America is in a state of decline – militarily, culturally and economically – and the American dream is slipping away from our nation’s middle class.
Federal government policies – COVID-19 lockdowns, reckless borrowing, printing money and deficit spending – have escalated the costs of living so much that buying a home, purchasing a car or starting a family is too expensive for many Americans. Even being able to afford groceries has become more difficult.
Despite these challenges, entrenched Washington politicians in both parties and the elites who implemented the policies responsible for our malaise refuse to change course.
In Florida, we’ve fought back.
We led the charge to drag our nation out of pandemic lockdown, to protect freedom, to ensure the viability of small businesses and to preserve the education of our youth. We cut against the grain of elite opinion and faced massive blowback for bucking the system – but we stood our ground.
We fought for Floridians who were ignored by the elites, who didn’t have a voice and whose livelihoods hung in the balance. We were their voice, we were their fighter – and we won.
We will take that same spirit to Washington to fight for Americans across the nation.
Revitalizing economic freedom and opportunity today will require building an economy where the concerns of average citizens are elevated above those deemed “too big to fail.”
Rebuilding the American dream for our middle class
Our declaration of economic independence must focus our agenda on rebuilding the American dream for our middle class. We will diversify and expand our economy by rewarding hard work and empowering our citizens to control their own destinies.
We want to be a country that makes things, where a family can raise children on a single income, and where young people can develop the skills and values necessary to build a decent life and contribute to their communities.
We will declare our economic independence from the failed elites who orchestrated American decline and from the never-ending federal spending that has inflated prices and plunged our nation to the brink of insolvency.
The goal of our declaration of economic independence is simple: We win. They lose.
Biden tries to sell ‘Bidenomics.’But Americans can’t afford the president’s agenda.
We will take back control of our economy from China and restore our economic sovereignty by reversing the ever-increasing trade deficit, banning imports of goods made from stolen intellectual property, end China’s preferential trade status and incentivize the repatriation of U.S. capital from China.
We will facilitate stronger economic growth, with a target of at least 3%.
We will do so by advancing an ambitious tax and regulatory reform agenda to unleash American production, increase productivity and growth, and support our families, workers and small businesses, all while lowering inflation.
President Joe Biden’s job-crippling and ideological regulations and executive orders will be reversed on Day One.
We will unleash our domestic energy sector, modernize and protect our power grid and advance American energy independence, thereby increasing our economic and national security, reducing inflation and fueling a manufacturing renaissance that will create jobs, revitalize our communities and improve our standard of living.
I will work not only to extend income tax cuts scheduled to expire in 2025 and to further simplify the tax code, but also seek a more competitive tax system that incentivizes long-term, domestic investment while purging special interest carveouts and loopholes.
As president, I will reduce the size of the federal bureaucracy
I will use all available constitutional authority to restore accountability in the executive branch, move agencies out of Washington, D.C., and slash the bureaucratic state, restrict foreign lobbying and post-employment revolving doors by former government officials, and ban individual stock trading by members of Congress and executive branch officials.
We will end environmental, social and governance investing standards and incentivize investment in America’s future. I don’t care if someone is trying to sell fossil fuels, firearms or French fries, there will be no ideological litmus test for getting a loan, establishing a bank account or running your business.
Where past and present coexist:White House furniture is America’s living history
In addition to disbanding diversity, equity and inclusion programs, we will reform our education system and lower barriers to entry for working-class Americans, support school choice nationwide, protect parental rights, and steer funding toward programs and institutions that support the jobs of the future.
I will create a fair labor market by securing the border, enforcing our laws, eliminating chain migration and the diversity visa lottery, and limiting low-skill immigration.
I will rein in the Federal Reserve, fight against the reckless federal spending that has characterized recent years under both parties and oppose bailouts. There will be a new sheriff in town when it comes to spending, and I will not be afraid of using my veto pen or the bully pulpit.
Our challenge is to reclaim this century for America. If we meet the moment, a brighter future will be on the horizon. We must be a society in which Americans who work hard and get the most of their God-given abilities are able to succeed, buy a home and raise a family.
In America, we have everything we need to succeed. The only question is whether we have the will to force Washington to once again work for the American people. My promise is that I will always fight for our citizens, our families, our future and our way of life – and I will never back down.
We will take back control of our destiny and ensure that our future is proud, independent and free.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is a candidate for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.
