Last week, on July 24, I had the honor of witnessing a moment of rare unity in the oftentimes divided and chaotic Congress when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered remarks to a joint meeting of Congress in Washington, D.C.

Last Thursday, on July 4th, we celebrated our nation’s independence and freedom. It was the 248th anniversary of when the Declaration of Independence was signed, and the United States of America officially became an independent nation, and no longer a colony of England.

The true cause of our growing national debt is non-discretionary, or mandatory spending, programs. As a matter of fact, over the next 30 years, Social Security faces a $19 trillion deficit and Medicare faces a $44 trillion deficit. If we are truly going to produce a balanced budget, which we should be striving to do, we need to be having serious discussions about these entitlement programs, which make up approximately 60 percent of all spending.

Put simply, each time President Biden announces more student loan cancellation, he is giving away free government money to an abundance of high-salary professionals.

As we return to work for the second session of the 118th Congress, I hope the Senate will come to the table and try to move some of these critical legislative items for the American people. In the interim, House Republicans remain committed to continue working to pass legislation to secure the southern border, fight inflation, reject Bidenomics and much more.

From wavering commitments to our allies in the face of emerging threats to questionable strategic decisions that have undermined our international standing, President Biden’s missteps have eroded the confidence of our partners and emboldened our enemies. 

An emboldened Iran will only lead to more chaos across the Middle East. Our country must continue to tighten sanctions, expand the Abraham Accords and become more meaningfully engaged in the region militarily and diplomatically to prevent these acts of terror from worsening and becoming more lethal.

As yet another expensive holiday season has begun and while families begin preparing to buy gifts for their own homes and loved ones, Americans certainly see that Democrats’ reckless spending has caused a severe lag in our economy’s ability to bounce back from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Each year during the month of November, I am proud that our nation takes this time to reflect on the unique heritage, rich history and special contributions of Native Americans. As a proud member of the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma, I always take this special time to reflect on my tribal heritage and the importance of tribes and their members in the United States.

Even Democratic leaders and lawmakers, who have long denounced the need for stronger border security, have even begun waking up to this crisis. Incentives that have exacerbated this crisis have hurt nearly every city across the United States

A secure nation must first begin with secure borders. Just as he has done since his inauguration, President Biden is ignoring the crisis at our southern border. By not reversing his and his administration’s open border policies, the president is only allowing this historic humanitarian and national security crisis to continue.

Bidenomics has been disastrous for the American people and is pushing our country toward bankruptcy. What Bidenomics has really brought us is the worst inflation rate in 40 years, the highest deficit in American history and an economy where the average Americans’ real wages are declining rather than improving. In addition, our economy has also struggled to return to the booming pre-pandemic employment levels.

For 63 years, the NDAA has provided for our nation’s defense and supported our service members and their families. By authorizing $863.3 billion in defense funding, a $28 billion increase from the fiscal year 2023 NDAA, the bill passed in the House last week puts a halt to President Biden’s attempt to return our military to that of the disastrous Obama-era.

The Constitution clearly articulates that Congress holds lawmaking power. However, President Biden and his administration have circumvented Congress over and over again. In fact, President Biden finalized regulations adding more than $200 billion in new regulatory costs in his first year as president, which was more than quadruple the costs added during President Barack Obama’s first year.

As a lead sponsor of the Countering Economic Coercion Act of 2023, I am pleased that a portion of the jurisdiction for this legislation rests with the House Rules Committee, and this week I will chair the first committee hearing on the provision.