Let’s consider this hypothetical but comparable scenario:

Suppose that in 2016 President Barack Obama had personally expected his vice president, Joe Biden, to violate the 12th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and overturn the electoral college votes on behalf of Hilary Clinton due to claims of voter irregularities.

When Biden refused, Obama released Black Lives Matter and other radical groups to invade the Capital building resulting in destruction and deaths and he did very little to stop the violence.

Every Republican in the Congress, many Democrats, you, I and all other patriotic 7th District citizens would have wholeheartedly supported impeachment proceedings against President Obama on the grounds of “Incitement and Insurrection.”

The 12th Amendment specifically decrees that: “The president of the Senate SHALL open all the certificates and the votes SHALL then be counted.” It is basically unconstitutional for any member of the executive branch to attempt to change the electoral college responsibilities of the legislative branch of our government.

Back to reality, Rep. Tom Rice, who supported President Donald Trump’s conservative policies almost 95% of the time, voted to uphold our United States Constitution when President Trump intentionally attempted to violate the 12th Amendment through pressure on Vice President Mike Pence in Congress and with the secretary of state in Georgia and then approved the illegal tactics of incitement of a riot against the House and Senate members within the Capitol building.

Tom Rice prayerfully, logically and correctly voted in favor of maintaining the integrity of America’s constitutional law and not politically giving in to one person’s illegal self-serving demands.

The voters in the 7th District should look at Rice’s total body of work over his nine years successfully representing the residents in the Pee Dee and Grand Strand areas.

He supported President Trump’s domestic and international policies and legislation most of the time. The legislation he wavered with Trump on were his votes in favor of bills that included increased financial support for federal disaster relief in our area and the farm bill which helped farmers get back on their feet.

As a CPA/tax attorney, Tom Rice’s expertise and respect on budget matters have resulted in his being the ranking GOP member of the Ways and Means Oversight Committee.

He is the first South Carolina congressional member in 36 years to be appointed to a leadership position on the powerful House Ways and Means Committee.

Seventh District residents cannot afford to lose Rice’s influence on that committee. His credibility in the House has acquired additional financial support in the 7th District resulting in historic job growth through economic development and record lows in unemployment.

To paint Rice with a misguided broad RINO brush is portraying a false narrative when he is essentially a proven conservative Republican who also puts America First.

The residents of the 7th District are smart enough to not be bullied by a person who turns on his long-term political friends the first time they disagree with him as Trump did with Mike Pence and Tom Rice.

A vote for Rice is a confirmation that the 7th District and South Carolina will be better represented in Congress.

CARROLL PLAYER

Florence