I hope you saw my latest weekly column.

 

ROGER WICKER: Wicker encourages Biden to unify America
<[link removed]>

 

On January 20, my wife Gayle and I joined dozens of other lawmakers at the
U.S. Capitol to observe the orderly transfer of power. I had attended multiple
inaugurations before, but this year’s occasion was unlike any I had ever seen.
The National Mall, which is normally packed with visitors from across America,
was closed because of health restrictions. At the same time, more than 25,000
National Guard troops, including several hundred of our Mississippi Guardsmen,
were on site to ensure peace and order.

 

Upon taking the oath of office, Joe Biden became our 46th President. I did not
support him as a candidate, but I am praying for him as he leads our country
through a difficult period. I appreciated his call for national healing and
reconciliation. We should all work to lower the temperature and move forward as
one unified nation.

 

Unfortunately, the effort to remove a President who is no longer in office
raises serious constitutional questions and threatens to delay national
healing. This article of impeachment was rushed through the House of
Representatives shortly after the Capitol riot without hearings or any careful
consideration of evidence against President Trump. As President-elect, Mr.
Biden could have used his influence to stop the impeachment process from going
forward. Such a gesture could have gone a long way toward unifying the country.

 

A second impeachment trial is sure to inflame partisan tensions and could
poison the cooperative spirit we need in a 50-50 Senate. I fear it will also
bring more reproach on Congress’s solemn impeachment power, which should be
used sparingly and with sober deliberation. Impeachment could also interrupt
President Biden’s Cabinet confirmations for weeks while the Senate holds a
trial as required by the Constitution. The Senate has important business to do
and should not be held up by a pointless and divisive delay. 

 

On his first day in office, President Biden signed multiple executive orders
that reveal his administration’s priorities. I am deeply concerned about the
impact these decisions will have on our country.

 

One of President Biden’s first steps was to revoke the permit for the Keystone
XL Pipeline, a vital energy project that President Trump had approved.
Cancellation of this pipeline will needlessly limit our oil supply and cost as
many as 11,000 jobs, representing $1.6 billion in lost wages. This reversal is
also an insult to Canada, which was depending on the pipeline to move oil to
America. President Biden has spoken of “repairing” our alliances, but this is a
big step backward.

 

President Biden also reversed Trump’s policy of strict immigration enforcement
and imposed a 100-day pause on deportations. This sends a terrible signal to
those trying to enter our country illegally, like the caravans that are
currently advancing toward our border. As a Senator in 2006, Mr. Biden
supported the Secure Fence Act, which authorized funds for border control
barriers. He served as Vice President in the Obama Administration, which
engaged in a sensible deportation policy for illegal immigrants. His change of
heart sends a troubling signal of radical policies to come.

 

 President Biden has pledged to represent all Americans and help unify our
nation. I hope he fulfills this pledge by focusing on ideas that enjoy
bipartisan support. The Senate Commerce Committee, which I chaired for the last
two years, has made great progress on expanding broadband to rural America,
building infrastructure, and supporting our transportation sector. I stand
ready to work with President Biden on these and other unifying priorities.

 

You can click here to share my Op-Ed with your friends on Facebook!
<[link removed]>

 

Thank you for your support,

Senator Roger Wicker

 

 

Donate
<[link removed]>
Please mail contributions to P.O. Box 64, Jackson, MS 39205.


Paid for by Wicker for Senate


You can also keep up with Roger Wicker on Twitter
<[link removed]> or Facebook.
<[link removed]>


Don't want to receive our emails anymore? Unsubscribe
<[link removed]>