A Government That's Accountable

Under one party rule in Washington, the federal government has been focused on pushing an out of touch agenda. Democrats throughout Washington have made policy decisions that supersede authority – utilizing procedural gimmicks, executive orders, and new executive agency rules. In Congress, Democrats are forcing partisan legislation, many times with zero Republican input and without proper committee consideration. With no accountability for their actions, Americans are losing faith in their government system. Luckily, House Republicans have a plan to return the power to the people and restore trust in America’s leaders. Through committee and task force work over the past year and a half, my colleagues and I have identified policy proposals that will make the government more accountable to the American people. This is one pillar in our Commitment to America.

First and foremost, I want to ensure Washington is held to a higher standard. The lack of government oversight has had detrimental impacts both domestically and abroad. The Biden Administration has gotten away with their disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan, which is once again becoming a hub for terrorism in the region. This has emboldened America’s adversaries, namely Russia, China, and North Korea. We must conduct rigorous oversight to ensure that a catastrophe like this is avoided in the future.

Domestically, we are also seeing the effects of bad governance without accountability. Our open southern border is a breeding ground for drug trafficking – but our Vice President believes the border “is secure”. The truth is, fentanyl from China is pouring across our border, killing an American citizen every 7.5 minutes. This dangerous drug is the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18 to 45. I remain committed to closing the border and finding solutions to halt the flow of fentanyl and its analogs.

In addition, Congress has failed to properly and effectively fund our government, instead passing a short-term continuing resolution which expires shortly before Christmas.  We should be having a robust debate on legislative priorities, reigning in wasteful spending, and oversight of agency bloat. Instead, Democrats had no interest in the discussion and funded government at last year’s levels.

Finally, a priority for me and my fellow Republican colleagues is restoring trust in our election system. Democrats have sought to undermine the constitutional principle of one-person, one-vote by rejecting common sense changes that a majority of Americans support. We should ensure that states can hold fair elections with reasonable oversight, like we do here in Oklahoma. My colleagues and I plan to increase accountability in the election process through accurate voter rolls, observer access, and voter ID, which 80% of Americans support.

Our commitment is backed up by nearly two years’ worth of practical policy work. We have a tangible plan, and we look forward to making it a reality for the American people. Our priorities are for all Oklahomans, and all Americans across the country, to restore faith and trust in our government that is for the people, by the people. We are dedicated to getting our nation back on track.

Detailed solutions on holding Washington accountable can be found: here and here.