U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser, R-Dallas, is right: President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address last month failed to reassure Americans that the White House takes the most important issues confronting the United States seriously.

Meuser said the U.S. needs to correct inflation and energy costs, which are placing an incalculable strain on working families. The U.S. needs to address rising crime rates. The U.S. needs to take its national debt seriously. And, as Meuser said, the U.S. needs to recommit itself to creating “an environment where small businesses can thrive.”

We can respect the president touting our nation’s record-low unemployment rate and his administration’s efforts on infrastructure. We can respect his administration’s work on reducing domestic violence. These are accomplishments in which any president would take pride. They are important accomplishments.

But the impact of inflation and the increasing cost of heating and powering our homes and businesses are important as well. And as Meuser noted, it’s the Republican majority in the House that is empathizing with the burden these realities place on American families and, with regards to energy in particular, the Republican majority that is offering the sensible solution of encouraging development – drilling, refining and shipping — of domestic natural gas and oil.

While we can understand the skepticism some feel about the discussion on reducing the national debt — we agree and lament that it always seems to be a concern only for whichever party does not hold the White House — it still remains an important issue on which the American people deserve an accomplishment.

And of course we want to see businesses, especially small, locally-owned businesses thrive, free of intrusive and unnecessary regulations and mandates. We want tax rates that are fair and allow for growth. We want economic revitalization.

We hope Dan Meuser and the Republicans in our U.S. Legislature are successful in turning our nation’s attention to these important issues and are able to persuade the White House to prioritize finding compromises and solutions.

The American people deserve it.