Aderholt: Biden’s big deception

At the anniversary of Joe Biden’s inauguration, we reflect on a year of unfulfilled promises, radical leftwing policies, out of control inflation, foreign policy failures and a nation divided even further by the hand of the president. One year ago, Biden stood on the steps of our Capitol and spoke the words “for without unity, there is no peace,” only to lead an administration that shut out those across the aisle and alienated those who did not support him.

Biden spoke during his campaign, and at his inauguration, of being a president who would fight as hard for those who did not support him as he would for those who did. Many forget that he surged ahead to win the Democratic primary by standing in opposition to the divisiveness of Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. In the general election he constantly contrasted himself with President Trump, implying he was uniquely positioned to unite the country. It’s sad to say that has not happened.

Immediately after being sworn in, he ceded his interests to the radical fringe of his party and offered no opposition to their extreme proposals. Biden ruined an opportunity to follow through on his promise of unity as his team adopted extreme COVID-19 policies crafted in the spirit of division. He could have drawn deep bipartisan support to encourage vaccinations, but instead he issued draconian vaccine mandates that were not within his executive power. His advisors crafted his policies and announcements in a way that guaranteed vocal opposition from Republicans. His major campaign promise was to unite the country to end COVID-19, but unfortunately as president he chose division.

Moving further away from a “uniter,” he essentially adopted the Bernie Sanders/Elizabeth Warren agenda when his administration crafted the colossal Build Back Better bill. This bill essentially pulled together the full wish list of socialist policy proposals into one gigantic $5 trillion bill. The strategy was to pass it with only Democrat votes to showcase their cutting-edge agenda. White House strategists paraded the Biden administration being as consequential as Franklin Roosevelt and Lyndon Johnson. This delusional overreach was just one example of how this administration sabotaged itself. Had President Biden reached across the aisle and worked on pressing needs it is entirely possible that an effective package could have been passed with bipartisan support.

Fortunately, after the $5 trillion figure was whittled down to $2 trillion, it was still stuffed with such toxic policies that Senator Joe Manchin pulled the plug. This overly partisan approach led to a predictable failure.

After the Build Back Better legislative failure, Democrats pivoted to the long languishing “voting rights reform” efforts. This is their plan for a sweeping federalization of the elections process taking that power away from the states. This plan, which Republicans have called the “Freedom to Cheat Bill,” would ban voter I.D. laws, would censor certain freedoms of speech, and give full voting rights back to those convicted of murder, child abuse and other felonies.

Biden’s idea of “unity” became clear in his recent speech in Atlanta, Georgia where he voiced his support for the federalization of the election process. In the speech he described states enacting new voter laws as “Jim Crow 2.0” and went on to imply that anyone opposing the federalization of elections was racist by asking the crowd if they “want to be on the side of Dr. King or George Wallace… on the side of John Lewis or Bull Connor… on the side of Abraham Lincoln or Jefferson Davis?”

Again, the president has chosen to lead a purely partisan effort that is failing, because it was designed simply to divide Americans. It’s as if President Biden believes he can divide and conquer. In reality, it’s just another act of self-sabotage.

In August, we saw the president’s unwillingness to compromise and his lack of foreign policy skill as his withdrawal from Afghanistan unfolded into a deadly disaster. Biden’s political move to be out by the 20th Anniversary of 9-11, and achieve an arbitrary deadline, created chaos, needlessly exposing our troops and allies to the devises of the Taliban. America lost brave men and women service members, but also credibility on the world stage.

There is no doubt that Russian President Putin and Chinese Premiere Xi were watching. Russian President Vladimir Putin is now threatening Ukraine with more than 100,000 troops. Xi menaces Taiwan with ships and jets encroaching on Taiwan’s territory. Our allies and enemies alike are wondering how much of a backbone this administration has.

Now at the one-year mark of his presidency, we look back at his words and his actions. Biden said in his inauguration, referring to the events of January 6, 2021, “recent weeks and months have taught us a painful lesson. There is truth and there are lies. Lies told for power and for profit.” It appears that he could not have been more correct as he and those around him continue to allow the far left to stampede his promise of unity all in the name of political power.

At a moment where Biden’s approval rating rests at 33 percent, there is opportunity for change. With urgent issues such as the broken supply chain, COVID-19, and foreign adversaries threatening our allies and our resources, there is a platform for Biden to tilt the scales back towards balance and unity. However, it will require him to fulfill his promises of bipartisanship and promote involvement across the aisle. Most importantly it will require him to stand up against the far left’s hunger for control and end this year of radical politics. Sadly though, I’m not sure that this version of President Biden, who has clearly steered the ship of state to the far left of his party, is willing or capable of such change. I fear that his closest advisors are not giving him the right advice. In that case, it will be up to the voters in the fall to make the course correction for him by returning control of the House and Senate to Republicans and forcing Biden to work across the aisle if anything is to be accomplished.

U.S. Rep. Robert Aderholt (AL-04) is a Republican from Haleyville.