Weekly Columns and Op-Eds

Responsible public land management, including protecting endangered species, is a critical issue for farmers, businesses, and landowners in our rural communities, and it is Congress’ duty to ensure that public land management promotes economic development, not burdensome regulations and red tape. Unfortunately, regulations designed to protect our resources often miss the mark entirely, and there is no better example than the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

For decades, the debate over grizzly bear introduction into the North Cascades ecosystem has raged on, and I have been fighting tirelessly to ensure that the voices of Central Washingtonians are heard.

Since day one in the White House, President Biden has consistently made policy decisions based on the views of the extreme climate lobby—disregarding their impact on everyday Americans. From cancelling the Keystone XL Pipeline to revoking leases for oil, gas, and mining across the West, it is clear the president’s unprecedented war on domestic energy producers has put the United States in a vulnerable position.

Last week, President Biden gave his State of the Union address—an event traditionally meant to instill confidence in the future of our nation. However, this year, the president opted for a campaign speech that sowed divisiveness and tension.

As a member of the House Appropriations Committee, I have been fighting to balance our budget and bring a common-sense conservative approach to federal spending. Last Congress, more than $3 trillion dollars was spent outside of normal annual spending—making it more important than ever to rein in reckless spending and pass fiscally conservative bills.

From AI to deep fakes, the rise in social media and algorithmic warfare is troubling to say the least. Our adversaries are getting more sophisticated, and as technology advances, it is critical our election integrity policies stay one step ahead.

The average age of farmers in the United States is 57 and a half years old, with only 9% under the age of 35. Children growing up on family farms today often want to leave to seek out other professions, and there is a great degree of difficulty—both in interest and due to barriers to entry—in getting youngers Americans without an agricultural background to become agricultural producers.

The United States produces the cleanest and safest energy in the world from traditional resources like oil and natural gas as well as from emerging resources and innovative technologies. This is something we should be celebrating, but instead, President Biden has waged an unprecedented war on American energy producers since taking office, which has caused our energy prices to skyrocket in order to appease the extreme climate lobby.