Byrne: 100 days of Democrats

This week will mark 100 days Democrats have held power in the House of Representatives in Washington.

I considered listing tangible Democrat achievements so far this Congress, but that would result in a blank page.

Instead, all Democrats have managed to do in 14 weeks is obstruct what is best for the American people, pander to their far-left base and, generally, nothing constructive.

Luckily, some in their own party are starting to realize that it is time to get to work and get things done for hardworking Americans.

Rep. Kurt Schrader, an Oregon Democrat, said last week, “It’s time to move off the talking points and on to legislating. I haven’t heard about anything that deals with the economy or some of the other issues.”

He went on to add of the House Democrat legislative agenda, “I assume this is just playing to the left wing of our base.”

My colleague across the aisle is right. We were elected to work for you, not tick off messaging bullet points.

I made a prediction last year that this will be a crazy session on the part of Democrats, and in their first 100mdays, they have proven it time and time again.

The year began as an entrenched Democrat party refused to budge on funding for President Trump’s plan to reinforce our southern border and get a handle on the ongoing national security crisis there.

Months later, the true nature and extent of the illegal immigration crisis has become painfully clearer: drugs, violence, human trafficking and many preventable crimes have escalated. Yet Democrats have not taken action.

From denying the national security crisis at the border, Democrats moved on to supporting infanticide.

For weeks, my Republican colleagues and I have been calling on Democrats to stand up for life and allow a vote on the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act. By vocally expressing support of abortion, refusing to comment, or not signing our discharge petition filed last week, Democrats have made clear that they support infanticide.

There are not words strong enough to express how barbaric and reprehensible it is to kill an innocent infant. I believe God makes every person in His image, that we all are important and have worth, and that life begins at conception. There should be no question that so-called after-birth abortions are murder, plain and simple.

In January, a Marist poll found an overwhelming number of people support substantial restrictions on abortion. Because of the position that many on the left have taken, and in light of the laws proposed in New York and Virginia, many Americans have realized how far we have strayed from our nation’s values.

Throughout these past one hundred days, there have been countless small and large ways that Democrats have pandered.

The “Green New Deal,” an ill-thought-out and colossally expensive plan that has since fallen by the wayside, backfired drastically.

“Medicare for All” has been shown to be nothing more than an incredibly costly way to remove quality healthcare coverage people already have and replace it with government-regulated insurance.

And time and again, we have seen the radicals of the Democrat party speak out against our allies, show blatant disregard for the office of president and our nation’s institutions, and discard longstanding American values to appease activist progressives.

The American people have had enough as Democrats have shown the people do not matter as much as political messaging.

As long as I represent the people of Alabama in Washington and can carry our values and ideals to Congress, there will be a cool head amongst the angry and counter-productive mob.

U.S. Rep. Bradley Byrne is a Republican from Fairhope.