On Thursday U.S. Representative (District 11 Texas) spoke to the Brownwood Kiwanis Club. His remarks centered on two topics: border security and economic prosperity.
Pfluger began his remarks with “I do not have the best of news today, though I do have some hope. What we have seen in the first 100 days of this Administration is just the speed and rapid pace of policies that are really not helping our area. They are not helping our national security. They are not helping our economy.” Pfluger said he evaluates the Administration’s policies with two criteria: “Is the President making us more secure? And is he making us more prosperous?”
He said President Biden, immediately upon taking office, halted construction of the border wall and overturned agreements with Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador “that were helping to stem the flow of illegal immigrants. They were helping to prevent a crisis.”
Pfluger said that the Democrats argue for immigration policies that are more humane and compassionate. But he said that orderly, lawful immigration is humane and compassionate. The current Administration’s border policies have resulted in an overflow of illegal immigrants (172,000 illegal immigrants apprehended in March; 178,000 in April; and 2 million projected by end of year), terrorists (four on the Terrorist Watch List apprehended crossing the southern border), and child trafficking. He said that the Department of Health and Human Services told him that the majority of children crossing the border illegally are being trafficked. “That’s not humane. That’s the exact opposite of humane.” He also faulted President Biden and Vice President Harris for not visiting the border and learning first-hand what is actually happening on the border, and what the Border Patrol, customs agents, and immigration authorities need to do their job.
Pfluger then turned to the economy. “We spent $1.9 trillion on ‘So Called’ COVID relief, and yet only 10% of that money is going to actual COVID relief.” He pointed out that $4.5 billion will go to the City of San Francisco.
He then talked about taxes. He said the Biden Administration says that taxes will not go up on anyone making less than $400,000, but that is not true. The Administration has proposed changes to such things as capital gains taxes, death taxes, and the stepped-up basis for inheritance taxes. He said that if these proposed tax changes were implemented, it would be very harmful for the people in this area in general, and to agriculture in particular. He is cautiously optimistic that these new tax policies will not happen, however, because he does not think they have enough votes in Congress to support them.
Pfluger then criticized the Biden Administration’s policies on oil and natural gas. Through executive orders Biden cancelled the Keystone Pipeline and prohibited oil drilling on Federal property. He said that affects our economy and national security, pointing out that the Permian Basin supplies 40% of the nation’s oil and gas needs.
Pfluger closed with some optimism. He believes that enough Democrats will join Republicans in supporting policies that will make this country more secure and more prosperous. “Slowly and surely I think we will get to the point that we can do some things that will actually heal this country. I have hope because I see these colleagues who are coming from different places and they are truly bringing a diversity of thought and experiences that can change this country, and can stand up to false information.”
“I am not happy with many of the policies that are going on. In fact, I’m not going to give the very good grade to this Administration on much of anything. But I do have hope. And for whatever reason we are going through some tough times, we are going to emerge, and we are going to emerge stronger. This is the greatest country on earth, and we all have a responsibility to protect it.”