WSJ: Sen. Johnson Plots a Return to Economic Sanity

OSHKOSH – On Tuesday, The Wall Street Journal published a letter to the editor by U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) detailing the actions needed to build a stable economic future in America and highlighting the economic failures of the Biden administration.

The full letter can be found here and excerpts are below.

“It starts with safety and security. We must secure our border and dramatically reduce the flow of illegal immigration by reinstating consequences for illegal entry. The credible-fear standard, which has caused “catch and release” and the massive increase in illegal entries, must be raised closer to the stricter asylum requirements. Asylum claims must be adjudicated rapidly and definitively. Once we control our border, we should establish a legal immigration system that can provide the workers our economy needs without depressing wages.

“We need to stop fueling inflation with deficit spending, which should be cut drastically. We can lower gasoline and energy prices by allowing the private sector to extract the fossil fuels we need to power our economy. I support an all-of-the-above energy strategy, but it must be market-based and capable of meeting growing demand.

“Our tax system must remain competitive with low rates to encourage work, entrepreneurship and innovation. In addressing the provisions of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act that expire in 2026, let’s design a simpler and more rational tax system that can stand the test of time.

“Businesses should focus on providing high-quality products at competitive prices with excellent service. Unnecessary regulations distract from those priorities at enormous cost. The U.S. regulatory burden is over $2 trillion a year—to which the Biden administration added $200 billion in its first year. Eliminating unnecessary regulations would lower the cost of products and free businesses to innovate.

“The pandemic exposed supply-chain vulnerabilities. Too many corporations forgot the basics: Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. But the solution isn’t to “reshore” all manufacturing. Facing what will probably be a significant long-term labor shortage, it makes no sense to manufacture high-labor-content products here. Instead, bring back vital strategic products and do better at global site diversification.”

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