A Time to Rejoice
Friends,
Spring has finally arrived and a difficult season is behind us. That is always good news, but not the only reason to rejoice. For my family, like many of you, this time is joyous mostly because of Easter.
I am so thankful for God's grace and His many blessings. And this Easter, we have many reasons to be hopeful. After a difficult year for so many, it appears some sense of normalcy is returning. Schools are beginning to re-open, giving our kids access to resources and activities that are critical to their education, health, and wellbeing. Businesses are finally allowed to reopen, though much more slowly than I would have liked. Our places of worship are filling up once again. All of this comes as supplies of vaccines continue to grow and distribution extends to most of us.
We also have so many people to be grateful for in this season. Over the past year, so many in our community have worked harder than ever before to care for others. Healthcare workers put their own concerns aside and cared for those with COVID-19 and are now hard at work administering the vaccine. Our teachers stepped up to teach in an ever-changing environment, continuing to focus on the needs of students even when everything else was uncertain. Neighbors helped neighbors, dropping off supplies and checking in on those who were suddenly and unexpectedly shut in. These acts of kindness and service throughout the year show the strength and resiliency of our community and nation.
Even during this season of renewed hope and gratefulness, frustration remains. In Washington, Democrats continue to prioritize partisanship over people, pushing oversized spending through a so-called COVID-19 relief bill, where only 9% of the bill dealt with COVID. Now, they are unveiling a massive infrastructure package that has little to do with infrastructure but a lot to do with raising your taxes. In fact, just 7% of the bill is devoted to roads, highways, bridges, ports and airports, while the rest includes massive tax increases and Green New Deal policies. This comes while our communities continue to deal with the Biden border crisis and President Biden's policy to release COVID-positive migrants into the U.S.
So far, Democrats have shown no interest in working together on these issues. Yet despite the partisan atmosphere, I will continue to reach across the aisle to work with anyone to find common sense solutions to the problems facing you and your family.
Whether in the midst of frustrations or a renewed sense of normalcy, it always helps me to remember that my hope is not dependent on the circumstances around me. Rather, my hope comes from my faith in God. It is so easy to put our hope in places that will never be able to sustain it. Hope placed in fluctuating COVID-19 numbers or news coming out of Washington will never be able to sustain us for long. As President Reagan warned us, the government cannot fix every problem in our community. But there is one who is greater than the problems we face. This Easter, I hope you have some time to reflect on the source of your hope and all that we have to be grateful for in this season.
Happy Easter from my family to yours. He is risen!
Until next week,
Richard Hudson
Member of Congress