Republicans, along with some prominent right-wing Democrats, have been pounding the Biden government for months over rising food and gasoline prices. When the Department of Labor announced in November that consumer prices had risen 6.2 percent from October 2020 to October 2021, the Republican National Committee tweeted, “Biden inflation is hurting working Americans across the country.” Corporate media are reinforcing this line of attack, from a viral CNN Segment from a family buying 12 gallons of milk a week to the downright false claims that inflation is being driven by the Covid-19 stimulus package passed in March or an increase in wages for the working class.
White House officials and party leaders have sought to respond to price fears as they are concerned it could cost their congressional majorities in next year’s midterm elections. After initially dismissing the price hikes as temporary, the Democrats are trying to revise their messages by highlighting falling unemployment and the few helpful programs that they actually pushed through with a majority, such as increased child tax deductions. In the past few weeks, they have been trying to rename the president’s signature social spending plan, Build Back Better, to counter inflation concerns. “If you want to fight inflation, support Build Back Better,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said in the Chamber last month.
New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is among those Democrats trying to get the spending bill to contribute to lower prices in the short term as she invests in things like health care and childcare. “If you’re worried about inflation, understanding why it’s happening: supply chain, labor and health issues,” Ocasio-Cortez tweeted. “We can address these issues by investing in infrastructure, wages, health care and welfare.” But while most economists say President Biden’s spending package will not increase inflation, some also say it will not to bring them down, at least not anytime soon.
Inflation has skyrocketed practically everywhere this year for a variety of reasons, depending on the country or industry. But the United States has seen some of the greatest leaps. The most recent report, released in December, found prices rose nearly 7 percent in the 12 months to November, a nearly 40-year high. And the specific dynamics behind these price increases, largely the result of pandemic-induced disruptions to the economy, are unlike anything we have ever seen.
“The discussion needs to go beyond inflation, in my opinion, which is a very serious topic indeed,” said Senator Bernie Sanders The nation in December, referring to the “economic situation” as an essential context. “Unemployment is relatively low. And we’ve come a very long way from what we were a year ago and it’s important to remember. That wages have increased, that we were able to lead this country out of the very, very severe recession a year ago – I think these are factors that should be looked at this month. ”
Figuring out how to deal with inflation is a complicated business, Sanders continued. However, he believes that lowering the cost of prescription drugs “would be a very important step forward,” along with ensuring that working families can meet their basic needs.
Although Republicans have picked rising prices as their latest political topic of conversation, they have not offered a public plan to band together, aside from repeating the illusion that ending Biden’s plan to expand the social safety net is the only way to fight inflation .
“Well, I think the first thing we should do is not go through any more big expense bills. That would be the first step, “said Missouri Republican Senator Roy Blunt The nation. When asked what step two would be, he got into an elevator and replied, “I’ll see you!”
When asked if Republicans had any other policy ideas to fight inflation, Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley said, “There’s no discussion about it because everything is designed to keep the Democrats from fueling the inflation fires. ” [with] that expense of $ 6 trillion. ”In reality, the bill is $ 1.9 trillion over 10 years.
West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin, one of the Democratic objectors in the equally-divided chamber, has long cited inflation concerns and parroted Republican arguments to derail the package. Democrats had hoped to get the Build Back Better Act passed by Christmas, but Manchin, who had a no-vote all along, is using recent inflation figures to fuel another cycle of news about his disability. Biden admits he’s not sure he can get Manchin’s vote on the bill while inflation numbers are so high, but he will continue to try to convince him. Meanwhile, party leaders admit there is no chance of passing the social spending bill this year, and instead announce that they will focus on voting rights legislation.
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