Under the Biden administration, America is going through a crisis of confidence, unlike anything we have seen since the years of Jimmy Carter. Groceries cost more, gas prices are out of control, and illegal border crossings are flooding our country with illegal drugs and criminals. A recent poll showed Granite Staters believe America is on the wrong track by a nearly 3-to-1 margin (64-23 percent).
Weakness at home has led to chaos abroad. Our allies don’t know what to expect from us and our enemies don’t fear us. After watching the chaos in Afghanistan last summer, Vladimir Putin felt empowered to invade Ukraine and start the largest ground war since the Second World War.
As someone who has served this country in uniform for more than 30 years, I have put my life on the line because I believe in America. This abiding belief in our nation and its people has called me to my next chapter in public service: the United States Senate.
Unlike career politicians who talk a big game and then go to Washington and fail to deliver, I have a real plan to restore American strength, and this plan has five distinct pillars.
First, we must secure America’s borders and reduce crime. No excuses. No compromises. In 2021, more than 2 million illegal immigrants were detained at our border. This has to stop. We must finish building the wall, turn away illegal migrants and implement E-Verify. Additionally, we must keep Title 42 in place and reinstitute the Trump-era Remain in Mexico policy.
Second, we must reverse the growth of federal spending driving inflation to record highs. For the first time in nearly a decade, inflation is outpacing annual wage growth, crushing American workers and their families with a hidden tax on everything from cars and clothes to groceries and gas. Congress cannot borrow, print, and spend money to infinity causing more inflation, deeper debt, and a stagnant economy. No more bailouts or government spending packages without corresponding cuts.
Third, we must regain the energy independence and security that Joe Biden squandered. America is blessed with incredible natural resources and should not be reliant on foreign oil and gas that lines the pockets of those who want to do us harm. Leasing and exploration on federal lands should pick up and we need to speed up and streamline the permitting and the environmental review process. And we must stop demonizing the companies who provide us the resources to keep the lights on and heat our homes.
Fourth, we must counter the threat of the Chinese Communist Party. It’s time to overhaul America’s diplomacy, national security strategy, and economic policies to create a China-resistant economy and check its hostile ambitions. This includes reinvigorating U.S. industries hollowed out by decades of “engagement” with the Chinese Communist Party. Our tough stance on China must also extend to North Korea and Iran. Those rogue nations are a threat throughout Asia and the Middle East, and the expansion of their nuclear programs threatens the world.
Finally, we must never let an ever-growing government infringe on our God-given liberties. The rights under our Constitution must be protected fiercely. The Second Amendment guarantees the right to keep and bear arms. Parents – not bureaucrats – should have the final say in what our children are taught. Critical race theory must be banned from the curriculum, and it is time to end any COVID mandates/restrictions. It’s time to move on.
America’s greatest days always lie ahead of her. We are an optimistic, forward-looking, innovative people. A return to greatness starts by returning to strength.
