OPINION:
As conservatives, we believe in commonsense policies that protect the individual and family. Liberals believe in raw political power. Their response to our policies on immigration and Medicaid reform are two good examples.
Remember the “peaceful protests” in Los Angeles that turned into full-scale riots? The political left is trying to intimidate the Trump administration over plans to deport illegal aliens for a reason: political power.
California lost a seat in the House of Representatives after the 2020 census and redistricting process. It was the first time the state had lost a seat. Although the population in California grew, it was at the slowest rate in a decade and did not keep pace with growth in many other states. In fact, many states with the fastest growth were conservative states.
The number of congressional seats in California fell from 53 to 52. The number of votes in the Electoral College dropped from 55 to 54.
As I have written before, high taxes, massive homelessness, uncontrolled illegal drug use, rolling blackouts, continuous fires and frequent lawlessness are likely to discourage even more people from moving to California. Many of those who lost their homes in fires this year are likely to move to other parts of the country. All these factors will predictably lead to further slowing of the growth rate, potentially costing California additional congressional seats after the next census. Still, things can get worse for liberals.
A report released last year by the Department of Homeland Security estimates that California’s 2022 population of illegal aliens was 2.6 million. If most of them were deported by the Trump administration, California would lose at least three seats in the House. Plus, it is reasonable to assume that a significant portion of those who might face deportation reside in the state’s largest cities. This means the total number of congressional seats for the state would decrease and there would be far fewer people in areas with a large number of voters who typically side with Democrats.
Two of the other states that lost a congressional district after the 2020 census were Illinois and New York. According to the report from the Department of Homeland Security, Illinois had 420,000 illegal aliens in 2022 and New York was estimated to have 410,000. Those numbers are about half the size of a congressional district. Successful deportation efforts in those areas and a continued decline in the growth rate would likely cost each state at least one more seat. Again, large urban areas where liberals do well are likely to experience the greatest exodus (and even more if a radical socialist becomes mayor of New York City).
False claims that Republicans are cutting Medicaid for needy American citizens also fall into this category of political power over sound policy debate. As usual, the outrage from liberals typically boils down to power over policy.
Congressional Republicans are proposing significant reforms for Medicaid. Specifically, they want able-bodied, working-age adults to find jobs. They have requirements to work or, at the very least, be involved in community service before receiving assistance.
We pushed these sorts of reforms when I was governor of Wisconsin. In my opinion, government assistance should be more like a trampoline and less like a hammock. We will help you if you are down and out, but if you are able, we expect you to return to the workforce.
My predecessor measured success by the number of people in the state who received assistance from the federal government and Medicaid. My measure of success was just the opposite. A victory was moving people off assistance and into the workforce.
True freedom and prosperity don’t come from the mighty hand of the government. They come from empowering people to live their own lives and control their destinies through the dignity of hard work.
Other reforms include an end to providing taxpayer-funded Medicaid payments to illegal aliens. Why should hardworking citizens have to pay for those who fail to follow the laws of our country? The same goes for taxpayer funding of surgery to mutilate the sexual organs of minors. We should not do it.
In the end, liberals want more people to be dependent on the government. They want voters to be indebted to them for more and more assistance. If you own your property and work in the private sector, there is not much you need from the government. These are the people who strike fear in the hearts of liberals. These are the people who built America. These are the people who will make it even greater in the years to come.
• Scott Walker is a columnist for The Washington Times. He was the 45th governor of Wisconsin and launched a bid for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination. He lives in Milwaukee and is the proud owner of a 2003 Harley-Davidson Road King. He can be reached at swalker@washingtontimes.com.
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