Weekly Columns
When Joe Biden became the 46th President of the United States, he inherited a country that was energy independent, with a largely secure southern border, a powerful and respected national defense, and a recovering economy. Instead of capitalizing on these strengths in his first year in office, Biden has actively reversed the successful policies of the previous president and has failed to address the crises his irrational decisions have caused across the country.
Your priorities are my priorities. Through communicating with my constituents in Oklahoma’s fifth district, I’m proud to have championed many initiatives my first year in Congress. I’d like to highlight some wins in three main areas:
Safeguarding Oil and Gas Jobs
It is the most wonderful time of the year. After a busy first session in the United States Congress, I look forward to celebrating Christmas with family in Oklahoma City and using this as a time to reset and focus on the importance of this day.
Members of Congress are being called back to Washington this week to vote on raising the debt ceiling. As a fiscal conservative, I will be voting against this proposal, yet again, because I am firmly opposed to this administration’s management of taxpayer dollars.
Our country is facing an unprecedented border crisis. In October, I visited the Del Rio Sector of the Texas-Mexico border and saw firsthand the absence of adequate security, lack of support for our U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents, and especially, the harm illegal border crossings continue to cause our vulnerable border communities.
Parents are the primary stakeholders in their child’s education. They know their children best, and their involvement should be encouraged because they are the people who ultimately lay the foundation and pave the pathway of their child’s life.
Last week the House unfortunately passed the reckless budget reconciliation bill, also known as the Build Back Better Act. I voted against this legislation because I am deeply concerned about the bill’s price tag, especially considering the crippling inflation crisis our country is currently facing, as well as the national debt of nearly $30 trillion. It is the most expensive bill and largest tax increase in American history and could bankrupt our economy by further fueling inflation, the labor shortage, and the national debt.
Thanksgiving is a unifying holiday for our country and serves as a time for reflection on what matters most to us. It gives us a moment to pause, reconnect with loved ones, and celebrate our nation’s traditions. President Abraham Lincoln declared Thanksgiving a holiday in 1863 as step toward reuniting our country after the hardships of the Civil War. This sentiment still holds true today. America, and the world, has persevered through the devastating coronavirus pandemic, and are in the process of rebuilding and creating our new normal.
Thursday, Nov. 11, we honor the men and women who have bravely and selflessly served our homeland. It is days like these that we put differences, politics, and disagreements aside, and come together as a country to recognize why we are fortunate enough to live in the land of the free.
This weekend, millions of Americans are dreading turning their clocks back an hour knowing darkness will approach earlier throughout the cold winter months. Seasonal depression kicks in, along with scheduling confusion and mishaps, but what’s most concerning is the increase in car accidents and drop in economic activity.