Sixth District Perspectives with Congressman Ben Cline – October 5, 2022

It was business as usual in Washington as Democrats rammed through a loaded spending bill that skirts the tough decisions and kicks the can down the road on spending until a lame duck Congress reconvenes after the election. In doing so, they failed to confront the multiple crises the Nation faces, from skyrocketing inflation to a recessionary economy, open borders, and surging crime levels. Nearly three-quarters of Americans now say their paychecks are not keeping pace with inflation. For these folks, we needed to do better and a Congress under new management will. Additionally, my colleagues and I demanded answers as to the Administration’s plans to ensure the acquisition of U.S. agricultural land from foreign entities does not become a national security threat. As always, I had the chance to meet with Sixth District constituents and hear their concerns. Finally, our thoughts and prayers remain with those devastated by the tragedy of Hurricane Ian, which requires everyone to come together to rebuild communities and address the needs of the people afflicted.

Commitment to America, Pillar II: A Nation That’s Safe
Last week, I highlighted the unveiling of the Commitment to America, that outlines a plan of what Republicans will do if given the opportunity to lead and govern with a new majority in Congress. I laid out our economic plan last week, and this week I will expand on pillar II, the plan to keep our Nation safe.

Today, the Nation is dealing with the consequences of an open border, a drug and fentanyl crisis, and rising crime after years of Democrats’ soft-on-crime policies across the country. The Biden Administration’s rescinding the successful yet abandoned “Remain in Mexico” policy and reinstating “Catch and Release” were matches that sparked the forest fire at the border, resulting in 3.5 million illegal crossings, 900,000 ‘got-aways,’ and 78 known individuals encountered at the border on the Terrorist Screening Database.

There is also a crime wave sweeping across this country, and police departments throughout the Nation are pleading for help from Washington because soft-on-crime mayors, politicians, and prosecutors have turned their backs on them. One can hardly turn on a TV without witnessing horrific crimes perpetrated every weekend. We are facing the highest murder rate in over 20 years, with another 20-year high of intentional killings of law enforcement, while at the same time, aggravated assaults and robberies are on the rise. Couple this with soft-on-crime district attorneys and we have created a recipe for lawlessness. As a former prosecutor in the Commonwealth of Virginia, I know the formula for safer streets: invest in law enforcement, community policing, no lax bail policies, and a criminal justice system that protects our communities by enforcing the law.

Republicans offer a safer America. We have pledged to bolster border security and technology and reverse the open border policies of the Biden Administration. At the same time, we will pass legislation to hire 200,000 additional police officers, increase police budgets through grants to the states, a crackdown on pro-crime prosecutors as well as drug dealers, and increase fentanyl to a schedule I narcotic. Internationally, Republicans support a strong national defense in which America protects her friends and instills fear into her enemies, all while using her military might only when necessary and prudently.

Business as Usual in Washington
Without any bipartisan consideration, Congressional Democrats and President Biden have jammed through an agenda that has ravaged paychecks and left Americans worse off on multiple fronts. True to form, last week, they passed a funding measure that funds the government only until December 16th, which allows them to use a lame-duck session of Congress to continue to load up a massive end-of-the-year spending bill. This will only add to the misery families are experiencing due to the rising prices of nearly everything they buy.

Consider some of the policies Democrats slipped into this funding bill:

-$57.5 BILLION for DHS to continue open border and amnesty policies that have allowed illegal migrants to pour across our Southern border and drug cartels to smuggle deadly fentanyl into our communities under Secretary Mayorkas’ failed leadership.

-$10.8 BILLION for the FBI that the Biden Administration has weaponized against Americans who disagree with its policies, including parents concerned about their kids in school.

-$12.6 BILLION for the IRS on top of the $80 BILLION the Democrats just gave to hire 87,000 new agents to spy into the bank accounts of Americans and conduct more audits on small businesses.

-$728 BILLION to a Department of Defense that is too focused on promoting the radical Left’s woke ideology when it ought to be singularly focused on protecting our national security at home and abroad.

-$3.8 BILLION for a Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program that pays for the increased energy costs for those that live in anti-fracking states like New York – without addressing the real cause of the energy crisis, which is Democrats’ socialist Green New Deal agenda.

Americans are hurting, and their paychecks are suffering, yet Democrats continue to fund damaging policies with billions of American taxpayer dollars. The American people and western Virginians deserve better. Soon they will have a chance to change course to a brighter future.

Speaking against the faulty continuing resolution on the House Floor

Protecting America’s Security
Foreign ownership of U.S. agricultural land has nearly doubled over the past decade from 2010-2020, and my colleagues and I wrote to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to assess the national security implications of this development. In fact, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has reported that foreign individuals and entities held an interest in 37.6 million acers of agricultural lands as of the year 2021. While free and fair trade is beneficial to our industries, my colleagues and I are concerned about the national security risk posed by a Chinese company’s purchase of farmland near an Air Force base in North Dakota that houses top-secret technologies. Congress must ensure this is not a national security threat, especially from the Chinese government. To read the full letter, click here.

Meeting with Constituents

Boys & Girls Clubs of America offers millions of kids safe, fun, and innovative after-school programs. I was pleased to meet with VA-06 Boys & Girls Club representatives last week in Washington.

I enjoyed visiting Christendom College and going on a tour of the new Christ the King Chapel led by President Timothy O’Donnell.

It was great meeting with constituents of the American Academy of Physician Associates and hearing of the important work they do.

COVID-19 Update
Last week in Virginia, there was an average of 14 daily cases of COVID-19 per 100,000 residents, down from 17 last week. This week’s COVID-19 test positivity rate was 11%, down from 13% last week. For more information, click here.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve as your Congressman. If my office can ever be of assistance, please contact my Washington office at (202) 225-5431.

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