Connecticut Republican Party Chairman Ben Proto:
Are we better off after Joe Biden's first year in office?

Published in the Courant on February 1, 2022

As one crisis after another spirals, it’s hard to believe that it’s been only one year since Joe Biden took office. Just one year ago, our country was experiencing a strong economic recovery, which naysayers never forecasted after the onset of COVID-19. Our international enemies respected us and our military men and women knew they were appreciated. Wages were rising and red tape was being cut for small businesses to thrive. Law enforcement was held in high regard and families slept well at night because of the high priority on safety in their local communities.
 
Fast forward to the present and we must ask: are we better off after Joe Biden’s first year in office? An honest assessment quickly determines the answer is no.
 
Biden continuously promised on the campaign trail to “shut down the virus,” but those words have become nothing short of lies to the American people. In fact, this fall he refused to order enough tests before the holidays and waited too long to order enough treatments. Now he admits that COVID is “probably here to stay.” Where was his focus last year? Instead of prioritizing public health and safety, he rammed through a $1.9 trillion boondoggle spending package that has caused inflation to soar.

We are facing the largest annual increase of inflation in over 39 years, which has lowered real wages and exacerbated rising prices – hitting low and middle class families the hardest. Core consumer prices – excluding food (food prices are on the rise) and energy (energy cost increased more than any other commodity) – rose by 5.5% in the last year, which is the largest increase in nearly 31 years.
 
Even as supply chain issues ruined much of the holiday season for families, Biden’s administration is still unclear on if the crisis has reached its peak. All the while, 3.1 million workers reported  that they are unemployed because their small business employer was forced to close or lost business. It’s understandable then why Biden is not just underwater with Republicans, but “losing confidence from Independents and some Democrats.” Biden is clearly living in an alternate universe because he still insists that his presidency has delivered “historical results.” The average American family is more financially insecure than ever, and this past year has made it even worse.
 
Meanwhile, in Connecticut, unemployment remains high. As Republican-led states are combating Biden’s bad policies with common-sense solutions, Democrats like Ned Lamont are only making matters worse.
 
Another measure where Joe Biden and Democrats have failed is on managing crime. Biden promised to ensure “a safe America…safe from crime and looting.” Across Connecticut, families are looking for solutions while Democrats continue to weaken the criminal justice system and empower offenders. Juvenile crime, especially, has skyrocketed in the last year, with no relief in sight. From the White House to the State House, Democrats are failing their constituents by ignoring the data and public outcry and remaining committed to their reckless policies and rhetoric that have led to this spike in crime in Democrat strongholds across the country.
 
Finally, and possibly most disturbing, is Biden’s inability to stand up to Vladimir Putin, plunging us closer to war with Russia. One year and we are faced with too many huge failures by Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. Democrats nationwide refuse to hold Biden accountable, and voters will remember that this November.
 
Joe Biden may not be on the ballot this year, but his failures are. Democrats across the nation are shaking in their boots as polling continues to plummet for Biden. Every vote Joe Courtney and Jahana Hayes have taken in lockstep with Biden and Nancy Pelosi – which currently stands at 100% this Congress – whittles away at the displaced hope they had for reelection. As Democrats continue to spiral, Republican candidates are ready to bring about the strongest red wave Connecticut has seen yet.