Legislative Business

It was Groundhog Day in Congress again this week. We voted, yet again, on raising the debt ceiling. As I have said before, for nearly three years, House Democrats have been on a spending spree, totally oblivious to the mounting debt of our nation. Worse yet, they have denied Republicans a seat at the table for reforms purposed in improving our balance sheet. Our country cannot afford the size and scope of government envisioned by Democrats. It’s pretty simple—if they don’t want Republican input in these massive spending measures, they can go it alone on raising the credit limit.

I opposed it. Let’s pull the curtain back a little more on this situation. The measure we voted on would increase the debt limit by $2.5 trillion. This is the single largest increase enacted by Congress in history. It’s a situation of the majority’s own making.

Since taking control of the House, Senate, and White House, the Democrat caucus has repeatedly rammed through packages to spend massive amounts of taxpayer dollars on party-line votes. In fact, on some of these packages, the only bipartisan standing was against some of their reckless bills.

They’ve wielded total government control and have sole responsibility to answer for their irresponsible spending. Earlier this year, the majority spent nearly $2 trillion on a partisan reconciliation bill. The legislation had economists, both Democrat and Republican, warning it would unleash inflation. Their predictions were correct. Right now, inflation has reached a nearly 40-year high. Arkansans and Americans are paying more for everything from food and gas to heat and holiday gifts.

Since President Joe Biden took office, we have seen an increase in the Final Demand Index of the Producer Price Index (PPI) – a key indicator of future price expectations. In fact, the PPI for final demand increased 9.6% over the previous 12 months after rising another 0.8% in November.

Why does this matter? PPI measures prices from the perspective of industries that make products, rather than the price paid by consumers. Because it measures price changes before they reach consumers, some people see it as an earlier predictor of inflation than the CPI. So, while the White House has described inflation from non-existent and a high-class problem to transitory and the fault of meat producers, the reality is much more obvious. With industry seeing price rises of 9.6% in the cost of production, supply chain bottlenecks, and more government regulation, the costs will be passed along to consumers.

But this is about more than statistics and index numbers. It’s about the worker who needs to buy a used car to get to their job—only to face minimal choices at astronomical costs. It’s about the moms and dads feeling a larger hole in their wallets after filling up their tanks. It’s about the employee who got a raise but feels no difference due to the rise of grocery prices and more. It’s about the household that is worried about winter because heating costs are rapidly growing. It's about the small business owners who have struggled through the pandemic—only to be faced with dwindling bottom lines, labor shortages, and a need to raise prices. And—though it’s not the meaning of the season—it’s about the parents who have tighter budgets for holiday gifts or can’t even find certain products at the store. It’s about hardworking Arkansans and Americans who are feeling the impact of bad policies.

Bottom line, if too much air is in your tire, do you keep inflating it? No. The same concept applies to the economy. You can’t inflate your way out of inflation. That's exactly what Democrats are trying to do. So, I voted against the debt ceiling again, because it’s not really about our credit obligations—or getting our fiscal house in order—which is what the debt ceiling is actually supposed to be about. It’s about giving the majority a blank check to continue its tax-and-spend agenda. I will not sit idly by while Speaker Pelosi and the White House try and advance legislation that will burden the futures of our children and grandchildren to allow tax cuts for New York millionaires, mass amnesty, and things like "tree equity."

It’s never too late to change direction. As the House is slated for an in-district work period until next year, I strongly urge my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to rethink their agenda. The BBB bill is paused—but it should be scrapped altogether. I will continue working to ensure it is.

Please look for a special message from our friends in the North Pole next week. You can keep an eye on my website or check out my Twitter and Instagram pages to stay up-to-date with the latest news from my office. Furthermore, find Arkansas vaccine locations here. I received my booster shot recently and hope you will do the same if you are eligible. As always, I encourage everyone to get fully vaccinated against COVID-19, but it should be a personal choice, not a federal government mandate. Wishing you a great weekend!