In the days since President Biden was sworn into office, the media have given little critical oversight to his actions. Most of Biden’s legislative priorities and executive orders have been ignored, and instead, we have seen the media focus on decorations in the Oval Office, the president’s love of chocolate chip ice cream, and the Biden family’s pets.
As the media cover these important issues, people are left wondering: Is Biden working for the people, and is he keeping the promises he made to unite our country?
Biden has set the stage for what he hopes to accomplish in the White House. In his first speech following the 2020 election, Biden pledged “to be a president who seeks not to divide, but to unify.” He also promised to be a president not of red states and blue states, but of the United States. He echoed these promises months later in his inauguration speech. Following the yearlong coronavirus shutdowns, riots and looting across the country, and a divisive impeachment process that began a year earlier, the calls for unity from a Democratic leader were a welcome change from his party’s constant attacks against Republican officials and supporters.
Immediately after Biden’s inauguration, however, he began signing numerous divisive executive orders and supporting a far-left agenda. In just a matter of days, Biden has shown the nation that his calls for unity were just political sound bites, as he has governed through executive orders that weaken the country’s energy independence, destroy thousands of jobs, and support abortions both at home and abroad.
In one of his first executive orders, Biden revoked a permit for the Keystone XL pipeline, a vital future source of oil provided by one of our closest allies. This removes a tool for reducing our reliance on oil from our adversaries, potentially creating a national security concern for our country. What’s more, this decision by Biden destroys thousands of jobs as we continue to fight to rebuild our economy during the pandemic. It makes sense that such a damaging policy would be unpopular with the public.
Biden then continued his disastrous economic policies by championing a $15 minimum wage. The Congressional Budget Office has already released a study that shows the move would destroy 1.4 million jobs. That’s more than the number of jobs in 14 states, including Mississippi. That’s not just a statistic. That is a tragedy for everyone chasing the American dream.
Finally, little has divided people more than the topic of abortion, and Biden’s decision to attack the Hyde Amendment and overturn the Mexico City policy reinforces those concerns. The Hyde Amendment ensures that federal dollars are not used for abortions, and the Mexico City policy ensures U.S. foreign aid is not used to perform abortions or support organizations that do. In my short time in Congress, I have been a strong defender of the right to life and have opposed the use of taxpayer dollars to fund abortions. The majority of people disagree with the stance of the Biden administration.
Whether you are a Democrat or a Republican, it would appear that Biden’s message of “unity” was merely a campaign promise that he does not intend to fulfill. If the president truly seeks to unite the country, he must focus on solving large problems on which Republicans and Democrats can find common ground.
I believe we can and must come together to achieve important legislation for our nation. We must put workers first and focus on getting people back to work instead of destroying jobs to score political points with climate and left-wing activists. Instead of funding foreign abortions, we should begin discussions on how to reform our broken immigration system and how we will secure our borders.
My Republican colleagues and I are ready to get to work to create legislation that unifies our country and makes it a better place to live, worship, and raise a family. That’s a goal that will truly unite our country.
Rep. Michael Guest represents Mississippi’s 3rd Congressional District.
