Opinion Pieces

The following opinion editorial appeared in the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette on September 10, 2019. It's been almost 12 months since President Donald Trump announced he had reached a new trade agreement with Mexico and Canada. The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement modernizes the North American Free Trade Agreement and resets the parameters of North American trade on freer and fairer… Read more »

The following opinion editorial appeared in the August 5th, 2019 edition of the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette. Like an irresponsible spendthrift, the federal government spends more than it takes in each year, sending the country into an endless spiral of debt. And Congress keeps letting it happen. Envision someone who has a hefty mortgage, goes on extravagant vacations, eats at fancy… Read more »

Rep. Jim Banks: Make good on promises made to veterans   Memorial Day is rapidly approaching, the time when Americans of all walks of life pause and honor the sacrifices of our armed forces. As the keepers of peace abroad and guarantors of liberty at home, our brave men and women in uniform and veterans deserve no less than the very best our nation can provide. This is also a… Read more »

Reps. Banks and Johnson: Our debt is deadly. It's time to tackle it -- Dems have been derelict in their duty By Congressman Jim Banks and Mike Johnson Nearly eight years ago, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Michael Mullen characterized America’s national debt as “the single, biggest threat to our national security.” Since then, the federal government has borrowed an… Read more »

Venezuela: Testing the Monroe Doctrine   By Congressman Jim Banks The threats that failing governments and foreign influence pose to the United States have not been the norm in the Western hemisphere. Since the institution of the Monroe Doctrine in 1823, the United States has opposed efforts by European and other powers to meddle in the United States' backyard,… Read more »

On August 21, 2017, President Trump announced a renewed focus on Afghanistan as he unveiled his administration’s South Asia Strategy. Today, the question on the minds of Americans is whether this strategy has made a difference, as we have heard almost nothing from our nation’s leaders about its effectiveness. At the time Trump announced the new strategy, I applauded his decision to… Read more »

I often tell people that northeast Indiana is a great place to live, work and raise a family. Hoosiers in our region work hard and are committed to serving their neighbors and communities. One of my goals as your congressman is to provide outstanding constituent services to 3rd District residents. I am proud of what my staff and I have been able to accomplish over the past two… Read more »

Saving lives is the top priority in healthcare, and that goal must never come at the expense of others’ lives. Our nation’s founding principles recognize that all persons are of equal worth and dignity. Despite the clear value of life, taxpayers are currently forced to fund life-ending research to the tune of $200 million every year. This is through an organization run by the government… Read more »

Opportunities to serve are often unexpected. Serving in the House of Representatives is immensely rewarding for so many reasons, and to one extent or another, you learn about a range of issues. Like many Americans, I had never spent much time thinking about electronic health records. When the opportunity to serve as the chairman of the Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Technology… Read more »

If you only read the headlines, you'd think today's political climate is particularly divisive. But as a member of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, I've seen firsthand the bipartisan work of this Congress, which has been the most productive in decades in securing victories for our nation's veterans. Republicans and Democrats in the House have worked together to pass more… Read more »