“Don’t tell me what you value. Show me your budget, and I will tell you what you value.”

Joe Biden used to say that from time to time, but then he pretty much stopped taking budgets seriously and started spending us into oblivion.

In fairness to our “devout” Catholic president, though, his 2022 budget did show us how little he values human life. In it, he tried to eliminate the Hyde Amendment, which has for decades forbidden taxpayer funding for abortion on demand through Medicaid, Medicare disability, and other federal programs. He eventually caved to Republican demands, but he’s expected to pull the same vile stunt again in his 2023 budget. If he succeeds, more than 60,000 unborn babies will be aborted annually with your tax dollars.

Which brings us to the Republican Study Committee, the highly influential caucus of conservatives within the House of Representatives, which released a new budget proposal last Thursday for fiscal year 2023. In stark contrast to Biden’s budget proposal, this one clearly values life, and stronger family bonds.

The 122-page budget, which the RSC calls “The Blueprint to Save America,” can be found here. The committee has also released this one-page summary of the budget.

How can a budget “save America”? The Daily Signal lists at least 11 ways:

• It cuts wasteful federal spending.
• It curbs government-induced inflation.
• It protects the Department of Defense from Joe Biden’s misplaced priorities.
• It addresses health care challenges.
• It saves Social Security.
• It includes pro-growth tax reform.
• It drains the infrastructure Swamp.
• It reforms the social safety net.
• It promotes energy abundance.
• It grows agricultural freedom and flexibility.
• It pushes back against environmental extremism.

All that sounds good, but budgets, like battle plans, rarely survive the first salvo. It’ll be incumbent upon RSC Chairman Jim Banks and his many RSC colleagues to stand firmly behind their proposals when push comes to shove.

As the Daily Caller reports: “The proposal aims to promote conservative social policies, particularly strong families, and to reverse some of the policies that discourage marriage and promote abortion. It includes numerous pro-life provisions that would restrict funding for abortion providers as well as policies promoting marriage and aiding religious organizations.”

Aside from its focus on families, the budget is also hawkish — especially in comparison to Biden’s money-printing profligacy. As the RSC congressional website puts it:

Over the past two years, thanks to the Biden administration and House Democrats, federal spending has risen to historic levels, fueling the highest inflation in 40 years. Despite an unprecedented $30.5 trillion in national debt, the RSC’s “Blueprint to Save America,” would balance the federal budget in just seven years, cut spending by $16.6 trillion over 10 years and reduce Americans’ taxes by $3.9 trillion, while increasing investments in our military by 5%.

“The federal government has spent more at a faster rate over the past two years than at any point in history,” says Chairman Banks. “It’s not a coincidence that Americans are worse off than they’ve been in years. Reckless spending has failed, and conservatives in Congress should take the opportunity to course correct, rein in spending and save America from a dire fiscal future.

The RSC Budget and Spending Task Force, which is chaired by Oklahoma’s Kevin Hern, included the policy proposals of more than 80 committee members. But, as Banks says in echoing the budget’s central theme: "The root of many of our nation’s greatest challenges is the rapid erosion of strong families. By empowering parents and investing in America’s children, we allow prosperity for future generations. If we want to protect and strengthen our nation, conservatives in Congress must be committed to promoting a pro-family agenda when Republicans win back the House.”

We notice Banks says “when,” not “if.” Plenty can happen between now and the midterm elections, though, so Republicans would be wise to project that sort of forward-looking energy and confidence without any cockiness or complacency.

A shellacking for Democrats may indeed be coming on November 8, but Banks and his colleagues need to fight for every vote until then. If they do, their Blueprint to Save America could be the 2022 version of 1994’s landmark Contract with America.