'The best is yet to come': Rep. Cathy McMorris-Rodgers addresses Pomeroy voters

POMEROY-Washington Congresswoman Cathy McMorris-Rodgers shared the Republican goals in the event they hold a majority in Congress after the 2022 elections at a gathering at the Pataha Flour Mill on October 28.

Congresswoman McMorris-Rodgers began her presentation with a call to pray. She spoke about Benjamin Franklin's words during the drafting of the US Constitution, "if a sparrow cannot fall without his [God's] notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without his aid?" Congresswoman Rodgers encouraged the assembly to pray continually for the United States and urged them to reclaim the identity of America, which she stated is "a nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all".

She then began to share the "Commitment to America", the Republican outline of Congressional goals which focuses on four main points: an economy that's strong, a nation that's safe, a future that's built on freedom, and a government that's accountable.

To rebuild a strong economy, the Commitment states the plan is to fight inflation and lower the cost of living by curbing wasteful government spending and promote pro-growth tax and deregulatory policies. It also outlines a plan to make America energy independent by maximizing production of reliable American-made energy and cut permitting process time, and strengthen the supply chain and end dependence on China by expanding US manufacturing. "Energy security is national security", Congresswoman McMorris-Rodgers said.

To create safety for the nation, the Commitment plans to secure the border and combat illegal immigration by funding effective border enforcement strategies, infrastructure and technology and end catch-and-release loopholes, require legal status for job application, and eliminate welfare incentives. To reduce crime and protect public safety, the Commitment plans to oppose all efforts to defund the police and push for prosecution of crimes as well as criminalizing all forms of illicit fentanyl, and defend America's national security through investing in the military and exercising peace through strength in response to global threats.

The Commitment plans to create a future built on freedom by recovering lost learning from school closures and expanding parental choice to allow students to receive an education that their parents know is best, ensure that only women can compete in women's sports, achieve healthier lives for Americans by lowering prices through transparency, choice and competition, invest in lifesaving cures and improve access to telemedicine, as well as confront big tech by providing greater privacy and data security protections, equipping parental tools for children's online safety, and put people ahead of politics.

The Commitment plan for an accountable government is to preserve constitutional freedoms, conduct rigorous oversight to rein in government abuse of power and corruption, and restore the people's voice by repealing proxy voting in Congress and stepping up election process accountability by using voter identification, allowing observer access and seeking higher accuracy for voter rolls.

Congresswoman McMorris-Rodgers emphasized returning legislative power from federal boards, commissions and agencies to Congress, keeping decision making and money at the local level of government, and "unleashing American energy". She urged Republicans to turn their votes in.

In answer to questions, she stated that her answer to weapons stockpiling at the federal level and the Internal Revenue Service's hiring of thousands of new agents is to bring the directors into a Congress session to ask why such action is needed, and if necessary to withhold funding through the power of the purse, which is Congress's constitutional job.

Congresswoman McMorris-Rodgers encouraged the gathered Pomeroy citizens to be hopeful for the future. Her closing remarks were "the best is yet to come".