WASHINGTON, DC — Americans for Prosperity Chief Government Affairs Officer Brent Gardner issued the following statement congratulating Republican leadership and underscoring both the challenges and opportunities ahead for the 120th Congress.
“Congratulations to Senate Republican Leader John Thune, Whip John Barrasso and Conference Chair Tom Cotton, and to House Republican Leader Jim Jordan, Whip Tom Emmer and Conference Chair Lisa McClain, along with their leadership teams, on their elections. AFP looks forward to working with them and with lawmakers in both parties who are ready to deliver for the American people. The new leaders take on these roles at a consequential moment, with Social Security and Medicare on the cusp of insolvency, the debt still climbing, and a new majority deciding whether to pursue ideas like government-run health care, price controls, and new taxes that would make those problems worse. These are challenges neither party can solve alone.
“Voters did not send a mandate for socialism. They sent a mandate to make their lives better, and for two elections now, that has meant lowering the cost of living. That gives Republican leaders a real opportunity to chart a new direction that returns to America’s founding principles of freedom and opportunity. In the minority, that means more than saying no. It means seeking out Democrats willing to partner on shared priorities like permitting reform, clearing the red tape that keeps homes from getting built, and taking better care of our veterans, while offering a clear alternative on health care and regulation, including putting patients in charge of their coverage and passing a REINS Act. AFP will press leaders in both parties to find common ground where it exists and to deliver real relief for families. Our grassroots network, in every state and district, stands ready to help them get it done.”