{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.scott.senate.gov/media-center/press-releases/senator-scott-2024-year-in-review/", "Senator Scott 2024 Year in Review", "2024-12-31", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "Senate", "SC", "Tim Scott", "S001184", "www.scott.senate.gov", "timscott", "https://www.scott.senate.gov/media-center/press-releases/jsf/jet-engine:press-list", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2014 Today, U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.) released his 2024 year in review, highlighting his work on behalf of the people of South Carolina and efforts to advance his Opportunity Agenda across the country.\n\n\u201cI am incredibly proud of the work we\u2019ve accomplished this year on behalf of South Carolinians, and I look forward to tackling all the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead next year. My mission is to positively affect the lives of a billion people with a message of hope and opportunity. Every American deserves the chance to achieve their version of the American Dream, and I will continue fighting each day to make that opportunity a reality,\u201d said Senator Scott.\n\nThis year, Senator Scott introduced 42 bills, 9 resolutions, and 16 amendments.\n\nSouth Carolina\n\nThe Senator and his team assisted more than 6,000 South Carolinians with casework requests.\n\nStrengthening a direct line of communication with constituents remained a priority for the Senator and allowed him to send over 26,000 letters to South Carolinians in 2024.\n\nThousands of communities across South Carolina and neighboring southeastern states have worked hard to recover from Hurricane Helene and Milton. Senator Scott pushed for Congress to demonstrate leadership and help ease the pain of those who have lost everything. That\u2019s why he championed a bill to replenish the SBA Disaster Loan Program, providing essential assistance to families and small businesses as they continue their recovery. Additionally, Senator Scott led legislation to replenish the Federal Emergency Management Agency\u2019s FEMA Disaster Relief Fund (DRF), which works to assist individuals, households, states, and non-federal government entities with recovery following a natural disaster. As part of an end-of-year government funding package, Senator Scott helped secure $29 billion for the DRF and $2.25 billion for the SBA Disaster Loan Program.\n\nAmerican Energy and Infrastructure\n\nIn an effort to restore American energy dominance and independence, Senator Scott introduced the Unlocking Domestic LNG Potential Act of 2024 in January to eliminate the requirement for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to authorize the export of of American liquefied natural gas (LNG) and give the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) sole authority over the approval process. In February, the House version of this bill, led by Representative August Pfluger, was passed 224 \u2014 200.\n\nSenator Scott recognizes the importance of pursuing local solutions for local problems that will promote targeted developments to improve infrastructure in both urban and rural communities. To that end, the Senator teamed up with Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Representative Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) in a letter to Secretary Buttigieg at the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) expressing support for a grant for the SC Department of Transportation (SCDOT) to replace a critical bridge over Lake Marion.\n\nAdditionally, the Senator sent a letter to DOT in July, asking for the prompt review of the SCDOT proposal for the Multimodal Project Discretionary Grant for Long Point Road and I-526.\n\nCommittee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs\n\nAs the Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, Senator Scott led his Republican colleagues on the committee to advance pro-growth policies to support communities across the country.\n\nSenator Scott introduced the ROAD to Housing Act to pave the way for more affordable housing opportunities and ensure our federal housing regulators are accountable to the taxpayers they serve. Senator Scott also put forward capital markets legislation, the Empowering Main Street in America Act, that will increase access to capital for entrepreneurs in every corner of our nation and allow more Americans to invest in their local communities. And as the scourge of fentanyl plagues too many communities, Congress successfully passed\u2014and the president signed into law\u2014Senator Scott\u2019s FEND Off Fentanyl Act to target the illicit fentanyl trade and the illegal money laundering operations supporting this devastating criminal enterprise.\n\nSenator Scott also used his position as the top Republican on the committee to conduct rigorous oversight over the Biden-Harris administration\u2019s progressive agenda and rulemaking. From the Federal Reserve\u2019s Basel III Endgame proposal, to the Securities and Exchange Commission\u2019s climate disclosure rule, to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau\u2019s mislabeling of legitimate payment incentives, Senator Scott pushed back on rules and regulations that would stifle economic opportunity.\n\nSenator Scott\u2019s longstanding efforts to hold the Biden-Harris administration accountable for its appeasement of Iran resulted in a critical reporting requirement from his Revoke Iranian Funding Act being signed into law, ensuring Congress has the information on Iran sanctions it needs to provide oversight of the Biden-Harris administration and take action against the Iranian regime.\n\nTo see a full list of Senator Scott\u2019s accomplishments during his second year as the Republican leader of the Senate Banking Committee, click here.\n\nEducation\n\nThroughout his time in public service, Senator Scott has worked to broaden quality educational opportunities for all, regardless of race, zip code, or background.\n\nThe Senator recognizes the positive strides charter schools have made to shape education in South Carolina and around the nation, and help the next generation achieve their American Dream. To recognize their positive impact, Senator Scott introduced a resolution congratulating the students, parents, teachers, and leaders of charter schools across the country during the 25th Annual National Charter Schools Week. In May, the Senate agreed to this resolution, celebrating the work of charter schools in helping students succeed in the classroom and beyond.\n\nIf students are fearing for their safety on campus, they cannot focus on receiving a quality education. Through his Antisemitism Awareness Act, a bill that changes the definition of antisemitism the U.S. Department of Education uses when investigating antisemitic acts on college campuses, Senator Scott is focused on protecting the rights of Jewish students on college campuses across America.\n\nHealthcare\n\nEveryone in the Palmetto State\u2014regardless of race, background, or zip-code\u2014deserves access to high-quality healthcare. Throughout the year, Senator Scott championed legislation designed to make American healthcare more accessible, patient-centered, and affordable.\n\nSickle cell disease continues to affect thousands of Americans, oftentimes those without access to specialized care. His Sickle Cell Disease and Other Heritable Blood Disorders Research, Surveillance, Prevention, and Treatment Act of 2023, which reauthorizes the Sickle Cell Disease Treatment Demonstration Program until Fiscal Year 2028, makes strides in ensuring those affected have access to the treatment they need to manage their healthcare. This legislation passed in the House of Representatives.\n\nSenator Scott also led four resolutions\u2014National Poison Prevention Week, National Minority Health Month, National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, and Sickle Cell Disease Awareness Month\u2014all of which unanimously passed. The passage of these resolutions reaffirms Senator Scott\u2019s commitment to seeking out legislation that will help create a healthier, stronger nation.\n\nSenator Scott recognizes the impact of the Medicare Advantage program and the health coverage it provides to over 32 million seniors and individuals with disabilities. When Washington bureaucrats threatened American seniors\u2019 coverage access and choices, Senator Scott led a bipartisan letter to the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) encouraging the agency to continue to support and strengthen the Medicare Advantage program. Sixty-one senators signed onto the letter, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Mike Crapo (R-Idaho).\n\nRestoring Law and Order\n\nSenator Scott has consistently worked to foster growth, investment, and economic opportunity both domestically and globally, which begins by restoring law and order.\n\nAs part of this effort, the Senator introduced the COACHES Act, Laken Riley Act, Protect Our Communities from DUIs Act, Protect Our Presidents Act, and Build the Wall Act of 2024, and supported the SAVE Act and Protect and Serve Act of 2024.\n\nNational Security and Foreign Affairs\n\nThroughout his time as a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the Senator has championed policies to strengthen U.S. national security, support our allies, and push back on our adversaries.\n\nIt\u2019s been more than a year since Iranian-proxy Hamas\u2019 October 7 attack on Israel, and Senator Scott continues to stand by our greatest ally in the Middle East, introducing a resolution that reiterates Israel\u2019s right to self-defense and condemning recent statements from U.S. lawmakers, which interfere in Israel\u2019s sovereign electoral process.\n\nFollowing reports indicating that the Palestinian Authority (PA) would attempt to downgrade Israel\u2019s status at the United Nations (UN), Senator Scott joined Ranking Member Jim Risch (R-Idaho) in introducing the Stand with Israel Act, a bill to cut off U.S. funding to UN agencies that expel, downgrade, suspend, or otherwise restrict the participation of the State of Israel. Additionally, the Senator introduced the Maintaining Our Ironclad Commitment to Israel\u2019s Security Act, which provides congressional oversight of proposed changes to arms sales to Israel. Senator Scott is vocal about his unequivocal support for Israel and its right to self-defense, as demonstrated in his letter to the editor in The Wall Street Journal and letter to the Biden-Harris administration.\n\nWe cannot say we support our allies while we fail to protect them against their enemies. Senator Scott sponsored and introduced the Preventing Terrorism at the U.N. Act of 2024, which would prohibit the United States from voluntarily contributing to the United Nations. More specifically, this legislation cuts off all funding to the UN until the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) is permanently shuttered and the Secretary of State can certify that no UN employees in UNRWA\u2019s current jurisdiction support terrorism. Additionally, the Senator introduced the No Bystanders at the United Nations Human Rights Council Act of 2024 to withhold certain UN funding until the United Nations Human Rights Council mandates a body to investigate human rights abuses in the People\u2019s Republic of China.\n\nTo further these efforts, Senator Scott introduced the Indian Ocean Region Strategic Review Act of 2024, which strengthens the role of the United States military in the Indian Ocean region.\n\nSenator Scott is taking proactive steps to prevent our national securities agencies from doing business with companies that are linked to the Chinese Communist Party and the People\u2019s Liberation Army. He introduced the Blocking Bad Batteries Act, prohibiting the US. Department of State from procuring batteries produced by certain Chinese government-linked companies.\n\nThrough the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2025, Senator Scott secured the passage of several important initiatives for South Carolina, such as:\n\n$33 million for an Aeromedical Evacuation Facility at Joint Base Charleston (USAF Reserve)\n\n$72.05 million for new Ambulatory Care Clinic (Dental) at Parris Island (Navy/USMC)\n\n$31.5 million for a new Fuel Pier at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort (Navy/USMC)\n\n$75.33 million for Plutonium Pit Production at the Savannah River Site (SRS) (DOE/NNSA)\n\n$1.2 billion for the SRS Plutonium Process Facility (DOE/NNSA)\n\n$400.54 million for the SRS Risk Management Operations (DOE/NNSA)", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:07:19Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.scott.senate.gov/media-center/press-releases/senator-scott-2024-year-in-review/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.7630578950047493, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}