By Jason Smith, member of commerce
WASHINGTON, D.C. – On March 4, President Trump delivered an address to Congress and the American people that will go down as among the best in our nation’s history. He did an incredible job recapping the numerous successes he has achieved for the American people in the short time he’s been in office. Whether it was highlighting the accomplishments he’s had with the border and exposing all the wasteful spending or laying out his plans to reignite the economy, he made it clear to the American people that he’s the leader we need to make our nation great again.
One of the best parts of his speech was when he detailed numerous examples of wasteful spending by the federal government: $22 billion from Health and Human Services to provide free housing and cars for illegal aliens, $8 million for making mice transgender, $1.9 billion for a Left-wing nonprofit linked to radical, failed Georgia Democratic candidate Stacey Abrams, and $47 million for improving learning outcomes in Asia. These are just a few of the ridiculous examples of how billions of your hard-earned tax dollars have been wasted on things that provide zero benefit to the American people.
President Trump also laid out his accomplishments when it comes to securing the border. His administration has launched the most sweeping border and immigration crackdown in our nation’s history. In February – President Trump’s first month in office – illegal border crossings fell to the lowest level ever recorded, down 94% from last February and down 96% from the all-time high of Joe Biden’s presidency. In addition, arrests of illegal immigrants have surged 627% under President Trump. It took him less than a month to end the border crisis – something Biden and Washington Democrats claimed was impossible without the help of Congress.
President Trump’s America First trade policies have already delivered results, and during his speech, he reaffirmed his commitment to keeping our economy strong and competitive. He was exactly right when he said, “We’ve been ripped off for decades by nearly every country on earth, and we will not let that happen any longer.” President Trump and House Republicans will use every tool at our disposal to bring jobs back, eliminate unfair foreign barriers to American exports, rebuild our industries, and ensure American workers – not foreign competitors – get the best shot at success.
In his speech, he reiterated his call for Congress to pass tax reform – my number one priority as chairman of Congress’s chief tax-writing committee. President Trump reaffirmed his pledge to eliminate taxes on tips, overtime pay, and seniors’ Social Security benefits which will help millions of working-class Americans turn the page on the Biden economy that punished working men and women for trying to get ahead. House Republicans passed a budget resolution that carves a path for the largest tax relief in history along with resources for the border, spending cuts, and policies to unleash American made energy. By packaging all of this into one big, beautiful bill, we can quickly deliver on major pieces of President Trump’s agenda.
Like so many Americans, I was disgusted by Congressional Democrats’ unacceptable behavior during President Trump’s speech. A radical Leftist congressman was rightly kicked out of the speech for causing disruptions. They refused to applaud President Trump for ANYTHING – even after he swore in as a member of Secret Service 13-year-old brain cancer survivor DJ Daniel, who has always dreamed of working in law enforcement. Congressional Democrats should be ashamed of themselves.
The Left made it abundantly clear that they will do everything they can to try and stop President Trump’s agenda. But just like President Trump, I’ll never back down when faced with a challenge. In Washington, I will do everything in my power to help President Trump deliver for the American people.