Weekly Columns and Op-Eds

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: An income tax in Washington state is unconstitutional.

Democrats in our state legislature recently passed Engrossed Senate Substitute Bill (ESSB) 5096, a bill that would impose a new 7% tax on capital gains in Washington state.

Over the last year, we've witnessed a system that refuses to hold the communist Chinese government accountable when it comes to the origins of COVID-19. For months, Democrats have been labeling Republicans as xenophobic, fringe, or extremist for suggesting that the coronavirus outbreak may have potentially stemmed from a laboratory in Wuhan. Now, more evidence has come to light, and it's clear that these possibilities were known and ignored.

For many of us, Memorial Day serves as a turning point in our calendars. The beginning of summer, the end of another school year, and the start of many trips with family and friends.

While many of us are looking forward to the new season and the opportunities it will bring, it's important that we all take a moment to pause and reflect because this weekend of celebration is rooted in the past. This day is intended for solemnity.

President Biden has created and perpetuated a crisis at our southern border, and I've seen it firsthand.

On Friday, I visited the United States-Mexico border to see for myself what was going on. Based on media coverage alone in recent weeks, it may seem like the national security, public health, and humanitarian crisis has died down. Nothing could be further from the truth.

There's been a lot of talk about our dams over the last few weeks, and I want to make it abundantly clear: Any "solution" for our salmon population that includes removing the dams on the Lower Snake River is a nonstarter.

Rep. Mike Simpson's proposed Columbia Basin Initiative seeks to breach the Lower Snake River dams in an attempt at boosting the native salmon population – while ignoring the very real issues, and solutions, that are impacting our fish populations.

President Biden's policies are killing jobs for American workers, and rather than opening his eyes to the harm he's causing, he's doubling down on his massive tax hikes.

The jobs report released on Friday was shocking to many. It was cited as the "largest miss" compared to economists' expectations since at least 1998. The United States created only 266,000 of the estimated 1.3 million jobs predicted – one million jobs less than expected, and the unemployment rate actually rose for the first time during the recovery.

Millions of Americans tuned in last Wednesday night to see what President Biden had to say about the first 100 days of his Administration and his plans for our country. Unfortunately for farmers, ranchers, and agricultural communities like ours in Central Washington, he had little to offer.

Instead of discussing real, concrete solutions that would help our farmers and ranchers through the recovery of a global pandemic, the President spent two hours pontificating on his radical agenda and social welfare programs.

The Biden Administration's approach to energy is the last thing America needs – especially when the United States is already leading the world in emissions reductions.

President Biden is forcing our nation to adopt global standards the rest of the world is already failing to meet while eliminating opportunities for hard-working Americans. Sadly, his job-killing proposals come at a time when we are still reeling from the economic, societal, and psychological impacts of the global pandemic.