The left’s weak position on the economy and national security, as well as their embrace of late-term abortion, will burden Democrats in the upcoming election — realities that House Republicans will undoubtedly draw attention to as they plan a full-scale offensive effort to contrast their support of President Trump’s agenda with the Democrats’ move toward socialism, Rep. Denver Riggleman (R-VA) told Breitbart News in an exclusive interview on Friday.
Riggleman kicked off the GOP’s plan to offer measures to support the “Best Is Yet to Come” agenda the president laid out during his historic State of the Union (SOTU) address this week, introducing a resolution asking Congress to support policies “that further expands the booming economic growth” outlined by the president and to embrace the “‘Best Is Yet to Come” policy blueprint for the people of the United States.” The blueprint champions historic economic growth, celebrates individuals coming off welfare rolls, vows to protect patients with preexisting conditions, recognizes the significance of the U.S. military’s elimination of top Iranian terror chief Quasem Soleimani, and reiterates the promise to ban late-term abortion.
Democrats ultimately rejected consideration of the resolution and have yet to explain why they stiff-armed a proposal that outlines positive elements for the country. Riggleman told Breitbart News he had not heard “any specifics” concerning why they disagreed with the resolution. However, he said it could be, largely, due to their unmitigated “hatred for President Trump.”
“You know, impeachment is over, and it’s time to get back to the work of the people. But I do think a lot of it is just their personal hatred for President Trump,” Riggleman told Breitbart News, noting that Democrats may have soured at the resolution due to the promise to ban late-term abortion.
“And also, if you look at this resolution, it does talk about banning late-term abortions, which I think they are against, which is very sad. I’m one of the cosponsors of the Born Alive Act, so I think it’s partially their hatred for President Trump and partially, there’s things in here on late-term abortion they can’t support,” he said. “If they look at the successes of the Trump administration, this is codifying that. And I don’t believe they can support that at all.”
The resolution serves as one of the first post-impeachment attempts by the House GOP to sharply contrast themselves from House Democrats, whose leader made waves after tearing up the president’s SOTU address upon its conclusion.
Riggleman said Republicans are tasked with putting forth legislation that “makes sense,” and he highlighted his position on the Government Efficiency, Accountability And Reform (GEAR) Task Force, which aims to “make government more efficient and accountable by offering measures to reform, streamline and modernize federal government.” Riggleman said they already have more than “100 solution-based ideas” that they want to submit to Congress in the form of legislation.
“This is going to be a very aggressive agenda to make this happen,” Riggleman told Breitbart News.
Riggleman also named some of the specific measures he has submitted to advance the policies the president outlined.
“For instance, the president talked about preexisting conditions, so I submitted a bill that would change or move preexisting condition protections from the AC Obamacare over to HIPAA,” he said, also citing measures to advance agricultural growth, as well as Trump’s tax cuts.
“There are all these things we can do to move the ball down the field, and now that impeachment’s over, if we put forward these common sense policies, it’s going to be very difficult for Democrats to push back against specific economic drivers,” he said.
“We see the polling and we see what’s happening with the economy, and in Virginia alone, we’re talking 2.6 percent unemployment in Virginia. The fifth district is under 3 percent, and that’s an agricultural district. I’m 65 percent rural. USMCA was huge for our dairy farmers,” he added, noting that voters will see Democrats “pushing back against these economic policies, and they’re going to wonder if maybe their only policy is impeachment or hatred of the president.”
“I believe that’s a shame because we’re elected to serve our constituents, you know, not be click-bait congresspeople, which it seems like that’s what the Democrats are right now,” he added.
The key for the GOP to retake the House, Riggleman told Breitbart News, rests with the economy.
“The fact that the USMCA and Phase One China Deal are going to be so successful this year, you’re going to see a rise in GDP. I think you’re going to see that people are going to realize that those types of policies work as we go forward,” he said.
“We’re also seeing that for national security,” he continued, noting his background in counterterrorism and counterintelligence.
“You see what we’re doing to Iranian proxies but also against ISIS and against our enemies overseas. You’re seeing that we’re doing a very good job right now in the national security front and Americans are seeing that. Democrats are very weak on national security,” he continued.
“So if you have a party that’s weak on the economy, is weak on national security, and can’t even get their arms around banning late-term abortion, I think those three things are going to be very harmful,” he added, also noting the importance of the fight to defend the Second Amendment.
“Virginia, you know, is the epicenter of the Second Amendment movement, and as you see Democrats pushing to get rid of more and more constitutional freedoms, Americans are going to push back on this,” he added.
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