As a candidate, Joe Biden said he had a plan to “shut down the virus, not the country.” It was a promise that sounded more like a scene from the make-believe “West Wing” TV series than a practical policy prescription. Biden offered no details about how he planned to accomplish this feat, and a year later we know why. He had no plan.
Just look at the numbers. Tragically, more Americans have died from COVID-19 on Biden’s watch than in all of 2020—and the year isn’t even over. While the death toll rises, workers and businesses are struggling because of Biden’s policies —despite his promise to beat the virus without jeopardizing the economy. Biden and Democrats have done everything they can to squander the economic recovery that started under the Trump administration. November’s jobs report highlighted the struggle that many Americans are facing. Last month, the economy added back just 210,000 jobs—less than half what economists had predicted. It’s the weakest jobs report of the year and the worst of Biden’s administration. Much of this is fueled by Democrat policies that kept the economy locked down, paid Americans more to stay home rather than return to their jobs, and caused prices for everyday items to surge.
These aren’t the only promises Biden has broken. Just look at his repeated pledge to not impose a vaccine mandate. One year ago last week, he said he “wouldn’t demand” the vaccine be “mandatory.” In July, the White House stated it is “not the role of the federal government” to force Americans to get vaccinated. But now, rather than lead the country out of the pandemic, Biden is blaming his fellow citizens for his failures and is imposing an unconstitutional vaccine mandate. If it takes effect, the mandate would only worsen the labor shortages and supply chain issues businesses are facing—especially small businesses stretched thin by a year of lockdowns and rising prices. One poll found that seven in 10 unvaccinated workers would likely quit their jobs rather than follow the president’s edict, and businesses that fail to comply could face penalties up to $14,000 for each violation. Americans shouldn’t be forced to choose between individual liberty and their livelihoods.
Perhaps Biden’s biggest coronavirus flip-flop came with the recent news of South Africa’s omicron variant. His response? Implement a travel ban on South Africa and seven nearby countries, even though last year candidate Biden smeared Trump as “hysterical” and xenophobic for doing almost exactly the same thing. This hypocrisy is on-brand for Biden. For all his attacks on President Trump, it’s obvious Biden had no solutions of his own.
President Trump, on the other hand, had solutions. This week marks the one-year anniversary of the first vaccine dose administered in America. President Trump's groundbreaking "Operation Warp Speed" developed that vaccine far ahead of schedule and saved thousands of lives.
Democrats never let a crisis go to waste. That’s why we’re sending one message to Biden: We won’t go back. We won’t lock ourselves in our houses for another year. We won’t shut down our economy again, running the recovery into the ground. We won’t return to online schooling, depriving our kids of the in-person education they need. We’ve already seen how Democrats turned the pandemic into an opportunity to fundamentally alter American life. We won’t let it happen again.
Americans see it too. More voters now disapprove of Biden’s handling of the pandemic than approve. Biden’s administration has been filled with disappointments, hypocrisy, and broken promises, and nowhere is this pattern more obvious than with COVID. Instead of shutting down the virus as he promised, he’s punished workers, small businesses, and families for his failures. That’s a problem that will haunt Democrats during next year’s midterm elections.
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