The American midterm elections lead me to reflect on the next two years and on the future of the country where I have lived for more than three decades. I write in a personal capacity, as a Portuguese citizen and a businessman, with the experience of someone who has built a substantial part of his life here and who is watching his daughters grow up here.
I am a conservative by conviction. I value the family, work, freedom of enterprise, private property and individual responsibility. It is in the light of these principles that I follow American politics, acknowledging the legitimacy of its institutions and judging proposals on their merits and on their consequences.
I foresee a more demanding relationship between the Presidency and Congress. I believe the coming years will depend on the capacity to set priorities and reach concrete understandings. I wish President Donald Trump, his Administration and the elected representatives success in discharging their respective responsibilities. On that work depends the well-being of millions of families, among them many Portuguese ones.
In my view, the cost of living will continue to weigh on political choices. Housing, Healthcare and Education hold a central place among family concerns. As a businessman, I hope for conditions that favour investment and job creation, accompanied by prudent management of public resources.
I think of the Portuguese who opened businesses, practised their trades and raised their children in this country. Our community brings together different experiences and different political preferences; I do not claim to speak on its behalf. I do recognise, however, in the path of so many families, the worth of effort, of thrift and of keeping one’s word. I would like public debate to give greater attention to the conditions that allow that legacy to be preserved.
Public safety will continue to have my support. Through the closeness I maintain with law enforcement, I know the dedication of those who protect the community. I want them to have training, resources and institutional support, together with the responsibility inherent in the exercise of authority.
As a Portuguese citizen with permanent residence in the United States, I consider a clear, orderly immigration policy that respects human dignity to be essential. I understand that sovereignty over borders and recognition of the contribution of those who obey the law can form part of a coherent and lasting approach.
Between now and 2028, I believe citizens will judge results above all: greater economic security, credible institutions and prospects for their children. I hope both parties will understand that demand and contribute, in their respective roles, to the country’s stability.
The America I want for my daughters is free, safe and prosperous, faithful to its constitutional order. As a Portuguese, I would also like to see the friendship between the two countries deepened and the contribution of the Portuguese community recognised. It is with these convictions, and with respect for the responsibilities of those who govern, that I look to the future.
César DePaço
Entrepreneur and Philanthropist
Honorary Consul of Portugal from 2014 to 2020
Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Summit Nutritionals International Inc.®
Founder and Chairman of the Board of The DePaço Foundation
Unwavering Defender of Law Enforcement and Conservative Principles