Tim Scott, Joe Wilson, Jeff Duncan fighting against 'federal overreach'

Jan. 11—Three of the four men representing Aiken County in the 118th Congress are getting right to work fighting back against what they've calling federal government overreach.

Vice President Kamala Harris swore U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., and others into the 118th Congress Jan. 3. U.S. Reps. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., and Jeff Duncan, R-S.C., were sworn into office Jan. 7 after the House elected Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., as house speaker.

Scott

Scott recently issued a statement criticizing the new Environmental Protection Agency definition that expands what rivers, creeks and lakes the agency can regulate.

"The Biden administration continues to create confusion and bureaucratic burdens for hard-working farmers and landowners in South Carolina and across the country," Scott said in a news release.

He said the new rule would remove power from farmers, ranchers, manufacturers, homeowners and small business owners and put it in the hands of the EPA to regulate private waters.

"With more wetlands than the majority of states, South Carolina stands to be disproportionately harmed by this regulatory overreach," Scott said. "I am hopeful the upcoming Supreme Court ruling will provide much-needed clarity and economic freedom."

In the 118th Congress, Scott will serve as ranking member — most senior senator from the minority party — of the Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee.

Wilson

Wilson said he will work with McCarthy to make lives and communities stronger and safer, to create jobs, to promote conservative solutions, to combat inflation, to secure the country's borders, and to safeguard the military and veterans.

"American families deserve a government that is transparent and accountable. I will fight to restore the people's voice," Wilson said in a news release.

Wilson will continue to serve as chairman of the Republican Study Committee's National Security Conference in the 118th Congress.

Duncan

Duncan reintroduced 10 bills to begin his work in the 118th Congress including bills that would:

* prevent the release of prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay into the United States;

* change the prevailing wage enforcement floor from $20,000 to $1 million;

* prohibit the Federal Communications Commission from reimplementing the doctrine requiring equal time for both sides of an issue (the Rush [Limbaugh] Was Right Act);

* prohibit U.S. embassies from flying any other flag than the U.S. flag (the Old Glory Only Act);

* revoking Major League Baseball's antitrust exemption (Competitiveness in Professional Baseball Act);

* preventing the transportation or import of child-like sex dolls (the JUSTICE Act);

* prohibiting federal funds from being made available to states and cities that let non-citizens vote;

* preventing the president from implementing a fracking ban (the Protecting American Energy Production Act); and

* removing short-barreled shotguns and suppressors from the definition of a firearm and ordering Department of Justice records related to the registration of both destroyed.