52 Weeks of Broken Promises

Floor Speech

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Mr. ESTES. Madam Speaker, this week we look back over a year of failures; from the economy and crime to foreign policy and national security. There is not one area where a year of total Democrat control shouldn't receive an F.

It is hard to believe it was only a year ago this Thursday that President Biden swore to uphold the Constitution just outside the building from where we stand today.

Despite assuring the American people that he sought to unify the country, Biden's first hours in office were marked by divisive and controversial executive orders.

Biden's incompetent economic policies destroyed our chance at a strong economic recovery and harmed hardworking families and small businesses.

A year later, Americans are paying about 50 percent more each time they fill up their tank. That is after President Biden canceled the Keystone XL pipeline, halted new oil and gas leasing on Federal land, and proposed burdensome taxes and regulations on small energy producers. These policies all matter. They impact real people.

That is why tonight I wanted to share some insight and experiences from folks in Kansas after a year of President Biden holding office.

Nick, a new father in Derby, has certainly noticed the increase in fuel. He just had a baby last year and started a new job. Paying more at the pump means that he has less for his newborn's needs, and as every new parent knows, diapers aren't cheap.

But that is not the only thing Kansans are paying more for.

The Biden administration has directly caused rising prices by flooding the economy with their Big Government spending. The prices of many other everyday goods like beef, bacon, eggs, chicken, and coffee.

That is a lot for any American, but it is especially noticeable for Nancy, a grandmother on a fixed income. She shared that each time she goes to the grocery store she notices her grocery bill keeps going up.

That is not to mention bare shelves and out-of-stock items that many Kansans have experienced when they go shopping.

Beyond the economy, we have witnessed the failure to keep our country safe from illicit drugs flowing into our country at the southern border.

Executive orders have halted the production of a barrier at our southern border, and open border policies have allowed drugs and trafficking to become commonplace. Every State is now a border State, as fentanyl makes its way to communities in Kansas and across the country.

CBP reports that more pounds of fentanyl were seized at the southern border than in the previous 2 years combined.

In a recent survey, a majority of Kansans from my district told me the issues of most importance to them are the economy, rising prices, immigration, and our Federal deficit.

It is time for Congress and the President to start addressing these core concerns. Americans cannot afford another year of radical socialist policies with this administration.

I thank my good friend from Indiana for hosting this Special Order.

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