By Morgan Griffith
In less than two short years, unified Democrat control of the Federal Government has diminished our country in ways that would astound even a pessimist.
Inflation has risen to levels not seen in forty years. Gas prices hit record highs earlier this year. More than two million illegal immigrants have been encountered at the southern border this fiscal year before it has even ended, not counting the significant number that have evaded detection.
Each of these crises has been created or made worse by policies promoted by President Biden and his party’s majorities in the House and Senate.
President Biden and the liberals in Congress wreaked havoc on the economy by pouring trillions of dollars into it. Too many dollars chasing too few goods is the classic formula for inflation, yet Democrats persisted.
The good news is that these problems can be solved with the right policies and the right congressional majorities.
Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives have been working on a plan to improve the economy, lower costs, unleash the potential of our people and resources, and secure the country. Our plan is called the Commitment to America.
The Commitment to America contains four planks:
- An economy that’s strong;
- A nation that’s safe
- A future that’s built on freedom; and
- A government that’s accountable.
The Commitment to America calls for reducing wasteful spending to bring costs for essentials like housing and groceries under control. It also calls for tax and regulatory reform to grow wages, create good jobs, and stabilize the economy. After the pandemic and the Biden-created cost of living crisis, Americans are ready for a return to economic normalcy, and the Commitment to America would deliver it.
As part of the Commitment to America, we would unleash America’s energy potential by encouraging domestic production and cutting the time of the lengthy permitting process for projects. More energy produced here would lower gas and utility prices. We would also promote manufacturing in our country and seek to bring our supply chains closer to home. These moves would insulate our economy from the whims of foreign powers.
The primary job of a government is to protect its citizens, and the Commitment to America demands that the Federal Government do this job better than it has under an inept and ideologically driven Biden Administration. We would give immigration enforcement officers the tools they need to secure the border, including money to finish the wall. We would also take aim at the perverse incentives in government policy that encourage illegal immigration, such as “catch and release” letting apprehended migrants stay here.
In the Commitment to America, law enforcement officers are supported with no risk of defunding them, and threats to public safety like fentanyl are treated with appropriate seriousness.
As part of the Commitment to America, we would expand the freedom and choices open to Americans. This includes health care. Access to telehealth would be improved, offering more opportunities for care in rural and remote areas like many in Virginia’s Ninth Congressional District. We would focus on bringing transparency and competition to health care, driving down costs without sacrificing medical innovation.
Finally, the Commitment to America would bring much-needed accountability to the Federal Government. Despite Congress’ constitutional obligation to conduct oversight, Democrats have chosen to look the other way no matter how incompetently or dishonestly the Biden Administration behaves. That would end under Republican leadership.
The Commitment to America is a straightforward, focused plan to improve the way Washington works in order to better serve the citizens of our country. President Biden may oppose it, but he will have to explain why his approach is the better one despite the various failures under his leadership.
You can learn more about the Commitment to America by visiting https://www.republicanleader.gov/commitment/.