Columns

As war rages on the doorsteps of our NATO allies, the United States is weighing the best path forward to provide additional support to Ukraine and hold Vladimir Putin accountable. The destruction and bloodshed in Ukraine are tragic, and I was moved by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's joint address to Congress earlier this week. I was pleased when the House took action on a bill for which I've been advocating to revoke Russia's trade privileges, a vote which President Biden and Democrats in Congress needlessly delayed.

As Western nations continue to respond to Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine, there's no question increasing trade partnerships with countries who share our values would benefit the United States and the world. Realizing the administration seems content to sit back and let others lead on trade, I recently led a bipartisan Congressional delegation to the United Kingdom (UK) to discuss trade opportunities and challenges.

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.

This week Russia escalated their ongoing attacks on Ukraine with an invasion. I support Ukraine as they defend their sovereignty against Vladimir Putin's evil and reprehensible invasion, and I stand with Ukrainians in solidarity.

According to the National Association of Manufacturers, the average U.S. firm spends the equivalent of 21 percent of its payroll every year just to comply with government regulations. For context, the average manufacturing worker in the United States makes nearly $65,000 per year according to the U.S. Census Bureau and pays an estimated 15.2% of their income back out in federal, state, and local taxes. If Congress attempted to double taxes on working families, it would be front page news.

Last week, for the first time in history, our national debt exceeded $30 trillion. For far too long members of both parties have put off the tough decisions needed to get our country's fiscal house in order, passing the buck to future generations. Unfortunately, my Democrat colleagues would still rather raise taxes and continue their reckless spending sprees than curb their spending addiction. Raising taxes is not the answer because we do not have a revenue problem in this country – we have a spending problem.

This week I participated in a House Ways and Means Committee hearing on the mental health crisis in the United States. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, nearly one in five American adults live with some form of mental illness. Other government data show, among school-aged children, diagnosed cases of anxiety and depression are increasing over time—from 5.4% in 2003 to 8.4% in 2011-2012. These alarming numbers are pre-pandemic.

This week marked the official start of tax season. Unfortunately, tax filers everywhere can expect a frustrating process and potential lengthy delays on their returns.