CHERAW - A brief press conference was held in front of Cheraw Town Hall last Friday afternoon as S.C. Republican Sen. Mick Mulvaney, representing District 16 in Lancaster and York Counties, made his way to Cheraw as part of his campaign to challenge Democratic U.S. Rep. John Spratt, for a seat in the U.S. Congress. Mulvaney announced recently that he is challenging Spratt in the upcoming 2010 political race. According to Mulvaney, who represents Lancaster and York Counties in the South Carolina State Senate, his decision to challenge Spratt, (R-York) District 5, came after attending a recent town hall meeting on healthcare in Rock Hill, S.C.

“I never thought that I would end up running for Congress, but with the bail-outs, the cap and trade issue and the numerous concerns over nationalized healthcare, I just got tired of watching what is going on in Washington,” said Mulvaney. He stressed that while he sat in the September meeting in Rock Hill, more than 600 people showed up with concerns about President Obama‘s healthcare plan. “It was then that I decided to run for Congress. I feel what is happening in Washington on certain issues, especially the healthcare plan, is enough. And, enough is enough.” Mulvaney highlighted on two hot topics in question that Americans are facing today, which is healthcare as well as the nation’s deficit. “We just can’t keep spending money in Washington,” he added.

Mulvaney said that his plan is geared toward Spratt’s supporting the $787 billion economic stimulus bill, the cap and trade energy bill and President Obama’s nationalized healthcare plan. In conclusion, Mulvaney added,

"You're going to see more of me than you care to see during the next year because we are going to win this, one county at a time.”

According to Mulvaney, aside from his political life, he is President of the Mulvaney Company, a diversified small business with restaurant and real estate operations. He is also active in numerous other organizations and is a Charter member of the Indian Land Rotary Club; Board of Advisors, Spring Memorial Hospital; Board of Visitors, USC-Lancaster; Board of Directors, Lancaster County Chamber of Commerce, Member, 521 Corridor Committee; Campaign Chair, United Way and a member of St. Phillip Neri Catholic Church/Our Lady of Grace Mission. Mulvaney has served in the House of Representatives from 2006-08. He is a graduate of Georgetown University, International Economics, Commerce and Finance, cum laude (1989), UNC-Chappell Hill, Law School (1992) and Harvard Business School, Owner and President’s Management (2006). He and his wife, Pam, reside in Indian Land and have nine-year-old triplets. According to Mulvaney, his current Senate Committee Assignments include, Agriculture and Natural Resources, Corrections and Penology, Judiciary, Labor, Commerce and Industry and Medical Affairs.

During a telephone interview on Tuesday, U.S. Rep. John Spratt, said, “I did vote for the affordable healthcare plan for America. It is not a perfect plan and it needs a lot of improvement but in the long run, I feel it will help a lot of people,” said Spratt. He continued, “When we wrote the budget resolution for fiscal year 2010, we required that the cost be deficit-neutral, so that every dollar spent is offset by a dollar saved. While the House proposal will be fully offset, savings in the existing health care program would offset a little more than half of the House proposal. I want to see even more of the cost offset by savings in the health care system.”

Spratt, who was elected in 1982, is seeking his 15th term, according to www.Spratt.house.gov. He grew up in York, South Carolina and graduated from York High School and Davidson College. At both schools, he was president of the student body. He won a Marshall Scholarship to Oxford, where he studied economics, and earned a law degree from Yale. He served as a captain in the Army from 1969 -71, and was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal. In 1971, he came home to South Carolina to practice law. He was county and school district attorney, president of the Bank of Fort Mill, owner of a farm and small insurance agency. Active in his community, he was an elder at First Presbyterian Church, president of the Chamber of Commerce and United Way, and chairman of the Board of Divine Saviour Hospital. He is also the second ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee. He serves on three subcommittees, Oversight and Investigations, Strategic Forces, and Air and Land Forces.

In addition to his committee work, Spratt co-chairs the Textile Caucus, the Bearing Caucus and the Nuclear Energy Caucus.

He is married to Jane Stacy of Filbert, South Carolina, a graduate of Winthrop University and Smith College and a former schoolteacher. They have three daughters and five grandchildren.