State of the Union: Republicans urge Biden to address Chinese spy balloon, federal spending and border

Ahead of President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address on Tuesday night, Republican lawmakers told DailyMail.com they would like to see the commander in chief pledge to rein in federal spending and be “honest” with Americans about the current threats to the US Homeland Security.

The President will deliver his first speech before a split Congress tasked with delivering a unifying message to a Republican-controlled House of Representatives and a Democrat-held Senate.

But before he even begins, Biden’s speech is likely already being overshadowed by the recent diplomatic incident caused by a suspected Chinese “spy balloon” hovering over several US states at a low enough altitude to be seen with the naked eye — which is alarming millions across the country. Several GOP lawmakers told DailyMail.com he needs to address the near-crisis.

Meanwhile, some House Republicans said they are already skeptical about what Biden will bring to the table.

Republican Studies Committee Chairman Kevin Hern (R-OK), among conservatives leading the charge for spending cuts to offset the US debt limit hike, pointed out the president’s speech comes a day after he is expected to a statutory deadline for submitting a budget proposal to Congress for the next fiscal year.

And China-hawks within the GOP conference, Rep. Mike Waltz (R-FL) and Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-SD), are calling for Biden to give Americans answers about what happened regarding China’s alleged surveillance device.

President Joe Biden will deliver his first address to a divided Congress on Tuesday night with his State of the Union address

Waltz also called on Biden to address the southern border crisis — an issue that was an albatross to the White House for much of his tenure.

“This Chinese spy balloon was a wake-up call and I think a Sputnik moment for the country,” Waltz told DailyMail.com, referring to the infamous Soviet satellite that embodied the 20th-century space race.

“President Biden must be honest with the American people that the Chinese Communist Party is engaged in a cold war with the US and this must be made a priority for our country.”

Johnson, a member of the House Select Committee on China, shared a similar call for accountability Tuesday night.

“President Biden absolutely needs to seize this moment to let the American people know what’s been happening around the world,” the South Dakota congressman told DailyMail.com.

Waltz also said Biden “needs to be honest about the threat posed by our open southern border.”

Biden made his first visit as president to the border just last month amid mounting pressure from federal, state and local officials. During the short trip, he did not appear to have met any migrants.

Among House Republicans who shared what they want to hear from Biden are Armed Services Committee member and ex-Green Beret Mike Waltz (left) and Republican Study Committee Chairman Kevin Hern (right).

Back in Washington, meanwhile, the president is facing pressure from GOP critics to present his budget for the next fiscal year – which the roll call says will not be presented to Congress until next month.

Hern, who last week presented the Republican Study Committee’s own proposals to cut spending to raise the debt limit, questioned what Biden might tell Congress about the future of the country without details on how he plans to spend his dollars.

“February 6 is the deadline for Biden’s budget proposal — and he’s due the very next day to address Congress. What does he have to present us with no budget?’ asked the Republican from Oklahoma.

“Americans have made it clear they are fed up with spending; You know what the Biden administration refuses to admit, that every dollar Biden spends comes from American taxpayers.

“Anything less than an unreserved commitment to cutting spending and balancing the budget is a failure of leadership by this President.”

South Dakota Rep. Dusty Johnson, a member of the special committee on China, said Americans deserve answers about what happened to the suspected Chinese spy device last week

The White House and House Republicans are deadlocked on how to move forward with raising the debt ceiling to avoid a massive sovereign default.

Conservatives have made it clear they will not allow a clean hike without offsetting it through future spending cuts. But Democrats maintain that the debt ceiling is a US government “commitment” rather than a negotiation point.

At the RSC’s regular luncheon last week, Hern unveiled a range of proposals to, among other things, cut discretionary spending and push for “targeted, paid, pro-growth tax policies.”

The suite of proposals received by DailyMail.com also includes calls for the adoption of “inflation-destroying reforms to increase domestic energy capacity and reduce related regulatory and permitting barriers.”

Hern’s plan would also streamline “duplicate programs” and seek to avert another such crisis by “establishing procedures to ensure the federal government meets certain critical obligations,” such as debt payments, veterans’ benefits, Social Security and Medicare.

Source: | This article originally belongs to Dailymail.co.uk