A Nation That's Safe

As Vladimir Putin’s barbaric invasion of Ukraine continues and China’s aggression towards Taiwan intensifies, we must take steps to ensure we have sound national security policy at home and abroad. Iran, which is undergoing turmoil over internal human rights protests, has contributed arms used in Russia’s recent attacks on the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv. North Korea has also escalated its belligerence by launching a missile over Japan’s most populated island, conducting warplane flybys along its border with South Korea, and firing artillery shells into the maritime buffer zone off the coast of the Korean peninsula. At the same time, our southern border remains open, and crime is terrorizing and destroying Democrat-led cities around the country.

To answer these threats, America must secure our interests and foster stability. Holding China accountable for trade commitments it has not honored, addressing its adversarial risk to our cyber security, and safeguarding our intellectual property are needed to accomplish this. Through our Commitment to America, House Republicans have said we will establish a Select Committee on China to ensure China’s rogue actions are met by a posture of strength.

President Biden’s actions in the face of international crisis have not instilled confidence. His disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal allowed the Taliban to take control of approximately $7 billion in abandoned U.S. military equipment.  More recently, President Biden’s continued depletion of our Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) for purely political reasons has left America less prepared to address global crises as Russia has threatened World War III. Our SPR is for natural disasters and national security emergencies, not to be used to artificially lower gas prices. This is not responsible leadership and will do nothing to build a more secure America.

Getting serious about keeping America safe requires properly recognizing hardworking families are not the enemy. However, the Biden administration seems to be confused about where the danger lies. Instead of labeling parents who wish to attend school board meeting as “domestic terrorists,” Attorney General Merrick Garland should revoke the memo he sent more than a year ago directing the FBI to investigate civic-minded, law-abiding Americans who simply want to be engaged in the process of their child’s education.

Instead of using its massive, $80 billion infusion of taxpayer dollars to hire 87,000 new enforcement agents to audit middle class families and small businesses, the IRS should work to ensure hardworking taxpayers receive satisfactory customer service. This supercharged influx of funds from the Democrats’ Inflation Act is sure to result in more audits for those who can least afford it, and I have introduced a bill which would defund this IRS stimulus while redirecting the IRS to focus on much-needed enhancements to its customer service and information technology systems.

Allowing the inflow of lethal drugs across our porous southern border is another serious threat to the American people. Taking lives at a rate of 300 Americans per day, fentanyl has become the leading cause of death for those 18-45, but this deadly opioid is not just a hazard to adults. Heading into Halloween, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration is warning of “rainbow fentanyl” pills it began seizing in August 2022 which drug cartels are manufacturing in candy-like colors which may be attractive to children.

The cartels perpetrating drug and human trafficking will not be stopped until we fully fund border security and enforcement, permanently criminalize all forms of fentanyl, and disincentivize illegal crossings. Properly vetting claims of asylum to eliminate fraudulent welfare incentives, ending catch-and-release loopholes, and enforcing legal status requirements for employment are essential components of the Republican commitment to secure the border.

Rogue states around the world will continue to amplify volatility until regional stability is ensured and the enemies of freedom are countered with robust deterrence. To ensure the safety of our nation, we must invest in defense readiness, acknowledge the threat Putin poses to our NATO allies, and wholeheartedly support those who sacrifice to serve in our military.

Republicans are committed to the security of the American people, and together we will build a nation that’s safe.