Tom Rice honored with Legislative Excellence Award
Congressman Tom Rice received the Award for Manufacturing Legislative Excellence from Nucor Darlington VP Doyle Hopper and Vulcraft VP Shannon Phillips.
Photo by Samantha Lyles
By Samantha Lyles, Staff Writer, slyles@newsandpress.net
U.S. Congressman Tom Rice (R – 7th District) was honored last Friday with the 2016 NAM (National Association of Manufacturers) Legislative Excellence Award. Rice visited Nucor Darlington and received the award from Nucor VP and General Manager Doyle Hopper and Vulcraft VP and General Manager Shannon Phillips.
“This award goes to members of Congress whose voting record on key manufacturing votes demonstrates an understanding and support for the manufacturing sector’s vital role in our economy and our society,” said Hopper, noting that in the 114th Congress, Rice voted in favor of 93 percent of NAM’s key legislative issues. “(Rice) has done a stellar job supporting the American workers and the American manufacturers.”
Hopper said that two matters of vital importance to Nucor are infrastructure funding and strong trade policy, and Rice has backed these issues by voting for the FAST (Fixing America’s Surface Transportation) Act, and trade facilitation and enforcement legislation.
Rice gave a brief talk to Nucor team members and ceremony guests, discussing some positive economic developments for the 7th District (which includes parts of Darlington, Horry, Georgetown, Marion, Dillon, Marlboro, Chesterfield, and Florence Counties).
“The biggest thing that’s happened in this district in a long time is that Dillon inland port. That will produce more jobs in the medium term than Dillon County will be able to (fill). I think it’s going to lift Marion and Dillon and Marlboro, three counties that desperately need jobs,” said Rice.
Rice said that many of the difficulties America now faces in the global business marketplace emanate from Washington, and he lauded changes to the tax code and regulatory policy as steps in the right direction. He also praised President Donald Trump’s aggressive commitment to manufacturing and industry, which he hopes will translate to a healthier economic growth rate.
“Instead of our economy growing at 1.8 percent like it did last quarter, I think we might be at 2.8 or even 3.1,” said Rice. “That’s a huge difference for this country, and that’s a huge difference for South Carolina.”