Trump gets an A grade, Congress a D, says US Rep. Burlison of admin’s first 100 days 

As the current Trump administration marks its first 100 days in office, U.S. Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Missouri, gave the president high marks, but not his fellow lawmakers. 

“Donald Trump in his first 100 days, I think he deserves an A grade,” Burlison told The Lion’s Chris Stigall. “I think Congress deserves a D, if not an F.” 

Burlison chided Congress for its lack of intensity and urgency compared to the president so far this year. 

He attributed the disparity to the entrenched “swamp” culture in Washington, which he described as bipartisan and resistant to change. ​Burlison emphasized the need for Congress to act decisively, even if it requires politicians in swing districts to cast principled, but politically risky, votes. 

Burlison said the American people expect action on key issues. 

“I think that at the end of the day, we’re all adults; we all should have to live up to our votes, and no one should be shying away from any votes,” he told Stigall. 

Burlison also advocated for cutting wasteful programs, repealing green energy tax credits and redirecting savings toward tax cuts. He stressed that true fiscal responsibility requires both spending reductions and tax cuts to combat inflation and high interest rates. ​ 

Stigall asked whether the administration’s cuts to spending could be “codified” by Congress. 

“Ronald Reagan said the closest thing to eternal life that we’ll ever see on this planet is a government program,” Burlison said. “And it’s true, because this town just wants to perpetuate it, even if it’s something that was taken, [and] abused.”   

One problem Burlison highlighted is the gap between the House and Senate on proposed spending reductions. ​  

While the House GOP pushed for $2-2.5 trillion in cuts, the Senate’s counteroffer was a mere $4 billion, which Burlison called “pathetic” given the projected $89 trillion in spending over the next decade. 

“We’re talking trillions, and they’re talking billions,” he said about the standoff with the Senate. 

“I’m glad the Freedom Caucus made them come to the table, that we were able to get that meeting done, and we were able to get a verbal and written commitment to those levels [of cuts] and a public commitment,” from the Senate, Burlison told The Lion. 

Stigall framed the historic nature of the current political moment and asked if Burlison’s colleagues in Washington understood the unique point at which the country stands. 

“I think that for some of my colleagues they want to return to business as usual,” Burlison said. “They’re not ready for this moment, but we are.”  

If Congress doesn’t act now to restore fiscal sanity, he said, the U.S. dollar will lose its spot as the world’s reserve currency and the nation will decline as an economic superpower, with China as an obvious threat.  

“I don’t want to look back on this time and say, I managed the decline and the complete downfall of the United States,” Burlison declared. “I’m going to fight like hell to make sure we return to our glory and we’re able to pull this economy around.”  

Cuts in several areas of government can be achieved, he believes, including eliminating waste, fraud and abuse in Medicaid – without removing individuals who genuinely need assistance. ​  

Burlison also advocated for a repeal of green energy tax credits, including $8 billion allocated for EV charging stations, which he views as an unnecessary boondoggle. 

Burlison said these savings can be redirected toward tax cuts, aligning with Trump’s agenda. ​ 

“I mean, there’s a lot that we can do in Medicaid; there’s a lot more that we can do in the DOGE [Department of Government Efficiency] efforts; a lot more that we can do with the green energy tax credits; and if we can just bring them all together, we can pay for all of the Trump wishes when it comes to tax cuts,” he said.