Column

Despite persistent record-high inflation, this month Democrats passed a $740 billion reconciliation package. Democrats had the gall to call this bill the “Inflation Reduction Act,” but this bill was about expanding government power, not making things easier on you. This legislation includes millions in tax breaks for Green New Deal policies and programs that could not survive without heavy taxpayer subsidization. And it includes $80 billion for the Internal Revenue Service, six times its current budget!

Instead of addressing the problems Americans are facing, Speaker Pelosi and House Democrats are using the House floor to score political points. That was made clear recently when the House voted on the Active Shooter Alert Act of 2022 (H.R. 6538), a bill Democrats claimed would make Americans safer, but in reality, it is an anti-gun propaganda program designed to inflate the reported number of “active shooter” incidents and expand support for unconstitutional gun control measures.

This time of year, with schools letting out, many families traditionally go on vacations and travel to see friends and loved ones. Unfortunately, outrageously high gas prices are forcing many American families to reconsider their plans. Across Alabama, gas prices are well over $4 and will continue to rise over the summer months. President Biden's anti-American energy agenda impacts every single American, but there are many steps we could be taking to ease the pain. First, we must end the federal freeze on oil and gas leases.

Politicians like to complain about the legislative logjam on Capitol Hill, but it’s amazing how quickly that logjam clears when there’s an opportunity to spend someone else’s money. I arrived in DC the other day to learn from my staff that the House was just a few hours away from voting on a massive $40 billion Ukraine aid package that no one had seen yet. To put that amount in perspective, the entire FY2021 budget for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the frontline law enforcement agency at our border, was $17.7 billion.

The leaked draft majority opinion from the Supreme Court has all of Washington up in arms. Combined with the release of conservative justices’ home addresses, it is clear that a dangerous, coordinated attempt to undermine the court is underway. Both sides should condemn this behavior, and I have been disappointed that the Biden administration has shrugged off this type of behavior as normal.

Since Joe Biden took office and started implementing his radical open border policies, 42 people on the terrorist watchlist have been apprehended attempting to enter the United States through our southern border illegally. With our law enforcement at the border stretched beyond the breaking point and border security weakened by the Biden administration, it’s scary to think about how many terrorists may have slipped through the cracks. But things may be getting worse.

The high energy prices we are paying are the result of a President who is totally beholden to the radical elements of the Democratic Party. But this should come as no surprise. In September 2019, then-candidate Biden declared war on American energy, promising “I guarantee you, we are going to end fossil fuel, and I am not going to cooperate with them.” It is no coincidence that last week national gas prices hit $4.16, the highest on record.

Last week I had the honor of joining my Congressional colleagues for a virtual address from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. His impassioned speech and footage of the carnage and death at Russian hands were stirring and heartbreaking. I also continue to hear from folks I met in Ukraine last summer who are fighting for their homeland. My heart goes out to the people of Ukraine, and I support continuing to offer humanitarian and weapons aid so they can continue their fight.