Monroe News: After seven months, President Biden is failing the test
Every occupant of the Oval Office faces a series of tests—both at home and abroad—that ultimately define a president's legacy. In President Joe Biden's case, the hallmark of his first seven months has been far-left policies, failed leadership and a presidency spiraling out of control.
Sadly, examples are everywhere you look. Take the cost of living. Inflation has increased every month since President Biden took office, reaching its highest level in 13 years. As inflation runs rampant, impacting everything from cars to groceries, hardworking families are faced with a de facto tax increase making it harder to make ends meet. Instead of addressing these concerning inflationary pressures, the Biden Administration is intent on making the situation worse with more crippling debt.
Their latest reckless spending proposal—a $3.5 trillion budget written by Senator Bernie Sanders—will lead to higher taxes and even more expensive consumer prices. We simply cannot continue writing blank stimulus checks and sticking future generations with the bill.
Like inflation, gas prices are also soaring under President Biden's watch. Compared to last year, the price at the pump is up more than 40%. From the onset, the Biden Administration has hamstrung domestic energy production, discarding the Keystone XL pipeline and suspending oil and gas leases. Yet with prices surging, the President turned to foreign energy producers to bail him out, pleading with Russia and the Middle East to boost their supply. Talk about hypocrisy. We should be investing in American energy and jobs, not increasing our reliance on adversarial nations.
Meanwhile, the crisis at the southern border has shown no signs of slowing down. More than one million migrants have illegally crossed the border so far this year. In July alone, border apprehensions reached 212,672, marking a 21-year high and 420% year-over-year increase. President Biden's own Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas recently admitted that the situation is 'unsustainable.' What's more, the Biden Administration is releasing COVID-positive migrants into local communities, exacerbating the public health crisis. Despite all the warning signs, the Biden Administration's strategy of doing nothing has only led to greater chaos.
Perhaps nowhere has President Biden's incompetence done greater long-term damage than on the international stage. The Biden Administration's bungled withdrawal from Afghanistan has left sophisticated weaponry and military equipment in the Taliban's hands. Tragically, we lost 13 brave service members from a terrorist attack on the Kabul airport, marking the deadliest day for American troops in Afghanistan since 2011. Every step of the way, the Commander in Chief has projected weakness while Americans and our allies remain stranded in harm's way.
Elsewhere, he has shown weakness with Russia and China on a range of aggressions, including repeated cyberattacks. In a triumph for Vladimir Putin, President Biden went on to green-light Russia's Nord Stream 2 pipeline. He has also failed to hold the Chinese Communist Party accountable for its role in the global pandemic. All told, our nation is less safe and our credibility dramatically undercut.
During the campaign, President Biden cast himself as a steady hand who would unify the country. After seven months of careening from crisis to crisis, it is clear he is failing this fundamental test.
Although we face such turmoil on many fronts, too much is at stake to accept a posture of decline. That is not who we are as Americans. We must continue to stand strong for solutions that restore fiscal responsibility, strengthen American energy, secure the border, and keep our country and citizens safe. To win the future, Americans cannot sit on the sidelines.
U.S. Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Tipton, represents Michigan's 7th District, which includes Monroe and Lenawee counties. This op-ed originally appeared in the September 7 edition of the Monroe News.