Congressman Joe Wilson makes Midlands stops during bus tour

BATESBURG-LEESVILLE, SC (WOLO) — South Carolina’s 2nd congressional district  runs from the state border with Georgia to just north of Columbia and includes many Midlands communities.

The district has been served by Republican Congressman Joe Wilson since 2001. Thursday, he made a stop in Lexington County.

“It’s always great to have Congressman Wilson in Batesburg-Leesville. He’s no stranger here,” said Batesburg-Leesville town manager Ted Luckadoo.

All week, Wilson heard the concerns of the people he represents. 

“Everywhere I go, people are concerned about inflation and how it destroys jobs,” said Rep. Joe Wilson. “The good news is that there are a number of businesses expanding. We still have an issue on Main Street for a lot of the communities I represent.”

The town of Batesburg-Leesville has two historic Main Street districts that leaders hope to revitalize, including the addition of the multimillion dollar Woodard Unity Park project in downtown Batesburg. 

“We have hit the point where we’re ready to look at bonding and funding,” Luckadoo said. “We’re probably not going to get everything done at one time, but we can look at priority phasing our projects.”

Before his trip to Lexington County’s twin cities, Wilson made stops in other Midlands communities. He says that this year’s Boeing Aircraft deal with Saudi Arabia will have a ripple effect in our area. 

“There are consequences of that. Boeing Aircraft is made in Charleston but the suppliers and manufacturers are of the Midlands,” the congressman said. “The cable is made by Prysmian of Lexington. The tubing is made by Zeus of Orangeburg. The interiors are made in Aiken.”

When he returns to Washington, Wilson says a top priority is passing the National Defense Authorization Act. 

“It is crucial to the programs at Fort Jackson. We have wonderful people serving there. It’s such an inspiration,” he said. “We toured the training facilities during this trip. When I get back, I’m grateful that I get to work on these issues that are so crucial to people of the 2nd district.”