When I was growing up my dad liked to remind me that hope is not a planning option. Last November, voters chose to send President Trump back to the White House and give Republicans majorities in both houses of Congress hoping to take our country in a different direction. The voters did their part, now it’s time for us to act and fulfill the promises we made.

On Election Day nothing weighed on voters’ minds more than their constant struggle to stay ahead of higher prices. During the previous four years of the Biden Administration, prices across the economy rose by 20%.  Families across America were suffering under Democrat economic policies.

One of the simplest ways to help American families is by allowing them to keep more of the money they have earned. If Congress fails to act this year on expiring tax provisions, the average taxpayer in the 41st Congressional District will see their taxes increased by $1,704. That’s a massive financial hit they simply can’t afford. That’s why extending and enhancing previous tax cuts is one of my top priorities.

I recently met with President Trump to talk about the expiring tax cuts. We want to extend the individual tax rates we lowered across all tax brackets in 2017. Another priority I have is increasing the amount of state and local taxes – or SALT – taxpayers can deduct from their federal income taxes. President Trump has indicated he’s open to raising the SALT deduction to provide relief to taxpayers in high-tax Democrat-led states, like California and New York. Extending and improving the child tax credit that Republicans doubled in 2017 is another top priority of mine to help working families.

Republicans are focused on providing desperately needed financial relief by reversing Biden’s inflationary policies. On day one, President Trump eliminated costly executive orders issued by his predecessor. The cost of bloated bureaucracy weighs on everything across the economy. The job-killing regulatory regime stifled growth and made any activity more expensive. President Trump also declared an energy emergency and immediately reversed the anti-American energy production that President Biden instituted.  The cost of energy underpins every aspect of our economy, by unleashing American energy dominance, Americans will begin to experience real economic relief.

Here in Riverside County, we feel the pain of time-consuming and costly red-tape. An effort to ease congestion by expanding Interstate 15 between south Corona and Lake Elsinore will take an estimated eight years just to comply with a long list of state and federal regulations. The time necessary to actually construct the project will take just a fraction of that time. Finding ways to streamline and expedite the construction of critical infrastructure must be a top priority to help our communities grow and put Americans to work.

Voters also sent a clear message, both here in California and beyond, that we must do more to keep our communities safe, restore the rule of law, and secure our border. Even in deep-blue California, more than 68% of voters supported the passage of Prop 36, which increased penalties for theft. Nationally, a recent NY Times poll found an overwhelming 87% of Americans support deporting immigrants who are here illegally and have criminal records.  President Trump immediately delivered on that promise and ICE has arrested 460 criminal aliens across America, including child rapists, and I expect more to come. Congressional Republicans have already passed and given the President new tools to aid in this effort by passing the Laken Riley Act, which will force the deportation of illegal immigrants who commit crimes. Shockingly, 156 House Democrats voted against the bill despite the clear and overwhelming bipartisan support Americans have voiced for deporting criminal illegal immigrants.

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Nothing is killing more 18-45 year-olds in our country than fentanyl which was allowed to flow freely across our southern border. I strongly support President Trump’s robust plan to secure our border and designate Mexican drug cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations. By deploying additional National Guard and active-duty military personnel to the border, we can seize control immediately. By completing the border wall, ending catch-and-release policies, and reinstituting the Remain-in-Mexico policy, we can end the flood of illegal immigrants and deadly drugs that flowed across the border during the Biden administration.

Americans want to live, work, and grow a family in country that’s safe and full of economic opportunity. President Biden and Democrats in Congress only made things worse. In just the last week of President Trump, it truly feels like a new day in America in which common-sense, pragmatic solutions to the problems people are facing are winning the day. In the months and years ahead, Republicans must remember why voters put us in charge. Their hope for a brighter future for America should always be our guiding light.

Ken Calvert represents California’s 41st congressional district.