Enewsletters

Yesterday afternoon, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris took the oath of office on the steps of the U.S. Capitol.  The peaceful transition of power occurred at this inauguration just as it has since our Founding.  With the favor of God’s hand, our institutions endure even during tumultuous times.  I congratulate President Biden and Vice President Harris and wish them well with the new responsibilities their offices bring.

In spite of the President’s call for unity, he issued a series of executive orders that are controversial and job-killing.  

Among them: 

• Blocking funding for needed border security improvements, including the termination of continued construction of the border wall
• A 100-day moratorium on deportations, even for criminals
• Blocking the construction of Keystone XL Pipeline, costing thousands of good-paying U.S. jobs
• Reinstating the Paris Climate Accord, which studies suggest will cost millions of U.S. jobs, will significantly harm the US energy sector, and gives a pass to the major polluters of the world, including China.

With millions of Americans unemployed due to the COVID-19 crisis, these policy changes and unilateral actions simply make our economic recovery more challenging.  President Biden gave a speech about unity yesterday, but these policy changes are divisive and make it harder for American families to get ahead in a time of unprecedented economic hardship.

On the COVID-19 front, almost 345,000 individuals in North Carolina have received their first dose of the vaccine with approximately 1 million doses having been received by the state.  Presently, health care workers, long-term care facility staff, and individuals over age 65 are eligible to receive a vaccine, but many are finding it challenging to get an appointment to receive their shot.  It is clear that the state needs to take more aggressive steps to get this vaccine distributed in a timely way.  

Nationwide, we are administering close to a million vaccinations a day.  Thanks to Operation Warp Speed and the leadership of the Trump Administration, our nation is — and has been — on track to deliver 100 million vaccinations within the next 100 days, which is the stated goal of the Biden Administration.