“What are Republicans for?” asked Joe Biden at his recent press conference. It’s an important question, and it calls for a simple and clear answer. We Republicans need to write a New Contract With America, packed with ideas that will resonate with American voters in 2022. Here are some suggestions:
1. We will “Refund, Reform, and Respect the Police!” We will do whatever we can to end the crime wave devastating American neighborhoods.
2. We will make America energy independent again! We will lower the cost of energy and thereby lower the price of all the things that depend on energy, such as gasoline, heating oil, and even groceries. To do this, we will encourage an “all of the above” energy policy. We will build solar farms, wind farms, and safe nuclear power plants. We will drill for oil and gas, and open our pipelines—stimulating economic growth and enhancing America’s security.
3. We will bring vital industries back to America! This includes the manufacture of microchips, medicines, and medical supplies, and the mining of lithium for electric car batteries. We will encourage building state-of-the-art factories in America. We cannot rely on the goodwill of the Chinese Communist Party to supply us with our necessities. We must decouple from China until its totalitarian leaders veer away from their belligerent and dangerous course.
4. We will take politics out of the Supreme Court. We will pass an Amendment to the United States Constitution with these provisions: the Court will remain at nine justices forever; the Senate must vote nominees up or down within 60 days; no filibustering of nominees will be allowed, but at least 55 percent of Senators must confirm a nomination; there shall be life-time tenure for the justices, except for either traditional impeachment or an inability to discharge the duties of the office.
5. We will respect parents’ rights to guide their children’s education! We will take money already budgeted for the federal Department of Education and use it to fund $500 vouchers that parents can give to the accredited school of their choice. There were 73.2 million students of all ages in the US in October 2020; the Biden Administration asked for $102 billion for the Department of Education for FY2022—that is roughly $1,400 per student; let’s shift at least 35% of that money to these vouchers. In addition, we will set up a certification process for homeschoolers so that parents who meet basic educational qualifications can use the vouchers for books, computers, software, and supplies.
6. We will finish the wall on our southern border and institute policies that control cross-border traffic. American citizens should decide who comes into our country, just as a homeowner decides who comes into her house. We do not blame people for wanting to come here to make a better life for themselves and their families, but in this time of COVID and criminal cartels, we must protect our citizens. We cannot afford to grant generous benefits to the millions of people around the world who would cross our borders illegally if they had the chance.
7. When the wall is complete and the border situation stabilized, we will pass legislation to tie legal immigration and temporary work visas to the unemployment rates in America, the number of jobs available, the type of jobs, etc. Subject to these metrics, we welcome legal immigrants of every race and from every nation!
8. We will rein in the power of the Tech Giants and limit their ability to stifle free speech! We will pass laws allowing Americans to file lawsuits against Big Tech corporations who breach good faith user agreements by censoring political speech and unjustly defaming those with whom they disagree. We will break up Big Brother monopolies because they threaten our rights; we will encourage competition and the innovation it brings.
9. We will do whatever is possible to help small companies recover from the devastating hits they have taken over the last two years. That includes keeping federal tax rates low, especially for small corporations, so that, as they regain profitability, they can hire American workers.
10. Our foreign policy and our defense policy will be guided by Ronald Reagan’s wise maxim “Peace Through Strength!” We will participate in alliances such as NATO and the Quad, but we will insist that our allies and friends share the costs and the burden.
Those are my ideas. I also have a Call to Action: Please send your own ideas to Republican party leaders. Insist that they hammer out a New Contract With America that speaks with a simple, clear, and united voice.
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