Op-Ed by Dorothy Moon
The views and opinions expressed by contributors to True Idaho News do not necessarily reflect those of Shadowtrail Media, LLC, its founders, or owners.
On Tuesday, February 7, President Joe Biden gave his State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress. In it, Biden declared war on limited government and fiscal responsibility.
Biden repeated his calls for trillions of dollars of new federal programs, including free community college and subsidies for wind farms and so-called “green” energy.
To pay for his massive increase in government spending, Biden promised to raise taxes on high earners (essentially any household earning more than $100,000 a year) and some corporations, especially in the oil and gas industry.
These promises for more spending, more programs and more control over the economy come as Biden has already established himself to be a record-spender. Despite campaigning as a moderate, Biden has dramatically accelerated federal spending during his time in office. Official estimates from the Congressional Budget Office show, since January 2021, legislation signed by Biden has set a record $3.38 trillion in new spending.
How Idaho’s federal delegation responded to President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address on Tuesday night:
To counteract the Democratic Party’s aggressive moves to grow government and spend more money backed by Chinese collateral, “Red” states need to provide a responsible alternative.
And Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who delivered the Republican response to Biden’s address, signed executive orders freezing new government regulations and preventing teachers’ unions from indoctrinating Arkansas’ schoolchildren.
Unfortunately, here in Idaho, we are moving in the wrong direction. Just this week, our Republican governor used Democrat votes to enact a massive expansion of unaccountable government spending. Gov. Brad Little’s $102 million “Launch Act”— which further grows the reach of unaccountable bureaucrats, this time at the Idaho Workforce Council — follows his $410 million spending spree on teacher union priorities last year.
Instead of advancing legislation that protects Idaho families from ideological bureaucrats or wasteful spending on liberal policy priorities, like the pro-freedom governors in Florida and Arkansas, Idaho seems to be replicating the playbook of national Democrats: Hide the growth of unaccountable government by spending more money that properly belongs to the people.
Idaho families have real concerns about the rising costs at the supermarket and the ideological projects targeting the well-being of children. Republican governors in Florida, Arkansas, South Dakota and Tennessee are proving you can tackle hard problems without copying and pasting Democrat policies.
To counteract the spending spree coming from Washington, D.C., the hardworking men and women of Idaho need Republican leaders who resist the growth of government and return power — and your tax dollars — back to the hardworking men and women that make Idaho strong. It’s been said before, but Idaho needs less Joe Biden and more Ron DeSantis.
Related True Idaho News Reading: Are We Experiencing an Idaho Heist?
Dorothy Moon is Chair of the Idaho Republican Party.
The views and opinions expressed by contributors to True Idaho News do not necessarily reflect those of Shadowtrail Media, LLC, its founders, or owners.
