to
work
for
the
inclusion
of
the
provisions
below,
ensuring
our
troops
have
the
support
they
need.
Base
Improvements
–
-Enhancements
to
MCAS
Beaufort’s
electrical
grid
and
build
a
needed
support
facility
for
F-35s.
-Construction
of
a
recycling
and
hazardous
waste
facility
at
MCAS
Beaufort.
-Significant
overhaul
and
improvement
of
Trainee
barracks
at
Fort
Jackson.
-Range
improvements
and
modernization
initiatives
at
MCB
Parris
Island.
-Resources
to
support
the
MQ-9
Reaper
mission
control
element
at
Shaw
AFB.
Troop
Readiness
–
Requires
the
Army
and
the
Director/
Operational
Test
and
Evaluation
to
collaborate
with
academic
experts
to
determine
effective
personal
equipment
to
protect
against
blast
injuries
in
training
and
combat,
including
traumatic
brain
injury.
Resources
to
Advance
Shipbuilding
–
Added
more
than
$650
million
in
resources
to
support
amphibious
ship
building
and
procurement,
an
initiative
that
will
benefit
our
national
security
readiness,
naval
forces,
and
jobs
in
the
shipbuilding
industrial
base
across
South
Carolina.
Military
Pay
Raise
–
2.6%
pay
raise
for
all
service
members
effective
January
1,
2019.
-Directs
DoD
to
study
faster
ways
to
reimburse
South
Carolina
when
it
calls
up
the
National
Guard
to
respond
to
natural
disasters.
-Directs
the
Air
Force
to
report
on
needed
security
and
access
controls
to
JB
Charleston.
-Acknowledges
the
important
work
done
by
the
Navy’s
Nuclear
Power
Training
Center.
-Directs
additional
investment
in
science
and
technology
for
advances
needed
to
counter
threats
from
China
and
Russia.
You
can
read
more
about
the
bill
here.
Opportunity
Tour:
NH
&
Boston
I
continued
my
national
Opportunity
Tour
late
last
week
with
stops
in
Manchester,
NH
and
Boston,
MA.
The
stops
included
discussions
with
local,
community
and
state-wide
leaders
about
Opportunity
Zones
and
an
agenda
that
is
focused
on
promoting
job
creation
and
economic
growth
in
local
communities.
In
New
Hampshire,
I
was
happy
to
join
Governor
Chris
Sununu
to
discuss
Opportunity
Zones
and
the
NH
Recovery
Friendly
Workplace
initiative
with
local
business
owners
and
employees.
You
can
read
our
op-ed
in
the
Union
Leader
here.
In
Boston,
I
visited
the
Whittier
Street
public
housing
site
in
Roxbury
Crossing.
There,
I
joined
community
leaders
for
a
discussion
on
Opportunity
Zones,
their
anticipated
potential
impact
in
the
area,
and
broader
community
and
economic
development
activity.
You
can
read
more
about
my
stops
and
see
pictures
here.
Remembering
the
Charleston
9
&
the
Emanuel
9
The
Emanuel
9
It’s
hard
to
believe
that
Sunday
marked
three
years
since
the
tragedy
at
Mother
Emanuel.
The
families
of
the
Emanuel
9
have
been
through
an
entire
lifetime
of
emotions
since
that
day,
and
have
truly
shown
us
the
meaning
of
dignity
and
grace.
Division
is
a
powerful
foe
to
overcome,
and
the
families
of
the
Emanuel
9
showed
us
the
only
way
to
truly
defeat
it
-
love
and
forgiveness.
Charleston
and
South
Carolina
changed
forever
that
day,
and
we
are
forever
indebted
to
them
that
we
took
a
step
towards
unity
and
away
from
the
race
war
the
monster
who
did
this
tried
to
start.
Please
join
me
in
remembering
those
we
lost,
and
thanking
their
amazing
families
and
all
those
who
chose
love
over
hate.
The
Charleston
9
11
years
ago
yesterday,
we
remembered
the
nine
firefighters
from
Charleston
who
made
the
ultimate
sacrifice
to
protect
and
serve
their
community
during
the
Sofa
Superstore
fire.
We
are
eternally
grateful
for
their
dedication
to
serve.
My
continuous
prayers
are
with
the
nine
families
of
these
brave
men.
Charleston
will
continue
to
honor
their
memory,
we
will
never
forget.
Sincerely,
Tim |