Representative Ron Estes

.As chairman of the Social Security subcommittee, I joined Mornings with Maria on Fox Business earlier this week to dispute Democrats’ false claims about Republicans trying to cut Social Security. Uncovered by DOGE, we have seen instances of improper payments and waste within the agency. These instances take away money that would otherwise go to legitimate beneficiaries. As I told Maria, every dollar that we save on waste and improper payments is a dollar that’s available to pay legitimate beneficiaries.

My colleagues and I want to ensure that beneficiaries receive their rightful share and that the waste, fraud and abuse within Social Security is rooted out. Anyone who says Republicans are trying to cut Social Security isn’t telling the truth.

During the interview, we also discussed the budget reconciliation process and tax cuts. The House’s budget proposal advances Trump’s tax agenda while also reining in federal spending.

You can watch the full interview below.

.On Wednesday, President Trump announced a full slate of reciprocal tariffs targeting countries across the globe.

Tariffs are a tool in the trade toolbox, and the president has chosen to use that tool to create a level playing field for American manufacturers and workers. The simple truth is that for decades, foreign countries – even our allies – have levied tariffs and trade barriers on the United States. For too long, other nations have simply put America last, and American consumers and workers have paid the price.

Instead, Americans deserve a level playing field. Instead of trade barriers and tariffs, we need free and fair trade that benefits the United States. When implemented and enforced correctly, free and fair trade is the best way to boost our economy and lift people out of poverty here and across the world.

The tariffs implemented by the Trump administration are there to change the behavior of our trading partners. And while the stock market’s volatility was on full display Thursday and Friday, businesses and manufacturers are looking at how to respond. Treasury Secretary Bessent told CNN on Wednesday that companies will look at different approaches to the president’s tariffs, and that Walmart’s CEO has already said they will make their Chinese suppliers pay the costs of the tariffs so that American consumers aren’t impacted. Some businesses are looking to move manufacturing to the United States or keep plants open longer. We’ve seen a surge of investment in the United States that is credited to President Trump and his administration’s policies. Additionally, we’ve already seen countries reach out to the Trump administration to negotiate in good faith – a sign that countries are ready to reduce or remove the barriers they’ve previously enacted.

The goal is to work toward long-term stability and equitable trade, moving manufacturing and production back to the United States and creating more jobs for American workers. It won’t happen overnight, but in the meantime, I encourage you not to buy into the media hype. This is a bit of a wait-and-see scenario. I understand that the tariffs were met with uncertainty from the markets, with stock negatively reacting to the implementation, but that’s not surprising since the markets generally dislike uncertainty. The fact is, foreign countries have been instigating trade disruptions for many years with no president truly tackling the imbalance and detrimental barriers. For our manufacturers, workers, farmers and ranchers, our country needs open markets and free and fair trade. This is one way to correct the history of trade issues, and I’m monitoring it closely to ensure that Kansans benefit in the long run.