In The News

Last week, President Biden delivered his State of the Union Address. While we heard the President call for a unity agenda, actions speak louder than words. Falsely accusing Republicans of wanting to eliminate Social Security and Medicare wasn’t a good start. While there was a rather raucous back and forth in the House Chamber, I was glad to see the President acknowledge that both sides of the aisle want to protect Social Security and Medicare for today’s seniors while preserving these programs for future generations. 

I am a firm believer that Republicans and Democrats must continue to talk to one another and not talk past each other. If we aren’t talking, we won’t find out if we agree on 5%, 15%, or 50% of the issues facing our nation. This is particularly true regarding the current conversations on the debt limit. In 2011, then Vice President Biden led negotiations on behalf of the Obama Administration with House Republicans. There must be another serious conversation regarding Washington’s out-of-control spending. 

With the national debt at $31,000,000,000,000 and rising, it’s more urgent than ever that we review our nation’s credit card bill and examine the recent unprecedented spending that has brought us to this point. Just as defaulting on our debt is not an option, we also cannot allow unchecked spending to cause the price of everyday essentials to soar across Southwest Michigan.

If President Biden comes to the table to work with Republicans, I believe reforms to get our nation headed in a more fiscally secure direction are possible. While our nation faces a host of challenges including: border integrity, energy security, and the overall cost of living, we must find a way to tackle these issues. 

The decisions made in the next few months can set the tone for a larger conversation on reducing waste, fraud, and the overall size of government. 

My top priority is serving Southwest Michigan. If you need help navigating a federal agency, please visit Huizenga.House.Gov or call my office in Holland at (616) 251-6741 or Washington at (202) 225-4401 so we can assist you.

This column appeared in the Tri-City Record on February 16, 2023