A native of Ogden, Blake Moore is a proactive problem solver committed to representing each and every constituent of Utah’s First District. He is dedicated to reflecting Utah’s values in Congress and finding solutions to the challenges facing the district and the state. Advocating for inclusive, pro-growth, and aspirational principles, Blake is amplifying Northern Utah’s voice on a national level to ensure Utahns receive the service and representation they deserve.
Our tradition of welcoming legal immigrants from around the globe is what has enabled us to become the economic and cultural superpower we are today. I am a firm believer in the "American Dream" of progress and security; however, we must be responsible about our current immigration practices, or this dream will become unattainable.
As the situation at the southern border continues to deteriorate, I recently joined my colleagues in calling for a vote on the REMAIN in Mexico Act, which would codify the program that returns eligible immigrants to Mexico as they await their asylum claim proceedings. I am gravely concerned about the ongoing crisis at the southern border, and it is essential we implement and support policies we know work. This is an effective and compassionate policy that deters cartels from dangerous and illegal activities at the border.
If we want to get serious about the importance of immigration reform, we also need to fix the source of our problems by securing the border. According to the Washington Post, in 2022 alone, “border officials already had apprehended more migrants by June than they had in the entire previous fiscal year.” Clearly, our current policies are not working.
Additionally, we need to fix the source of our problems by securing the border. I believe that means a wall where it makes sense and the implementation of high-tech virtual walls where physical construction isn't possible or plausible. Requiring background checks and adequate documentation should also be part of any immigration policy. While I am not a member of the House Judiciary Committee, which has jurisdiction over this issue, I am already engaging in conversations with my peers about how we can improve our immigration system.
Congress should then act to streamline our immigration system. This will benefit both our economy and those seeking to come here. In addition, as Ranking Member of the House Natural Resources Committee Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, I have worked diligently to increase transparency surrounding the effect that the surging rates of illegal crossings are having on our public lands along the border and the impact that trafficked fentanyl is having on our communities. In order to make our communities safer, we must secure our borders.
For good reason, the American economy has long been the envy of the world. With a flexible economy built upon a wealth of natural resources and competitive demographics, we have achieved unparalleled success throughout our nation’s history. However, our modern debt culture of spending and deficit-fueled budgets have caused our debt to balloon. Many have adopted Modern Monetary Theory, which has convinced progressives we can spend with a blank check and led to the worst inflation in a generation.
Even as we struggle in this contest of ideas, our economic foundation stands strong. The American spirit is innovative and entrepreneurial. President Trump’s Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) of 2017 breathed new life into our economy. TCJA improved our international competitiveness and the standing of American businesses in the global market. We must return to these policies and build upon them.
It’s now very important that we continue to find productive ways to bolster our economic growth, reform our tax code, and diversify our focus to areas such as workforce development and reducing regulations and compliance costs for businesses. By making permanent tax cuts from TCJA, supporting flexibility in programs for the upskilling of our workforce, we can help ensure the economy has solid footing to grow. We must also support our domestic energy industry and promote energy independence. By supporting efforts like the POWER Act and introducing legislation like the Promoting Energy Independence and Transparency Act, I am working to ensure the potential of the energy industry is responsibly unleashed to the benefit of Utahns. The American economy can flourish again, and I will do all I can to foster this growth.
With this goal at the helm, I convened leaders from across Utah to put together a Debt & Deficit Task Force aimed at creating a framework for how we should address our nation’s debt crisis with Utah’s fiscally responsible values. The main pillars of our first solutions-based document are: 1) grow the economy, 2) save and strengthen vital programs, 3) focus America’s spending, and 4) fix Congress’s budget process. I have brought these ideas back to Washington and look forward to creating solutions with my colleagues on the House Budget Committee to reign in our federal spending and get our fiscal house back in order.
As the father of four young boys, I know that the most important thing in life is family. At the end of my first year in office, my youngest son Franklin was born. The addition of Franklin to our family was a reminder that I hold a responsibility to use my role in Congress to advocate for children and support mothers.
Every child should be given opportunities to thrive, no matter the circumstances of their conception or birth. I support resources for low-income mothers and children, including housing, childcare, health care, and access to better educational opportunities and contraception. It is for this reason that I have co-led the introduction of the Care for Her Act, which facilitates resources for women who are struggling with an unexpected pregnancy. By expanding the child tax credit, coordinating state and federal resources, distributing grants for housing, health care, and job training, we can fulfill the unmet needs of pregnant and parenting mothers.
Last year, I also co-led theImproving Adoption Outcomes and Affordability Act, which would authorize the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) to award grants to state or local governments, public or private adoption agencies, and faith-based organizations for the purpose of enhancing medical support services and mental health resources for mothers considering adoption.
And just recently, I introduced the Connecting Forever Families Actto improve and provide resources to the Court Improvement Program (CIP), which supports the judicial processes for child welfare proceedings across the United States. This program equips courts for training, legal representation, and technological modernization to improve outcomes and timeliness of placement for children in foster care and in need of adoption.
In the summer of 2022, Americans witnessed the biggest pro-life win in a generation as Roe v. Wade was struck down by the Supreme Court. As one of the over 200 Republicans in Congress who urged this reversal, I am pleased that states will now have the chance to enact protections for babies and mothers. Moving forward, Republicans must continue to not only protect unborn children, but prioritize support for expecting mothers, their families, and children in our child welfare system.
The United States finds itself increasingly engaged in competition with adversarial peers in addition to confronting threats from rogue nations and international terrorism.
A resurgent Russia and increasingly aggressive China are intent on destabilizing the unprecedented era of peace and prosperity enjoyed since the fall of the Iron Curtain. In order to maintain rules-based international order, the United States must continue engaging with the emerging world.
Today, the United States does not have the choice to focus solely on our allies in the Indo-Pacific area of operation. As China grows his hegemony throughout the world and expands its manipulative and predatory alliances, the United States must confront the CCP at every turn. This means stepping up to meet the challenges of developing nations with growing economies and young populations. We are the preferred partner across the globe, but other nations will enter other spheres of influence in the absence of American leadership.
Right now, the world is watching Russia’s unprovoked war against Ukraine. Parallel to the invasion of Crimea in 2014, the world is reminded of what Vladimir Putin is capable of when the White House projects weakness and division instead of unity and power. We must continue supporting our friends in Ukraine and shoring up our NATO alliances to deter any further Russian aggression.
Maintaining over-the-horizon capabilities is key in the fight against global terrorism. Congress is constitutionally mandated to engage in rigorous oversight over the executive branch. Following the Biden Administration’s disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan, I was the first member of congress to introduce any Afghanistan-related legislation. After nearly 20 years of continuous deployment, the sacrifice of over 2,000 American lives, and $2 trillion dollars in taxpayer money, the American people deserve to know what went wrong in the days and months leading up to the Biden administration’s withdrawal. The Afghanistan Accountability Act was a crucial first step in identifying the breakdown between the intelligence community, Department of Defense leadership, and administration officials that facilitated this humanitarian and geopolitical crisis. Key portions of the bill were included in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022.
Though our country faces many challenges, the spirit and resolve of the American people will allow us to overcome if we work together. I am eager to unify Americans and offer productive solutions that restore our national power. I am using my positions on the House Armed Services Committee to craft policies that modernize our military, rebuild our energy independence, and regain our global dominance.
One of the biggest issues facing America is our healthcare system, which accounts for nearly 20% of our GDP. Healthcare’s size and complexities create major bureaucratic burdens for Americans simply seeking coverage and care, and I am working to expand affordable options for all Utahns. As I work with my colleagues in Washington, I am seeking solutions for how we can lower costs of care and prescription drugs, end surprise medical billing, and protect those with preexisting conditions and the elderly.
When it comes to prescription drugs, I am supportive of efforts like H.R. 19, the Lower Costs, More Cures Act, which was introduced by the leading Republican on the Energy & Commerce Committee, Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers. Instead of promoting egregious government control of prescription drug pricing, like what is included in the Democrats’ partisan Inflation Reduction Act, the Lower Costs, More Cures Act seeks to address pricing issues while ensuring a healthy competitive marketplace for life-saving cures.
Additionally, in the interest of promoting care and ensuring healthcare is available in rural communities, I have been an advocate of telehealth. I supported the Telehealth Modernization Actand the Protecting Access to Post COVID-19 Telehealth Act, and I voted in favor of the Advancing Telehealth Beyond COVID-19 Act, which passed the House.
Healthcare is one of the most important issues in our nation. It deserves Congress’s focused attention, and I am working hard to build policies that help Utahns get the best care possible.
Cities throughout the country are reckoning with the consequences of “defund the police” movements and other measures that erode law enforcement’s ability to protect our communities from harm. Police departments throughout the country are experiencing record levels of attrition and low morale with the increased scrutiny and criticism of law enforcement, pushing people away from pursuing careers in this critical profession.
I believe it is short-sighted to think our country cannot accomplish two goals at once. Law enforcement can be both empowered to perform their jobs with high levels of professionalism and respect for the rule of law while also re-establishing trust within the communities they serve.
I will support policies that protect law enforcement’s ability to protect and serve while also demanding accountability when breaches of trust occur. No vocation is without its bad apples, and law enforcement is no different. However, condemning an entire profession of the honorable and brave men and women that serve our communities only further destabilizes cities and states already experiencing record levels of crime.
Since being elected, I have held several law enforcement roundtables to hear directly from these professionals about the challenges they face. I am committed to working with advocacy groups, community leaders, and police officers on how we can prevent federal overreaches that impede state and local law enforcement’s ability to protect and serve.
As Utah’s only representative on an armed services committee, I have spent my first term in office collaborating with Hill Air Force Base, Department of Defense leadership, small businesses, and military families to ensure the needs of Utah’s defense community are represented in Washington. Utah’s defense industry has doubled since 2015, contributing over $19 billion to the state’s GDP and supporting 211,000 jobs. My position on the House Armed Services Committee is key to generating economic growth and job opportunities in Northern Utah.
Members of the Armed Services Committee not only perform constitutionally mandated oversight and authorize programs and funding for the Department of Defense, but we are also charged with developing and implementing defense policy. Often considered the most bipartisan committee in Washington, only members of the Armed Services Committee participate in shaping the National Defense Authorization Act before it reaches the House Floor.
I fought to be one of the few freshmen members selected to serve on this committee to best serve Utah. Despite being a freshman member in the minority, the Committee passed the vast majority of my submissions for the most recent defense authorization cycle for Fiscal Year 2023, including Hill Air Force Base modernization, Utah Test and Training Range improvements, full funding of the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent program, and better resources and housing for military families.
Before being even sworn into office, I took an immersive tour to understand Hill AFB and its diverse capabilities and mission set. This included visits with the 75th Air Base Wing, Ogden Air Logistics Complex, Landing Gear Center of Excellence, the 649th Munitions Squadron, and the 388th and 419th Fighter Wings.
I’ve maintained rigorous study of Utah’s diverse defense capabilities by visiting the Utah Test and Training Range, the Defense Logistics Agency, the Falcon Hill Enhanced Use Lease and comprehensive visits with the 388th and 419th Fighter Wings — the Air Force’s first fully operational F-35 squadrons to deploy overseas.
I am a strong supporter of the Second Amendment, which the courts have affirmed guarantees an individual's right to keep and bear arms. Millions of Americans across this country own firearms peaceably.
There is no doubt that our Second Amendment rights are threatened. I will remain vigilant and oppose the Biden administration's misguided proposals, but my plan is not to merely be on defense. I began my term by cosponsoring the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act, which would allow people with state-issued concealed carry licenses or permits to conceal a handgun in any other state, so long as the permit holder follows the laws of that state.
I will oppose any efforts aimed at weakening the Second Amendment. Punishing law-abiding Americans for the violent actions taken by those who seek to cause harm is not a solution to the problems we face in our country. Instead, Congress should work on legislation that keeps firearms out of the hands of those who illegally seek to harm themselves or others while also protecting our fundamental rights.
Congress is also making record investments in mental health resources for those who need help so that we can prevent crises before they occur. These programs will greatly move the needle on decreasing violence and increasing access to necessary resources. But the work does not end here. As I have said before, the answer to violence will not be found in legislation passed by the federal government. We cannot delegate the responsibility of responding to despair and mediating distrust and division in our communities. Elected officials, community leaders, churches, and families all have a role in coming together to rebuild our sense of goodwill and repair the bonds that have frayed between us, and the resources provided for these efforts is a welcome investment in the unity of our nation.
A strong tax code can stimulate growth and chart a path forward for future economic health. Under former President Trump, we saw one of the best periods of economic growth, and it validated the principle that nothing is better for American industry and economic prosperity than tax cuts. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) provided American families and businesses tax cuts that allowed hardworking Americans to keep more of their own money and set us on a path toward prosperity.
In fact, the Congressional Budget Office released a report that TCJA reduced taxes for Americans at every income level. In Utah, the average family received a 12.5% tax cut from TCJA. Rather than taking more from American families to spend on wasteful and unnecessary big government wish list items and slush funds, our tax code should let families decide how to spend their money so they can best care for their needs.
Additionally, TCJA’s corporate cuts proved to incentivize businesses to work and invest in the United States and helped to lower unemployment and raise competitive wages. By cutting the corporate rate, domestic business boomed, and America again became a premier place to do business.
Importantly, we must play defense against Democrat-led tax reform that will stifle growth as well. Democrats repeatedly push for increased taxes—specifically corporate income taxes—that will deeply hurt low-and-middle income earners. These proposed hikes hamper growth and kill a multitude of jobs. Even the smaller, less aggressive change to the corporate tax code in the Inflation Reduction Act passed in August of 2022 has been projected to slow economic growth and kill tens of thousands of jobs. This was done just to provide revenue to support progressive agenda items, including the Green New Deal.
Americans deserve better than a tax code that is merely designed to increase revenues to support big government spending. Americans deserve a tax code that values their hard work and keeps hard-earned dollars in their pockets.
On the House Budget Committee, I work with my colleagues to ensure that the federal government is using taxpayer dollars efficiently and responsibly instead of merely advocating higher taxes. Total federal tax collections just hit a new record high. Instead of taxing more, we must find ways to use the dollars we already have in a focused, effective, and efficient manner.