They Tried to Erase Him. Jim Clyburn’s Massive Workload Proves Why They Can’t.

We all know that Republicans in South Carolina, in their endless quest to make President Trump proud of them, did their level best to eliminate South Carolina’s 6th Congressional District currently held by Rep. Jim Clyburn. 

That’s one issue.

Another is the fact that this latest effort to exterminate and eliminate Black representation across the South by way of racial gerrymandering – otherwise known as mid-decade redistricting – inspired some haters and clickbaiters to question Rep. Clyburn’s accomplishments.

“What has he done for South Carolina, anyway?” they ask imagining it’s some kind of mic drop on the debate. Well, they asked. So I’ll answer.

Now, when it comes to Rep. Clyburn, you should know that while there are some in Congress who may not agree with him. Everyone respects him. How could you not? I mean, here’s a man who came from humble beginnings, the son of a minister and a civic-minded beautician, who started his career as a school teacher and rose to become a United States Congressman and a true leader.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a Democrat, Republican or Independent. In fact, even if you don’t know your political ideology, you can work with Rep. Clyburn. He’s served SC6 since 1992 and he’s served all of South Carolina even longer. 

Some like to talk. Rep Clyburn delivers. But you don’t have to take my word for it. Here are a few reminders.

• $689 MILLION for South Carolina’s Port Deepening
• $160 MILLION for the Lake Marion Regional Water Agency (a key selling point that brought Volvo and Mercedes to SC)
• $175 MILLION for the I-95 bridge replacement
• $45 MILLION after South Carolina was designated a Federal Tech Hub
• $1.1 BILLION for broadband and high-speed internet expansion
• $500 MILLION for improvements to I-20 and I-26 otherwise known as “Malfunction Junction”
• $61.7 MILLION for new school buses
• $70 MILLION for the Clemson/SCSU Ag Producer Initiative
• $19 MILLION for South Carolina State’s ROTC facility
• $20 MILLION for the Claflin Science Center
• Historic investments into South Carolina universities and HBCUs
• and let’s not forget adopting the historic “10-20-30” formula that directed investment into persistently poor communities across America, many of them right here in the South.

He helped establish and preserve national treasures right here in South Carolina including:

• Congaree National Park
• Fort Sumter/Fort Moultrie
• Brown v. Board Historic Park
• Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor
• South Carolina National Heritage Corridor
• Southern Campaign of the Revolution Heritage Corridor

Do you think Rep. Russell Fry (SC7) called President Biden in 2021 when Georgetown County needed $2.5 million for flood prevention? Of course not. Rep. Clyburn did.

Did then-Rep. Jeff Duncan (SC3) call the White House to get $3.9 million so Clemson University could buy electric buses? Of course not. The White House would have ignored them. That’s why Rep. Clyburn did it despite the fact that Duncan voted against it and Clemson is nowhere near his district.

Who did Gov. McMaster call when he needed $175 million to build a bridge over Lake Marion? That’s right, Rep. Clyburn. 

Even this year, with the GOP controlling the House, the Senate and the White House, Rep. Clyburn still managed to secure more than $50 million in community projects across SC6 and $72 million in Department of Defense plus-ups, including funding for USC and Clemson.

What has he done? How’s that for a start…and it’s just a small sample. The fact is that, while Republicans are shouting their reddest red meat for the primary crowd right now, they’re not talking about how they count on him when the well looks dry and there’s nowhere else to turn. You won’t hear how Republicans all across the state, from Governors to Soil and Water Commissioners count on him to deliver, how they call to ask for his help with funding and more and how they get that help time and time again.

Oh, you might see the occasional few break from the crowd because, at least for them, the truth is still more powerful than the delusion. And we should recognize them for standing up for the better angels of our nature when their party is doing its best to empower the worst. Unfortunately, they are too often the exception rather than the rule.

Yet somehow they forget all that help in times like this. They forget who’s been there for them because remembering would highlight the hypocrisy of refusing to speak out when the MAGA crowd wants to draw him off the map because they can’t beat him at the ballot box.

They forget…but we don’t.

We don’t forget like some who want to take the credit for work he’s done. We don’t forget like those who show up at the ribbon cutting even though they voted against the project. We don’t forget like those cheap politicians who want to eat the bread but couldn’t be bothered to knead the dough.

The fact is that Rep. Clyburn doesn’t brag about the things he’s done. He lets the work speak for itself because while some folks are trying to run a victory lap, he’s already on to the next thing.

So what has Rep. Clyburn done for South Carolina’s 6th Congressional District? What has he done for us?

Take a look around. The answer is everything. Maybe you forgot…but we didn’t.