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BY SEN. MARSHA BLACKBURN
The Fourth of July is usually a time of celebration, but this year, even the best firework displays couldn’t distract Americans from the problems caused by radicals in Washington.
Grocery bills broke records this year, and travelers paid 45% more for airfare than they did in 2019. In response to the fuel crisis he created, Joe Biden announced a plan to offer an 18-cent tax break on a gallon of gas. Right now, filling up a Ford F150 in Tennessee could run over $160, but this political stunt will likely push prices even higher. Biden may have gotten a few positive headlines from his penny-saving scheme, but that does little to help Tennesseans.
Biden has also stripped critical resources from the U.S. military in the name of his agenda. Since he took office, at least 5,889,082 military man hours have been wasted on climate change and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) related programs. The administration’s new push for a permanent pandemic via COVID vaccine mandates has put the careers of tens of thousands of Guardsmen and women in the crosshairs. The New Axis of Evil is paying attention, and they know that under Biden’s watch, warfighters are spending more time complying with political ultimatums than focusing on their missions.
Joe Biden has welcomed this mentality into the school system. With unions in control, moms and dads have to worry if teachers are secretly enabling their child’s “transition” or if female athletes are competing against biological males. Last month, Senate Democrats couldn’t even bring themselves to support my resolution affirming equal opportunity for biological women on the anniversary of Title IX. Instead, the Biden administration announced a new plan that would re-write the rules of biology.
The left has made it clear that they will force through their agenda at any cost, but I have pushed back every step of the way. I led the call to stop their reckless spending spree, championed efforts to keep the military focused on readiness, and joined legislation to protect equal opportunity for biological women. Despite the left’s best efforts, no amount of their radical spending or woke policies will destroy We the People’s resolve. Under no circumstances will Tennesseans compromise on the vision America’s greatest leaders secured for this and future generations — a nation of the people, by the people, and for the people.
While Americans did their best to focus on celebrations this past weekend, we couldn’t escape the failing leadership from the White House. I am confident that my efforts in Washington and Tennesseans’ work in their own communities will overcome the crises caused by Democrats. But our success will come in spite of the left’s influence, not because of it.
(Sen. Marsha Blackburn represents Tennessee in the U.S. Senate)