Weekly Columns

President Biden said last month that he was doing “everything in [his] power” to bring down gas prices, while simultaneously blaming Vladimir Putin for the problem and taking no responsibility for his own part in the crisis. While Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine is certainly contributing to higher energy prices worldwide, the reality is, President Biden’s own reckless policies started the energy crisis well before Russia invaded Ukraine.

This week, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito’s draft majority opinion in the case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization was leaked to the press by an unknown source. The draft opinion overturns Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey and returns abortion law to the states, where it belongs.

When my eldest son was born, he suffered from a life-threatening respiratory disease that would not respond to traditional treatments. His doctors offered us the option of an experimental treatment that was not covered by insurance. For my wife and I, it didn’t matter how much it cost. We would make sure our son got better and figure out how to pay for it later. Thankfully, the treatment was successful, and my son is now 26 years old.

This week we celebrate Earth Day, where we recognize the need to protect our environment as good stewards of the Earth. “Environment” should not be a dirty word to conservatives. Republican President Teddy Roosevelt became the father of conservation by creating the National Park Service and setting aside 230 million acres of public lands for the nation to protect and enjoy. The Republican party was the first to champion conservation to benefit our communities, and we continue to do so today.

I recently led a group of Western Caucus Congressmen on a tour of Arkansas’ Fourth District to show my colleagues the unique relationship the Natural State has with our natural resources and how we manage and use them to our communities’ advantage. The Western Caucus consists of congressmembers from rural and western states who are invested in policies that particularly affect our constituencies. 

The situation at our southern border continues to worsen as Spring brings about a predicable spike in illegal border crossings and encounters. In addition to the expected seasonal spike, President Joe Biden is ending Title 42, originally implemented by President Donald Trump as a public health measure barring asylum applicants from entering the U.S. while their applications were being processed.

President Joe Biden released his Fiscal Year 2023 budget proposal this week, revealing more the same polices that have brought Americans historic inflation and record high gas prices. President Biden promised not to raise taxes on those earning less than $400,000 a year, but he has broken that promise by ensuring every American pays more for everyday necessities.

This week, major airlines including Alaska Air, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Hawaiian Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Southwest Airlines, and United Airlines sent a letter to President Joe Biden opposing the extension of COVID-19 travel restrictions as cases, hospitalizations, and deaths caused by the Coronavirus continue to plummet and Americans across the country go about their daily lives.