Op-Ed: Rep. Mike Bost: The status quo isn’t working for working families

Rep. Bost lays out his agenda for the next Congress...

The 2024 election delivered a powerful message to the D.C. swamp: the voters were fed up with leaders who ignored their struggles. They handed President Donald Trump and Republican majorities in both houses of Congress a mandate for change.

From factory floors and family farms to Main Streets and mom-and-pop shops, working Americans rejected the status quo that had long ago left them behind. Even traditionally Democrat-leaning states like New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and California saw significant shifts toward President Trump, highlighting the growing disconnect between D.C. Democrats and the rest of the country.

We should be focusing on illegal immigration and kitchen table issues, like jobs, rising grocery prices, the cost of energy, and fixing supply chain disruptions that lead to empty store shelves. These are the things that matter to working families in Southern Illinois and across America.

Now that the contentious November election is over, it’s time to roll up our sleeves and get to work on the issues that hit home the hardest.

The Biden administration’s failure to address the crisis at our southern border has created massive security challenges and put pressure on public services. It has made our streets less safe and strained law enforcement and taxpayer resources. House conservatives are committed to taking action to secure the border. We’ll direct resources to finish the border wall, support an exhausted and undermanned Border Patrol, and strengthen immigration enforcement. It is such a relief to know we will have a leader and partner in the White House on January 20th who takes these challenges as seriously as we do.

As for the economy, let’s face it: the past four years have been tough on Southern Illinois, just like it has on countless communities nationwide. Costs have skyrocketed, stretching budgets to the breaking point. Gas prices, for instance, jumped nearly 50 percent since 2020, with the national average now at $3.28 per gallon, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. That might not matter much to the D.C. elites, but it’s a serious burden for families traveling in their pickup trucks and minivans for the holiday season.

House Republicans are committed to changing the economic outlook for the better.

We’re working with President Trump to deliver a bold plan for relief that focuses on lowering costs for American families, starting negotiations on a long-term extension of the historic tax relief that was passed and signed into law during the first Trump administration. Without it, we will all feel it in the pocketbook when these tax cuts expire at the end of 2025.

Additionally, conservatives are committed to unleashingAmerica’s energy potential by expanding safe exploration for domestic resources to make us energy independent and lower fuel prices. Under the Biden administration, energy prices have soared. But by tapping into our own energy resources, we can reduce costs and create jobs. This will help revitalize the economy and provide families with financial relief and affordable energy for heating our homes and fueling our vehicles.

On top of that, we’re going to cut wasteful spending. The Biden administration’s policies, like the misleadingly named Inflation Reduction Act, have only increased government spending. It’s time to roll back these harmful policies and reduce the size and scope of the administrative state. The newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), headed up by business visionary Elon Musk, will ensure government works for the people, not the other way round.

Congress will also work to revitalize America’s infrastructure, taking up an important highway infrastructure funding bill that will be crucial for improving our transportation networks, creating jobs, and ensuring safer roadways.

And don’t forget that a strong economy is built on fair trade policies. As we work to boost domestic production and create jobs, it’s essential that we protect American industries from unfair foreign competition. Adversaries like China have long engaged in practices that harm our economy, and we must hold them accountable. That’s why I introduced the Fighting Trade Cheats Act, a bill that aims to protect American workers by cracking down on unfair trade practices and penalizing companies that engage in customs fraud. This bill will give U.S. manufacturers the tools they need to defend against unfair trade, ensuring a level playing field for all. President Trump knows our trade laws are crucial to ensuring that American jobs stay in America, and he’s ready for the battle.

The American people didn’t elect Republicans to sit on our hands. They gave us a mandate to stand up for working families, drain the swamp, and deliver real results. The bottom line is this: people in Southern Illinois and across the country deserve an economy that works for them, not for the D.C. insiders or the wealthy elites. We’re committed to building a stronger America – and we’re ready to get to work on day one.