WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho) issued the following statement after President Joe Biden’s first address to a joint session of Congress:

“We continue to make forward progress on ending the COVID-19 pandemic, thanks in large part to the success of Operation Warp Speed, but the United States is facing twin crises: first at the border as hundreds of thousands of migrants overwhelm our Customs and Border Patrol agents, and second, an unfettered, out-of-control spending crisis. 

“During his first week in office, the President halted construction of the border wall and reinstated the disastrous Obama-era policies that have resulted in an uncontrollable wave of illegal entries. I was very disappointed the President did not lay out a workable plan to address illegal immigration.

“In addition, in his first 100 days in office, the President has proposed spending an unprecedented $6.1 trillion on unapologetically far-Left priorities through a lethal combination of deficit spending and tax increases that will crush the economy and jeopardize our ability to respond to future challenges.

“What the President did tonight was lay out a comprehensive vision for how to transition our society from capitalism to socialism. We must not be swept up in this current."

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