United States Senator for Mississippi Roger Wicker visited Pearl River County Friday afternoon to speak at City Hall.

Wicker began his presentation with an overview of his visit to Huntington Ingalls Industries in Pascagoula earlier in the day.

He said the employees at Ingalls are working hard to equip the men and women serving in the U.S. Navy.

“Under the Ships Act, which I proposed, the Navy is required to have a minimum of a 355-ship fleet,” Wicker said. “Our goal is to get our Navy back to where it was.”

Wicker also discussed how the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act went into effect earlier in the month and how the Act has a positive effect on over 90 percent of Americans.

“I was pleased to know that the workers at Ingalls received a $500 bonus, thanks to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which was signed into law by President Donald Trump,” Wicker said.

Afterwards, Wicker said Feb. 13 marked the two-year anniversary of the death of former Supreme Court justice Antonin Scalia.

“Scalia loved to come and visit Mississippi and we hated to lose him,” Wicker said.

Wicker said Neil Gorsuch took Scalia’s seat a year after his death because Scalia passed away during an election year.

Lastly, Wicker discussed how fewer business regulations have paved the way for steady job growth in Mississippi.

“There is a mom and dad out there who are business owners who are feeling less of a federal burden because of these new regulations,” Wicker said. “Now, they are able to grow their business financially, which also allows them to create more jobs.”

Wicker finished his presentation by saying he’s excited to see the growth of Mississippi in the near future.