Columns

With 1.4 billion consumers, China is a place with abundant potential. China also is ruled by the Chinese Communist Party, a longtime belligerent which enslaves its own people, steals intellectual and tangible property, and flouts fundamental values like national sovereignty, free enterprise, democracy, and the rule of law around the world.

I always look forward to reconnecting at Christmas with family and friends in one of America's most beautiful places – the Nebraska panhandle. Although 2021 has ended, many of the same challenges Democrats failed to address last year as they pursued their extreme economic and social agendas await when the House reconvenes next week.

Many Americans have entered this Christmas season weary from another year of unprecedented challenges and increasingly divided communities. Thankfully, the beauty of Christmas comes in its unifying hope for all people.

America is the shining city on a hill, and we need strong, democratic partners around the world to help defend Western ideals of liberty and human rights. Weakness in the face of provocations from foreign enemies who openly oppose these ideals, such as China and Russia, threatens the freedom, and in some cases the very survival, of friends and allies we have fought alongside to liberate.

As the Supreme Court heard oral arguments this month for Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health, attention to the rights of the unborn and laws regulating abortion soared. While there has been no shortage of speculation about the outcome and consequences of the case, there is good reason to believe this could be a landmark case for the pro-life movement.

The greatness of the United States stems not just from the political and religious freedom protected by our Constitution, but also the economic freedom it protects, ensuring individuals have the greatest possible opportunity to benefit from their hard work, ingenuity, and perseverance.

In the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, Operation Warp Speed was created as a partnership between public and private entities, leveraging federal support to speed up vaccine development. This was a major success for the Trump Administration who spearheaded the operation.

There are no shortage of challenges facing Americans right now with our country reaching the highest level of inflation in three decades, a lack of workers to fill job openings nationwide, record illegal entry and smuggling at our southern border, and a supply chain unable to keep up with the demands of manufacturers and consumers.