By U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker | Guest Columnist

As 2023 arrives, lawmakers will return to Washington to kick off the 118^th Congress, reflecting the new majorities elected by the American people.

Although I was disappointed Republicans did not win the Senate, voters did elect a narrow Republican majority in the House, placing important checks on President Biden and his party. Bills passed in the House will now reflect a more conservative agenda, which includes ending inflation, securing our southern border, strengthening our military, and defending our basic freedoms.

In the new Congress, I will become the ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee. This position will allow me to play a lead role in meeting the needs of our military. Unfortunately, years of underinvestment have severely hurt our military readiness and ability to prevent conflict. As a result, China has grown more aggressive and the world has become more dangerous. This trend can be reversed, though, if we make the right investments in our security. I intend to use my new role to strengthen our entire military, including by expanding our naval fleet. As Ronald Reagan famously said, the best way to prevent war is “peace through strength,” becoming so strong that our adversaries never think of challenging us.

During the last two years, Democrats used so-called “budget reconciliation” to spend trillions of dollars on liberal priorities – something they will no longer be able to do. They also worked to restrict our Second Amendment rights, tried to enact a federal takeover of our elections, and attempted to impose abortion-on-demand on the entire nation, preventing states like Mississippi from protecting unborn life. With a Republican House, these radical ideas will be blocked in the new Congress as Republicans work to restore healthy governance.

After two years of President Biden, our economy is still struggling, and workers and small businesses need continued support. Republicans are committed to preserving the tax cuts we passed in 2017, which have lifted burdens on job creators and led to significant pay increases for workers. We will also work to curb inflation by blocking the left’s socialist spending, giving our economy a chance to recover. In addition, Republicans will insist on securing the border, which has descended into chaos under President Biden. And we will declare a national war on fentanyl, a drug that has become the leading cause of death in America. House Republicans will use their new majority to advance these priorities.

Under Democrat control of Congress, President Biden managed to escape accountability for his failures at home and abroad. This will change in 2023 as House Republican committee chairmen will be able to provide more oversight and direction for a conservative agenda. House Republicans will demand answers after a record 2.3 million migrants entered the U.S. illegally this past year. They will also probe the President’s foreign policy failures, including his chaotic pullout from Afghanistan in 2021. In addition, House members will investigate credible evidence of corruption by Joe Biden when he was serving as Vice President, which was found on his son Hunter’s laptop.

Republicans will also continue working to hold Big Tech accountable for their attacks on our free speech and privacy. I am currently pushing for new investigations into Big Tech companies, along with legislation to roll back special protections they enjoy. We will still have to reach a bipartisan consensus, but the end of single-party rule in Washington is very good news for the American people.

U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker has served as the senior senator for Mississippi since 2007.