Barry Moore: It’s time for Washington to listen to the American people, not political consultants

You won’t hear it in White House press room propaganda, but America is on a collision course with disaster.

Inflation, fueled by “stimulus” packages like the $2 trillion “American Rescue Plan,” has risen 13.8% since Joe Biden took office. For 15 straight months, Americans’ real wages have declined. Gas and energy prices are through the roof, preventing people and goods from moving. Robberies and property theft are up nearly 20% compared to 2021 in major cities. So far in fiscal year 2022, 8,400 pounds of fentanyl have been seized by Border Patrol – double the total for all of FY2020. “Woke” social policies pushed down from DC are furthering division across the nation. Across the globe, our military might and diplomatic influence has been weakened. Two and a half years later, the coronavirus pandemic is still being used to justify unconstitutional power grabs.

Coast to coast, poll to poll, a hurting and justifiably scared American people are making their dissatisfaction clear. But their complaints are falling on deaf ears in Washington. Despite the uproar, Democrats are doubling down on dumb.

That willful ignorance is outrageous under these dour circumstances. Farmers are persevering through the pain to continue operating despite the cost of diesel and fertilizer up 115 and 220% respectively. Families are making cuts elsewhere to keep food on the table with the prices on staples like milk, chicken, eggs, bread and butter up anywhere from 15 to 40%. Small business owners can’t get the supplies or labor necessary to remain open.

These are the folks Washington needs to listen to, not political consultants and donors. That’s why this week I’m beginning a district-wide town hall tour that will take me to each county in Alabama’s Second Congressional District. In these meetings, I’ll be sharing my vision for what Republicans must do if we take back majorities in the House and Senate and, one day, the White House, and I want input from the Alabamians I serve.

To win back the trust of the American people, we should have four priorities: a strong economy, safety and security, freedom for future generations, and accountability in government.

First, we must get our house in order and tackle inflation by stopping irresponsible spending and cut taxes. In addition to improving our economic outlook, letting Americans keep more of their own money would begin returning power from the federal government to the people. That’s why I introduced the HITS Act which would give everyone making $50,000 or less a six-month federal tax holiday.

True security requires more than economic security. We need to put our money where our mouth is when it comes to supporting law enforcement. Through grants and training programs, the federal government can partner with local and state law enforcement agencies to combat criminal activity. And we can make their job easier by standing against sanctuary cities that allow criminals to escape prosecution and continue their crime sprees.

The anti-Second Amendment bills passed by the House, crippling law-abiding citizens’ ability to protect themselves, are unconstitutional and make it more difficult for law enforcement. Instead of politicizing the issue, we should pursue common ground on preventing violence. This week I’m introducing the Securing American Classrooms Act, which would provide an additional $1 billion from seized COVID Loans – a program which has an estimated $80 billion worth of fraud – to provide resources to harden schools. It’s no silver bullet but a good start.

But there are other threats to children in our schools. Radical Democrats, the federal government, and teachers’ unions are trying to seize power from parents as the primary stakeholders in their child’s education to push radical and inappropriate ideologies. Congress should pass the Parents Bill of Rights Act to make it clear that parents have a right to know what is happening in their child’s school. And we must end federal support for critical race theory being taught not only to schoolchildren but to our military and federal employees. I also support the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act to terminate taxpayer-funded programs that allow biological males to participate in women’s sports.

These are all important steps, but you can’t get your house in order if the walls aren’t up. Every community in the nation is endangered by our wide-open border. We must finish building the border wall and implement modern technologies in remote and heavily trafficked areas. On top of that, we must support CBP and ICE with manpower and tools to enforce the law. And returning to Trump’s effective border policies by ending Catch and Release, reforming the asylum process, and codifying migrant protection protocols would be a good start.

There are other threats beyond our borders. As a former Guardsman, it is infuriating to watch President Biden lead from behind abroad while hollowing out our military by kicking out tens of thousands for not complying with vaccine mandates. We must immediately end his mandate and reinstate all those discharged. And we must firmly oppose Democrats’ attempt to paint members of our military as extremists and aggressors. Only then can we establish policies that will equip our military for modern conflicts – such as aggression from Russia and China, cyber-attacks, and terrorism. And no, I don’t think Speaker Pelosi’s taxpayer-funded vanity tour to Taiwan checks that box.

And make no mistake, Republicans must return integrity to Congressional investigations. We need to know the truth of COVID origins and Dr. Fauci’s activities, what really happened on January 6 (instead of the current political witch hunt to influence November), and the extent of Hunter Biden’s foreign business dealings and if our president is compromised by his knowledge and involvement.

Finally, we can’t be sure that your voice is heard until we shore up election integrity. Congress must pass legislation to enhance federal election integrity by addressing voter registration, the casting of ballots, and the tabulation of ballots, and it must safeguard the integrity of our elections from foreign interference.

There is so much more we must do, including protecting the right to life, reigning in big tech, and unleashing American energy independence (sorry Secretary Buttigieg, but we can’t all drive expensive electric vehicles). I am committed to fighting in these areas, as well as working for our veterans on the Veterans’ Affairs Committee and crafting a farm bill that helps our farmers fight sky-high production costs on the Agriculture Committee.

Washington won’t fix itself willingly. The people must do whatever they can to make their voices heard, and I’ll do all I can to help them. I hope you’ll join me at one of my town halls to discuss how we can get American back on the right track.

Rep. Moore’s town hall schedule can be found on his website’s events page.

U.S. Rep. Barry Moore is a Republican from Enterprise representing Alabama’s second congressional district