The Republican Party kept its promises. The rest is up to you

With early voting already underway in many states, the most compelling case for voting to keep the GOP majorities in the House and Senate is simple. President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans campaigned in 2024 on an ambitious agenda. And they have delivered.The Republican agenda emphasizes individual liberty, less government, and the rule of law. In each area, the GOP-controlled Congress has achieved visible results that provide a stark contrast with the Biden years.Consider the headlines that were a routine part of American life during Biden’s one term in office. Unprecedented numbers of illegal border crossings at our southern border were an everyday news item, as Americans witnessed the breakdown of law and order and a rapid increase in violent crimes as the humanitarian crisis enveloped entire government agencies.Other headlines in the news showcased the ever-expanding federal government, as the Biden administration expanded the federal workforce by 130,000 employees, handing over new and expansive enforcement operations. The federal government’s size and reach grew to levels Americans had never seen before.At the same time, the Democrats promised to fund their ever-growing federal government through higher taxes. Those tax hikes were set to go into effect with the expiration of the Trump 2017 Tax Cuts.Trump and Republicans in Congress crafted a specific agenda to address each of these spiraling problems. They pledged to bring a halt to the inflow of illegal immigrants. They promised that the days of out-of-control and unaccountable government would come to an end. And a signature part of the GOP’s platform was an extension of the tax cuts, preventing the largest tax hike in U.S. history.So where do things stand today, twenty-one months into Trump’s second term?The southern border is no longer an entry point for millions of illegal immigrants. In fact, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of federal data, Border Patrol encounters at the U.S.-Mexico border fell to their lowest annual level in more than 50 years during fiscal year 2025. Since February 2025, monthly encounters have remained below 10,000, a dramatic reduction from the levels recorded during the Biden administration. The radical change at our southern border is the unmistakable evidence of the Republicans’ promise kept.On the tax front, Congress enacted legislation in 2025 making permanent the lower individual income tax rates established by the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, preventing their scheduled expiration. The legislation also preserved the expanded standard deduction, made permanent the 20% deduction for qualifying small-business income, and restored immediate expensing for certain business investments and domestic research and development costs. These provisions provided certainty for families and for job-creators as they planned their budgets. Preserving those tax cuts also meant that Americans could keep more of their hard-earned money.Republicans further acted on their promise to reduce the size of the federal bureaucracy. On his first day in office, Trump established the Department of Government Efficiency, commonly referred to as DOGE, to identify wasteful spending, reduce federal employment, and reorganize government operations. DOGE pursued agency restructuring, contract cancellations, and workforce reductions. More than 260,000 federal employees left government service during 2025 under the administration’s broader workforce policies.The Republicans’ commitment to reducing the federal government’s workforce is directly linked to two aspects of conservatives’ agenda. First is the well-established fact that nothing is free in life, and nothing is more expensive than a government program. Americans necessarily foot the bill when government grows. The second aspect is that a bigger federal government is a busier federal government, crafting onerous new regulations and interfering with economic growth.The past 21 months demonstrate a clear contrast between the Democrats’ failures and the Republicans’ accomplishments. Americans have benefited from the Republicans’ rule-of-law approach to immigration policy, lower taxes, and a scaled-back federal government.The Democrats on the ballot this cycle aren’t shying away from their promises to reverse everything the Republicans have accomplished. They are actually promising to undo the Trump tax cuts, revert back to the unrestricted immigration, and swell the federal government again.THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH NEEDS AN EXECUTIVEThat’s the state of play for Americans as they cast their ballots this midterm election. There’s the hope that Republicans will win and continue delivering on their popular promises. And there’s the fear that Democrats will win and begin reversing those policies, bringing back higher taxes, weaker border enforcement, and a more intrusive federal government.America is stronger today because Republicans kept their promises and have devoted themselves to implementing an agenda that prioritizes Americans.Jenny Beth Martin is Chairman of Tea Party Patriots Action.