Republicans have no choice but to face their mandate head-on. The moment has arrived, and this time it must count.

They must keep their promises. Conservatives can’t afford to become complacent once the election fervor fades. This time, we must verify rather than just trust. This time must be different.

Addressing illegal immigration doesn’t require new legislation — it's already illegal.

Democrats threw everything at Trump — over 90 indictments, censorship efforts, and unprecedented campaign spending against him. Yet Trump won every competitive state, gained ground in blue states, secured at least 53 Senate seats, and held the House. Despite Trump’s unpopularity with swing voters, the public voted for a shift in policy, not personality. That’s why those policies must change. No more excuses.

While conservatives must develop a vision across a host of issues, certain immediate red lines must be drawn to prevent the cycle of electoral success followed by policy failure that has plagued the party for decades.

Personnel is policy: The first policy focus must be personnel, as everything flows from the top aides and agency heads. In the coming days, we’ll hear names suggested for various positions — some promising, others concerning. Trump has welcomed many wealthy, non-traditional conservatives into his circle. Building a coalition is valuable, but some of these individuals don’t share core conservative values on key issues.

For example, many of them hold socially liberal views and support immigration expansion. Conservatives must speak out early and often if Trump decides to appoint some of these people to roles that conflict with his promises to his base. Some of them might be better suited to other roles. For instance, a person who supports U.S. involvement in Ukraine should be kept away from foreign affairs posts but might be solid on immigration.

By ensuring that personnel align with conservative principles, Trump and the party can maintain integrity and follow through on campaign promises.

Trump also must immediately announce his intention to request the resignation of every career bureaucrat on day one. He’ll have the most political capital at the start of his term, so he should act swiftly to remove those who may hinder his agenda. Delay will only make the job more difficult down the line.

No lame-duck session: Historically, Republicans have deflated post-election momentum with unproductive lame-duck sessions in December. Trump should urge Congress to pass a clean continuing budget resolution through spring, allowing him to cut spending and defund bad programs immediately rather than waiting for the next fiscal year. No other transformational bills should be considered during this time.

Rescind and impound unspent funding: Republicans now own inflation, and the only way to shift its trajectory is by cutting spending. The most straightforward solution is to target the hundreds of billions in unspent funds from the Infrastructure and Inflation Reduction Act. Trump can impound this funding without congressional approval. He must clearly communicate to Americans that reducing spending is the only path out of stagflation, starting with unused Biden-era program funds.

Repeal the Green New Deal: As GOP lobbyists prepare to repeat the betrayal seen during the Obamacare repeal, pushing to retain subsidies for ineffective energy programs, Trump must commit to a full repeal of the Green New Deal and related legislation in the spring budget reconciliation bill. He must use all his political capital, influence, and the bully pulpit to rally Republicans around the most aggressive budget reconciliation package, which is the one annual opportunity to bypass the filibuster.

Leverage must-pass bills: Trump will likely lack the votes to enact sweeping changes through stand-alone legislation, so he must use his veto power on “must-pass” bills — such as budget and program reauthorization bills — as leverage for reforms. Farm bills, welfare reauthorization, agency reauthorization (including the FBI), and defense reauthorization bills should not pass GOP-controlled chambers without significant reforms. Where possible, welfare, agriculture, and education programs should be devolved to the states, even if done in a budget-neutral way.

Reform health care (the right way this time): Many reforms championed by RFK Jr.’s “Make America Healthy Again” movement can be done through executive action. Trump can direct Health and Human Services agencies to shift away from a mass vaccination agenda, publish accurate data on food, vaccines, and toxins, and address regulatory capture within these agencies. However, to truly tackle budgetary and chronic illness issues, the payment model for health care needs a total overhaul.

A practical goal would be to use every waiver under Obamacare to allow states to offer insurance plans independent of the costly regulatory structure that inflates catastrophic insurance premiums. This would enable individuals to access direct primary care with emergency coverage, fostering a parallel health care system rooted in independent-minded doctors and eliminating the costly middlemen that have driven up expenses and making our people sicker compared to other developed nations.

On a related note, wouldn’t Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo make a great HHS secretary?

Fulfill the immigration mandate: Polls consistently show that the public is frustrated with the influx of illegal immigration. Trump even won Hispanic male voters outright for Republicans, a first in modern history. The good news is that addressing illegal immigration doesn’t require new legislation — it’s already illegal. Trump can immediately shut down the incentives for illegal immigration by using his authority under section 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act to suspend immigration in the national interest. He should also empower states to enforce immigration law.

As for legal immigration, the last thing we need is an increase. The trouble is that some billionaires close to Trump are pushing for increased legal immigration, but conservatives must insist on a pause. The United States cannot continue to flood every industry’s labor market with foreign workers. After Biden’s 10-million-man invasion, the country needs a cooling-off period. While some adjustments may require legislation, Trump should avoid pushing any increase in legal immigration as a trade-off for border enforcement. He already has the authority he needs to enforce these changes.

Demand better Senate leadership: Senators John Thune (R-N.D.) and John Cornyn (R-Texas) do not align with our values, mindset, or strategic vision for leading the Senate. Trump must lean in heavily for a clean break from the past to ensure the majority leader isn’t just a younger version of Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).

We must stay firm on these basic expectations to avoid repeating the cycle of failure. However, our goals and strategies must also be realistic. Even with significant political capital, the Republican Party remains fractured, and narrow majorities will often limit our ability to enact the changes we want. In a divided country, Republicans frequently yield to special interests and cower out of concern over losing their power.

This is why, even as we develop a federal agenda, we must maximize efforts in red states where Democrats have little chance of taking control. Many reforms need to happen at the state level, so much of our federal agenda should focus on empowering states with greater flexibility.

God does not grant us these opportunities too often, and we can’t afford to waste them. This time must be different.