The State of Our Union

This week President Biden delivered his first State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress. While I went into the evening open to hearing President Biden propose real solutions to urgent challenges like soaring energy and food prices, waves of illegal crossings at our southern border, and workforce shortages, I was disappointed by how readily he rehashed many of the failed policies of his first year in office which have put us in this position. Inflation is at a 40-year high, we have a serious supply chain crisis, and Russia has invaded Ukraine. Now is the time for steady, effective leadership, not more of the same policies which have led to crisis after crisis during the Biden presidency.

The President began his speech by touting his administration's response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. While I support sanctions to hold Vladimir Putin accountable, I believe the administration missed an opportunity to immediately impose economy-crippling sanctions on Russia. As the conflict worsens for the Ukrainian people, it is time for the U.S. to halt oil and gas imports from Russia and quickly increase our production and export capacity to help wean Europe off Russian energy. Putin's continued aggression calls for decisive leadership. To help mitigate the impact of isolating Russia from the global economy, we must increase domestic energy production and immediately address inflation and the supply chain crisis.

President Biden could have used his address to unite Americans around our shared goals, but instead he doubled down on failed policies and advocated for wildly unpopular proposals like restrictions on gun sales and manufacturers, the socialist Green New Deal, and big government price setting which will gut medical innovation and lead to fewer treatments and cures for American patients. Don't just take my word for it. These ideas are so bad Democrats have struggled to establish popularity among their own party.

In the speech's perhaps most tone-deaf moment, the President claimed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) did not benefit a majority of Americans. This is demonstrably false. Americans across all income brackets saw a net tax reduction as a result of the TCJA, and according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, workers' wages grew exponentially in the two years before the onset of COVID-19. Instead of attacking tax reform, President Biden should work with Republicans in Congress to make the tax cuts under the TCJA permanent so small businesses can plan for the future knowing their investments will remain fully deductible.

After a year of failed policies, President Biden had an opportunity to correct his course, but he only offered struggling American businesses and families more of the same. Still, I am hopeful about the future of our great nation. Republicans have the solutions we need to rebuild our economy, protect our freedoms, unleash American energy, and ensure the United States of America leads the world.

This should be a time of American resurgence from the hardships of the last two years. To move forward as a country, we need strong leadership. We have risen above challenges before, and we will do it again – but only if we do it together.

Nebraskans sent me to Washington to fight for them, and I will continue fighting hard for policies which will put us back on the path to prosperity and opportunity for all.