Our Nation's Current Economic Trajectory

Floor Speech

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Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with great concern for our Nation's current economic trajectory.

Inflation is spiraling out of control, unemployment numbers continue to disappoint, and millions of small businesses are unable to fill job openings. This pattern is increasingly alarming; and for anyone who is paying attention, it is not a surprise.

The Biden administration's plan to throw money at problems is failing the American people. This so-called rescue plan is stunting our economic recovery and impeding our Nation's comeback from the COVID-19 pandemic.

As President Biden makes even more plans to squander our taxpayer dollars, prices are skyrocketing. American families are experiencing this firsthand. As they see every day, the staggering 5 percent increase in inflation is affecting nearly everything, including essentials. Together, food and energy prices have increased nearly 4 percent. And with the current cost of materials, not even the kitchen sink is safe.

At home in Pennsylvania, no one is shocked that gas is more than 50 percent more expensive today than a year ago. Our Commonwealth already has one of the highest gas taxes in the Nation, burdening workers and families alike. We cannot afford to keep paying more at the pump.

For hardworking families in Pennsylvania and around the country, the cost of inflation is real. It is real at the grocery store. It is real at the gas pump. It is real at the hardware store and at the local diner. It is real for every Pennsylvanian every day of the week.

As a nation, we cannot ignore the sound and source of this alarming trend. This is rooted in President Biden's and the Democrats' broken economic agenda. From higher taxes and fewer jobs, to more regulations and burdens on American industries, their plan is not working.

Day after day, we see more evidence of this. Just last week, the developers of the Keystone pipeline stopped this project after the Biden administration effectively eliminated its opportunity to succeed. Not only will this decision hinder America's energy independence and security, it is also killing family-sustaining jobs for American workers.

The Biden administration already killed the pipeline. What will be next?

As inflation rises, the unemployment rate remains disappointingly high and our work force is suffering. This should be a major warning to all of us that we must stop this trend now. We cannot afford to stay entrenched in President Biden's 1970s-era economic crisis.

We must advance pro-work, pro-growth solutions that will jump-start America's recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, and it starts with getting Americans back to work, supporting our small businesses, and strengthening the workforce. It also requires ending the current administration's infatuation with Big Government intervention.

The American people don't want more of the same. We simply cannot afford more of it. This is a time to invest in American workers, to promote the dignity of hard work, and restore our Nation to the path of recovery. National Dairy Month

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