These are the notes I took from the town hall meeting Mike hosted for February. Any misinformation is the fault of the note taker. This is a submission to caucus corner.

Inflation:

• Met with Mayer, a store owner, and citizens in Riverton
• Makes like more expensive for families.
• The Nation is at 7% inflation.
• Utah inflation is 8.6%.
• Grocery stores are struggling to stay open.
• Families struggle to make ends meet.
• Local governments feel pressure for the cost of infrastructure projects.
• Federal spending is to blame.
• Last week passed 32 trillion in debt.
• 64% of Utah’s think inflation is not going away very soon.
• Mike votes against runaway spending.
• He introduced the Grinch act to address the regulatory part.

Russia

• When the US is involved needs to have a debate first before dicing to be involved.
• Congress should approve before the US go to war/

Q: housing prices. High rent?

• Is influenced by inflation and printed dollars.
• In our state: 2/3 of land is owned by the government. The land is more scarce.
• Two hrs. before this call, he talked to The US Dept. of interior officials. Discuss individual portions of federal land that are not part of a National Park, or declared Park or National Monument.

Q: government is the cause of inflation?

• Due to overspending. And republicans permitting things to happen.
• We should have a structured spending reform.
• Want a constitution amendment to not spend more money th4hn they bring in without supermajority from both houses. 2/3.

Q: Vaccine mandates?

• He had been vaccinated. He has had covid.
• Government should not dictate mandates.
• People should not be threatened with losing jobs or fines. It’s unconstitutional.
• President with a strike of an executive pen threatened parents’ jobs.
• Supreme Court said not constitutional

Q: Big tech?

• They are becoming more diabolical such as turning off go fund me money for the Canadian truckers and spying on US citizens.
• Few companies can control so much.
• The government only has power over companies that have too much market power is by avoiding monopolies. Companies need to do non-competitive conduct. Reports of anti-completive are being checked.
• He’s on the juridical committee. There is a lack of competition in mobile apps for phones. Two companies: apple and google. Switch costs are high which discourages transfer. The fourth amendment protects against government surv3ylence but not private companies.
• Governments are using foreign intelligence can abuse using tech companies to gather citizen info.

Southern border;

• Drug cartels are profiting from illegals
• Some immigrants travel hundreds of miles under dangerous circumstances..
• He served a mission in communities along the border so he can relate to the people there.
• No one fears uncontrolled immigration more than those who live on the border. Livelihood is threatened.
• Drug cartels charge migrants extravagant sums.
• 30-60% of women and girls are subjected to sexual assault.
• Mike helped devise the remain in Mexico program with the Mexican government and the past administration. Stay in Mexico for filling out an asylum application.
• Under the Biden admin, the illegals only have to say we want to apply for asylum:  Biden admin says we want you to come back when there is a hearing. We hope you will show up. Once it’s scheduled. And immigrants can go anywhere. The government pays their expenses.
• Remain in Mexico was working very well. It resulted in the greatest border security in decades.
• We’ve seen illegal traffic is at the highest numbers ever done.

Voting legislation concerned about government taking over voting How to defeat that law?

• Reference election constraints(?) different days. When he references the text of the constitution takes away emotion in the conversation.
• Federal is power is exercised at the state and local levels. National commerce, declare wared, patens etc.
• States: have the power to run elections. The Federal government can dictate how to it can clean up its voting files.
• There are a few things still protecting us. Need 60 votes supermajority to end debate. A couple of Democrats have stood up against Federal voting.

Inflation?

• Grocery stores operate on a thin margin.
• Once prices go up, they have a tendency to stay there.

Oil prices?

• Biden’s admin makes costs of energy higher and skyrocket. Day one threatened to stop all oil production on federal lands.
• Higher oil means fewer things being produced.
• On natural resources committee: brings up concerns on the committee.
• When the administration acknowledges there is a problem with oil. The president taps into the – petroleum reserves.
• The Biden admin put pressure on OSHA countries to increase their oil production which seems hypercritical.
• A small group of eletes are isolated from the problem they create.

Q: war powers in congress or the lack of war powers. This is the 6^th month anniversary we left alfastan. We are still involved with other war zones.

• The citizen said, There is a defend the guard: to prevent their state guard to participate in international conflict until the congress declares war. Do you agree with the message of the bill? He had not heard of the group. He agrees with the principle.
• Federalist article #69: this is a big difference between the US government and England. Congress had to declare war. In England, the Monarch could take the nation into war.
• When Obama wanted to declare war on Saria, he got pushed back. He was asked, what is the objective of war and other concerns.
• National security powers act bill mike a fellow democrat, Cris Murphy (liberal democrat) undeclared wars is bad. Berny sanders and Mike discussed how we could avoid going to war against Russia. Berny agreed.

Q: Supreme Court. Biden wants to nominate an African American woman. Do you have a preference for who would be good?

• I admire justice Brier: the media and activists influenced His retirement.
• Biden nomination of a specific race is disrespectful to the prospective nominee. It constrains the field and does not get the best person to fulfill that role.
• Bien may announce the nominee at end of February. I’m on the committee that will interview the nominee. Want to make sure they are qualified. With all the shortcomings of Republicans, they have not participated in the policy of personal destruction. The same cannot be said for the other side.