Debate Prep: Climate, Title 42 and Debt Ceiling

Each week, IW‘s policy experts work together to craft talking points that help us deliver our messages as effectively as possible. IW spokeswomen use these very same focal points to prepare for television and radio appearances and we want you to have the same prep materials so that you can debate these issues with community officials, school officials, and even your family, friends, and neighbors.

FOCAL POINT #1: WITH INNOVATION, BOTH PEOPLE AND THE PLANET CAN THRIVE 

Background:  The climate provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act will not decrease energy prices. Instead, the Inflation Reduction Act increases taxes (disguised as “fees”, “rates”, and “charges”) that will be passed onto consumers while discouraging investment in U.S. oil and gas. This will constrain supply and keep gas prices at financially painful levels.  Policymakers would be wise to reverse the government policies that essentially shut down the development of energy resources here in the United States and leverage the problem-solving potential of the private sector.

Talking Points:

• The current administration is bowing to activist demands by pursuing harmful “net zero” goals.  This has curbed American energy production, squeezed Americans at the gas pump, and discouraged innovation.
• The climate provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act will only make matters worse by increasing taxes (disguised as “fees”, “rates”, and “charges”) that will be passed onto consumers and discouraging investment in U.S. oil and gas. This will constrain supply and keep gas prices at financially painful levels.
• Let’s move away from fear-based rhetoric and instead focus on advancing balanced ideas that will tangibly lead to a cleaner energy future. One where both people and the planet will thrive.
• The United States is a global leader in environmental stewardship. We have a history of success because we have embraced conservation-based policies that aim to do more with less rather than prohibition-based policies that ban certain types of energy or specific technologies.
• The U.S. also knows how to responsibly develop our resources while taking care of surrounding communities and the environment.
• Cooperation between public-private entities, nonprofit organizations, and concerned citizens has led the nation to advanced high standards for water, land, and air.
• Top-down policies threaten to undermine these advancements, including being wholly dependent on foreign nations with poor environmental and human rights track records.
• To ensure we have a healthy future for both people and the planet, policies should leverage the problem-solving potential of the private sector.
• Policies should aim to return the U.S. to energy independence. This means unleashing the U.S. oil and gas industry the Biden administration is now strangling and restoring America’s innovative and environmentally-responsible energy sector.

Learn more:
https://www.iwf.org/2023/04/25/two-truths-and-a-lie-climate-change/ 

FOCAL POINT #2: TITLE 42 EXPIRES 

Background:  On May 11, 2023 Title 42, a temporary safety measure that has provided border protection and helped deter illegal immigration, will expire. This will worsen an already-dire crisis. This week, House Republicans are set to vote on a new bill focused on border security and address the crisis at the border.

Talking Points:

• Immigration and border control aren’t just political issues: they are economic, national security, and public health issues.
• The United States has a proud heritage of welcoming immigrants from around the world.
• More than one million people immigrate to the United States each year. There are no restrictions based on race or religion.
• Immigrants bring important skills, labor and contributions to our economy and culture. Like any sovereign country, the U.S. must control immigration and give priority to the needs of both Americans citizens and legal immigrants.
• The ongoing situation at the southern border is a crisis of epic and historic proportions. Illegal border-crossings are at a record high, children are being abandoned by smugglers, women and children are being victimized, people are losing their lives, criminal enterprises are flourishing, and health concerns abound — including a catastrophic spike in drug-related deaths of American citizens.
• Getting a handle on this crisis should be the top priority for the current administration. This begins with securing our borders.
• Unfortunately, the Biden administration has made clear that they have no interest in discouraging illegal immigration and are only interested in the impact illegal immigration has on American communities, if those communities are in wealthy areas or dysfunctional cities in blue states.
• Border towns and states have unfairly shouldered too much of the immediate and catastrophic fallout from porous borders and failed illegal immigration — though every American is affected by the harms of illegal drugs, including deadly fentanyl, and the human rights horrors of human trafficking which are outgrowths of our out-of-control border.
• Our uncontrolled, unsecured border is putting our country and our people at risk and is simply unfair to our citizens and to everyone who follows our immigration laws.
• Many Americans also feel that illegal immigrants should be allowed to stay legally if certain conditions are met. We should be careful not to offer blanket amnesty as it could encourage future waves of illegal immigrants.
• Fixing our asylum laws, dealing with children brought to the U.S. illegally, and securing our borders are the most pressing issues. We should also decide on legal immigration levels and what we prioritize (i.e. skills, family ties, or something else).
• Like any sovereign country, the U.S. must control immigration, U.S. immigration law must put American interests first, and the rule of law must be followed.
• It is imperative that the U.S. immigration system be modernized in a way that prioritizes national security, rewards merit, and helps Americans and immigrants.
• Self-sufficiency and economic independence is a goal for all Americans — citizens and noncitizens. Enforcing and expanding the public charge principle in our immigration system is one avenue to achieve that outcome.
• Illegal immigration should not be rewarded. Illegal immigration has consequences for wages, social safety nets, and public safety.
• Some illegal immigrants exploit the U.S. asylum system as a fast-track into the U.S. Ultimately, this overwhelms Border Enforcement and adds to the backlog of over 1 million immigration cases.
• Ultimately, Congress should come together on a comprehensive plan that protects our borders, offers opportunity, rewards hard work and merit, and honors the rule of law. As President Reagan once said, “The city on the hill may have walls but those walls have doors!”

More information:
https://www.iwv.org/campaign/safeborderspetition/ 

FOCAL POINT #3: DEBT CEILING DEBATE CONTINUES  

Background: This week, the consumer price index for the month of April will be released. In March, inflation (as measured by the consumer price index or CPI) on all items increased by 5% over the course of 12 months. Meanwhile, lawmakers in Congress continue to debate whether or not to raise the debt ceiling. The government is set to run out of money as early as June 1st unless Congress grants more borrowing authority.  Troublingly, the Left is calling for another increase while remaining committed to plans that call for spending trillions of dollars more in inflationary spending. On the other side of the aisle, House Republicans passed a bill that would pair an increase with spending cuts and limits.

Talking Points:

• Paychecks are being slashed by stubbornly-high inflation and the unaffordability of basic goods and services.
• Inflation is leaving budgets tighter and savings more scant. Many are being forced to change their plans or forgo everyday goods and services.
• Rising grocery and rent prices–two essential household budget items–continue to drive increased spending despite headline CPI decline.
• No wonder two out of three Americans say they could not cover their living expenses for a month if they lost their job today.
• The current administration refuses to acknowledge these errors or accept any responsibility for the dismal state of our economy, leaving Americans on their own to deal with rising prices.
• Many out-of-touch elites in government, who are shockingly unaware of the challenges families are facing right now, want to RAISE taxes and reduce Americans’ purchasing power even more.
• Policymakers must:
  • Steer clear of plans to spend trillions of dollars more in inflationary spending.
  • Ensure that Americans have access to as many income-generating opportunities as possible
• Troublingly,  the Left is bent on upending flexible, independent work arrangements that women value and depend upon.
• If a traditional 9-to-5 job is untenable due to caregiving duties, health concerns, and early retirement, freelancing can be a sustainable model of work.
• We are putting President Biden, Congress, and regulators on notice: women will not stop fighting to preserve flexible work.

Learn more:
https://www.iwf.org/2023/04/20/insane-deficit-spending-is-immoral/