Tom Rice

Rice was elected to the U.S. House in 2012 as the first representative for the newly created 7th district. He defeated Jay Jordan, Randal Wallace, Dick Withington, James Mader, Chad Prosser, Katherine Jenerette, and Renee Culler in the June 12 Republican primary to advance to a runoff. In the June 26 runoff he defeated Andre Bauer. Rice defeated Gloria Bromell Tinubu in the November 6 general election.[7][8]

Rice was reelected in 2014, defeating Bromell Tinubu again, with 60.15% of the vote to her 39.85%.[2]

Rice has co-sponsored several pieces of legislation including Safe Schools Act of 2013, a bill to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and health care-related provisions in the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 and others.[9]

Rice has pushed changes to port funding,[10][11] offered victims help to replace Social Security cards, and other federal documents after massive fire destroys 26 condo buildings,[12] made statements on President Obama's press conferences,[13] made a statement on the passage of the Require a PLAN Act,[14] and made a statement on the President's State of the Union Address.[15][16]

Rice is a member of the Republican Study Committee[17] and the United States Congressional International Conservation Caucus.[18]

In December 2020, Rice was one of 126 Republican members of the House of Representatives to sign an amicus brief in support of Texas v. Pennsylvania, a lawsuit filed at the United States Supreme Court contesting the results of the 2020 presidential election, in which Joe Biden defeated[19] incumbent Donald Trump. The Supreme Court declined to hear the case on the basis that Texas lacked standing under Article III of the Constitution to challenge the results of an election held by another state.[20][21][22]

On January 13, 2021, Rice was one of ten Republicans who voted to impeach Trump a second time.[23] As late as two days before the impeachment debate, he opposed impeaching Trump.[24] But Rice told The Post and Courier that Trump's response to the storming of the Capitol changed his mind. He criticized Trump for not offering condolences to those who were injured, or the two police officers who died. In a press release, Rice also upbraided Trump for his lack of contrition. Ultimately, Rice said, Trump's "utter failure" in the matter forced him to vote for impeachment.[25][26] He did so later that day, alongside nine other Republicans.[5]

On January 30, 2021, The South Carolina Republican Party voted to formally censure Rice for his impeachment vote.[27]

United States House Committee on Ways and Means

In early November 2015, the House appointed Rice to the Ways and Means Committee. On November 18, 2015, Congressman Kevin Brady appointed Rice to the Oversight, Social Security, and Human Resources subcommittees.[28][29]

Past Committee assignments

• Committee on the Budget
• Committee on Small Business
  • Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Tax and Capital Access (Chair)
  • Subcommittee on Investigations, Oversight and Regulations
• Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
  • Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation
  • Subcommittee on Highways and Transit
  • Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment

In December 2012, the House appointed Rice to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, the Committee on the Budget and the Committee on Small Business of the 113th Congress.[30][31]

On January 8, 2013, Congressman Sam Graves appointed Rice chairman of the Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Tax and Capital Access. Graves said that Rice would be a "great fit" because of his knowledge of the challenges facing small business owners. Rice said he would "work to limit government overreach, enact serious tax reform, and lower the cost of doing business in America, so our small business owners—America’s economic engine—can compete in our economy and the global marketplace."[32]

On January 22, 2013, Rice was appointed to the following subcommittees: Highways and Transit, Water Resources and Environment, and Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation. He said the appointments would allow him to work for the funding and construction of Interstate 73 as well as the dredging of the Georgetown Port.[33][34]

On November 11, 2013, Rice was appointed to the water resources conference committee, which helped resolve differences between the House and Senate versions of the Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2013. The version that passed the House would allow for the dredging of the Georgetown port, a $33 million project, and would bring an estimated $30 million annual economic boost to the local economy. In a press release, Rice wrote, "My district sent me to Washington to work on our infrastructure needs and the needs of the state" and, "Since joining the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, I have made it my goal to do whatever it takes to champion South Carolina's ports."[35][36][37][38]