Every month we hear of a new “record-breaking” disaster under the Biden Administration. Whether it be record-breaking inflation, gas and grocery prices, crime rates, illegal border crossings, fentanyl deaths — the list goes on and on. This will continue to grow so long as the Biden Administration continues to turn a blind eye to the pressing issues that are hurting all Americans. These “record-breaking” figures are seriously hurting Central Washingtonians. It’s past time to take action to put our country back on the right path — and I am working to do just that.

Let’s take a look at the numbers: last week it was reported Americans are still paying more for just about everything. In just the past year, the prices of eggs have increased by over 70%, fuel oil by over 27.7%, airline fares by over 25%, and food at elementary schools by over 300%. Gas prices in Washington state still remain over $4.00 per gallon! I constantly hear from families in Central Washington who are struggling to make ends meet and can’t put food on the table for their families thanks to month after month of these record-breaking figures. Indeed, the skyrocketing cost of goods and services has cost the average family $10,000 over the last two years.

Our country has also seen endless increases to our national debt, which is now over $31 trillion — that’s over $94,000 per citizen! In the last four years, our discretionary spending has increased by 30% — over $400 billion. The Biden Administration is trying to dodge responsibility for the role they’ve played in exacerbating this crisis by pointing to the fact that our revenue is the highest it’s ever been. The ugly truth is America’s debt is currently higher than any time in American history, and that is absolutely unacceptable.

This has got to change because the folks in Central Washington and Americans throughout the country simply cannot afford to continue going down this dangerously expensive path. The good news is that we can and will turn things around.

First thing’s first — we must get our fiscal house in order and put our economy back on the right track. During the past two years under this administration there has been an unprecedented amount of wasteful government spending that is raising the record-breaking price increases we are experiencing and growing our national debt. It doesn’t have to be this way.

Prior to President Biden entering office, we put forth policies to grow the economy, like tax reform, which encouraged investment in our workforce and created record wage and job growth. I will continue to push for common-sense policies like those that will get government out of the way of the American people so we can thrive once more.

I will work tirelessly to bring back main street businesses and ensure entrepreneurs and small business owners have an economic environment they can succeed in. By reducing burdensome regulations, we can provide more flexibility to our communities, which would enable small businesses to flourish and our local economies to grow. Hardworking Americans are also taking home less pay. I will drive common-sense legislation that will bring stability to the economy through pro-growth tax and deregulatory policies that will increase take-home pay and create good-paying jobs.

America needs a new path forward, because the one we’re on right now is unsustainable and unacceptable. I am determined to continue holding our government accountable, protecting our freedoms, creating safe communities, and building an economy that’s strong for every American. We can do better than this, and we will.