Democrats’ Inflation Tax is Hurting Family Budgets
By Sen. John Thune
In January, U.S. inflation hit 7.5 percent – the highest inflation since February 1982. Inflation has now been above 5 percent for the past eight months. There are people raising families today who have never experienced this kind of inflation in their entire lifetimes. The average American household spent an estimated $3,500 more last year as a result of inflation. That’s a lot of money for most families in South Dakota, and many of them are hurting.
Everywhere they turn, families are facing higher prices. Whether it’s ground beef for the chili, bunk beds for the kids’ room, or a new car to accommodate a new addition to the family, higher prices are the order of the day. The price of chicken is up 10 percent, pork is up 14 percent, eggs are up 13 percent, fruit is up 8 percent, and whole milk is up 8 percent, just to name a few. Even the prices for household and family essentials are up. Furniture and bedding are up 17 percent, major appliances are up almost 10 percent, tires are up 14 percent, and used cars and trucks are up 40 percent. Then there’s energy prices. Gas prices are up 40 percent, and electricity is up nearly 11 percent.
Inflation is having its biggest impact on those least able to afford it. A recent study found that lower-income households, on average, faced an even greater spending increase in 2021 when compared to higher-income households as a result of inflation. It’s no wonder 69 percent of Americans disapprove of the president’s handling of inflation.
When President Biden took office last January, inflation was at 1.4 percent – well within the Federal Reserve’s target inflation rate of 2 percent. And it might have stayed there, had Democrats not decided that they needed to pass a massive, partisan $1.9-trillion spending spree under the guise of COVID relief known as the American Rescue Plan – mere weeks after Congress had already passed a major COVID bill.
The definition of inflation is too many dollars chasing too few goods and services. And that’s exactly the situation Democrats helped create with their American Rescue Plan. They sent too many federal dollars into the economy – and the economy overheated as a result. Despite the fact that it was Democrats’ massive March spending spree that helped plunge our economy into this inflation crisis, there are still many Democrats who want to double down on the strategy that helped get us into this mess in the first place. Passing another massive spending spree, which many Democrats want to do, would undoubtedly make this inflation disaster even worse.
Our country’s inflation crisis is creating real economic consequences for South Dakota families. Unfortunately, President Biden and congressional Democrats are so focused on passing their radical agenda full of heavy-handed, government-knows-best policies that they cannot be bothered to address issues that are affecting nearly every American family. However, I remain hopeful that the shocking inflation numbers that were released in February will resonate with Democrats and help redirect their attention to issues that are draining Americans’ pocketbooks.
It’s time for Democrats to recognize that families, small businesses, and our broader economy cannot afford any more reckless government spending.
So the straw that broke the camel’s back is the only straw of concern? Got it.
This is an advantage of having Democrats in power. When Republicans are spending American families into bankruptcy, most Democrats don’t even try to explain the economics.
John’s weekly “democrats are bad” column is getting old. Do you think there will be any attempt to address a real problem in the country over the next few years, or will he continue on this path? It’s been the same message for months, we get it, democrats are bad, are you going to work or just keep with this partisan fundraising message?
Well, John’s running for a higher office, ya know, plus he’s gotta keep dear leader happy, or at least off his back.
Funny, that; March 26, 2020 John Thune’s statement —
“Challenging times require swift and bold action from the federal government. That’s why I’m glad the Senate was able to rise above politics and act in a bipartisan way to provide much-needed relief to the American people.” — Sen. John Thune
Alas, Thune wasn’t able to vote for the bill that he actually promoted —
“I unfortunately had to miss today’s votes – something I’ve rarely done during my time in Congress. I felt under the weather this morning and, out of an abundance of caution, thought it was the responsible decision to avoid contact with my colleagues on Capitol Hill. Rest assured, I’ve been in touch with the attending physician at the Capitol and with my doctor in Sioux Falls – both of whom advised that self-quarantine was not required. Again, out of an abundance of caution, and in accordance with the advice I’ve been giving South Dakotans, I decided that avoiding others was the best option.” — Sen. John Thune
Amidst comments of ‘swift and bold action’ and ‘an abundance of caution’, we see that Mr. Thune is a real switch-hitter! — Mark Mowry