March 24



March 25



March 26

USS Ralph Johnson Commissioning: Among my many stops of the weekend was the chance to be a part of the commissioning of the Navy’s newest destroyer, the USS Ralph Johnson. For all the bad news that we have seen of late over the television airwaves and the latest news out of Washington on the omnibus… I was struck by all the good in this commissioning and what it represented.

I’ve included my brief remarks in the link below, but the commissioning encapsulated a host of good things in which we should all find solace.

It was a very real reminder of the absolute might of our nation’s military. The USS Ralph Johnson is the 64th Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, and the technology that is built into this war fighting machine is none other than daunting.

It was also a vivid reminder of all that I love and admire about people who make up our nation’s military. The ceremony was crisp and professional, and this fits with most every experience that I’ve had with the military and the way that they do things. General McRaven, who was in charge of the mission to take down Osama Bin Laden, was there. General Neller, the Commandant of the Marine Corps, was there as well as a long list of other notables. One of the most lively parts of the morning ceremony occurred when they brought the ship to life, and its crew ran up and onboard to a host of different duty stations.

But by far the most uplifting portion of the day came with the many remembrances of Ralph and his sacrifice. Freedom is certainly not free, and actions like Ralph Johnson’s remind all of us about the degree to which that is true. Throwing one’s body over a grenade to save the life of two fellow Marines is unimaginable… but that’s exactly what he did. Tim Scott spoke eloquently on the ways in which it was extraordinary, but how that was particularly the case in the racially-charged times of the late 1960s.

The bottom line in all of this is that while there is a whole lot of bad news out there these days, there are living legends and monuments around us that should serve to remind every one of us about that which is great and good in our country. For me, Saturday was certainly a strong reminder of these heroes - and one in particular named Ralph Johnson who once walked the streets of Charleston.



March 27

Hilton Head Monthly Q & A: One of the great things about being at home is that I get to see and speak with so many different people. Indeed, today has been a great example of this.

Starting around 7:15 this morning, I dropped by Wando High School to speak with an AP class about what’s going on in politics these days…. Then I held neighborhood office hours in Awendaw, followed by a visit with the Berkeley Emergency Management Team in Moncks Corner, a lunch with Summerville realtors and then more neighborhood office hours in Summerville. I just finished another round of office hours in the Bi-Lo parking lot on Edisto Beach where people like Mayor Jane Darby, councilmen Jerome Kizer and Crawford Moore - and active citizens like Marie Bost were in attendance.

From here, I am now on my way to a town hall meeting in Beaufort at six p.m.

You here all sorts of different opinions and I learn a lot, but this is not to say that there are not disagreements...there are. But when people take the time to come talk with me, tell me what’s on their mind, and see if there’s anything I can do about it, then I have another data point in trying to work out where the district lies as a whole on specific issues. So, while I like to hear what I get right, there is probably more value in hearing points of disagreement. The oftentimes vigorous back and forth that comes in debate makes me think more on the merits and demerits of opinions held, and that’s vital in trying to represent you.

In that vein, I wanted to share this Hilton Head Monthly piece where I weigh in on a host of current issues: education, government spending, immigration, offshore drilling….

I’d certainly like to hear what you have to say about my comments and get your expanded opinion of these points.



March 28

Taxes vs Fees: If you spend a dollar from your left pocket because you pay a tax to the federal government, and then later spend another dollar from your right pocket because you pay a fee to the federal government… it seems to me that you just spent two dollars to the federal government.

Back when I was governor, I used to get into endless rounds of back-and-forth with legislators in Columbia on this idea of taxes vs. fees. As you may know, South Carolina has a very high fee structure relative to a lot of other states out there, and I always argue that for most people, they didn’t care much what you called it and instead focused primarily on how many dollars were leaving their pocket and winding up in the pocket of government.

For all intents and purposes, a fee is a different form of tax to government. It may be earmarked for a specific purpose, and we may even like the specific purpose for which it is earmarked…but it’s my view that we should always focus on the bottom line of what leaves taxpayers and goes off to government in considering the relative worth of any new fee or tax.

If one believes that individual liberty is important, you would consequently want to minimize the number of dollars leaving individuals’ hands and going to government because the money that we have to spend represents power and authority to do things. You can buy a new car, you can go to the restaurant, or you can do more of a whole host of things that might be tied to the Founding Fathers’ belief that we should be as free as possible in our ability to pursue our respective definitions of what we were promised in “the pursuit of happiness”...that followed life and liberty in the Founding Fathers’ promise to us as Americans.

All this brings me to the more mundane, and that is an actual bright spot in the omnibus bill that I voted against.

It did not include an increase of the passenger facility charge (PFC) cap. The PFC is a fee that’s added to all US airline tickets of up to $4.50 on each leg of a flight. It’s one of those hidden fees that are attached to air travel that bump up the price of tickets. Under this program, the Federal Aviation Administration collects about $3 billion a year and then redistributes it to airports for infrastructure improvements.

It’s another of those thousand and one little fees and add-ons that we get zapped by government in the course of our daily lives. Again, a good cause…but did we really need to double the fee?

I say this because there was talk that this fee might be increased by $4.00 on the initial leg of a trip. Simply put, that would amount to a tax increase of over 2 billion a year without debate, and I don’t believe a tax increase of this magnitude should be tacked onto a must-pass bill to keep the government open. I mention this because I led a letter along with 20 of my colleagues in the House opposing the inclusion of this increased fee as a so-called “rider” on the bill. Accordingly, I was pleased that at least on this matter our voices were heard.

I’ve included the letter in full, if you would like to learn more….





Photos From Around the 1st District: