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Floor Speech

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Mrs. HYDE-SMITH. Mr. President, over the past week, Americans were hit once again with a grave inflation report. Worse, the American people got more evidence of just how out of touch the White House and congressional Democrats are with the damage inflation is doing to families across the country.

We were all hoping President Biden's crushing inflation might show signs of easing and give folks a chance to catch their breath after months and months of watching their paychecks shrink. That is not what happened at all. Inflation is up 8.3 percent from a year ago--a disastrous number.

We are feeling the inflation in every aspect of our lives, from paying utility bills to gassing up cars, to rent and insurance, and, especially, to the basics like food. Grocery prices are up 13.5 percent from this time last year, which is a crushing blow to most Americans who visit their local store once a week, like I do. Milk is up 17 percent. Bread and chicken are up 16 percent. Eggs are up an outrageous 40 percent. And the list goes on and on.

I do my own shopping for my family, and I see this weekly, and it is incredible. This is a reality, but President Biden appears to be living in a very, very different reality. When the latest bad inflation numbers were released last week, the President and Washington Democrats threw a party on the White House lawn. That is right, a party--a lawn party. The President and Democrats celebrated as the rest of us watched the Dow plummet and received an inflation report confirming that this is the worst year for food and electricity inflation since the fallout from President Jimmy Carter.

What exactly did they celebrate? Their latest reckless, Big Government spending bill.

I don't have to remind you that, just over a year ago, the Democrats rammed through their $2 trillion spending spree despite economists warning that it would be a catalyst for rampant inflation. Economists warned us then, and they are warning us now, about the misnamed Inflation Reduction Act; namely, that it won't do anything to ease inflation, but it will certainly add to the deficit.

Apparently, hosting a big party is preferable than heeding these nonpartisan warnings and getting to work to get our Nation back on the right track.

When the ``Inflation Act'' was on the floor, Republicans tried countless times to adopt solutions to tackle inflation, crime, and secure our border. But our efforts were consistently shut down because not one Senate Democrat could spare a penny from the Green New Deal. No, they have their own priorities, and they are awfully out of touch with the priorities of American families.

On Sunday, we were given more evidence that the President is living in a completely different world than the rest of us. The President appeared on ``60 Minutes,'' where he discussed several challenges currently facing our Nation, only, according to him, our Nation is doing swell. And indeed, the President seemed to paint a rosy picture of little to no inflation and suggested we should be relieved by the new inflation numbers.

When asked what he could do better and faster to help Americans get some relief at the grocery store checkout line, he claimed inflation was up ``hardly at all.''

``Hardly at all''? Say that to parents paying 40 percent more for a dozen of eggs just to feed their children breakfast. Say that to workers who are watching their savings dwindle month after month because their paychecks can't keep up with these prices. Say that to the Americans who are just barely getting by in this economy.

President Biden, you may not have to visit the grocery store or pay an electricity bill, but my constituents do.

Time and time again, the President and his allies in Congress have proven he is out of touch with American priorities and in denial about the real suffering and fears of the American people. They are right to question whether they can still afford the leadership they are getting out of the White House and the Democrat-led Congress.

It is high time for the President and Democrats to align their priorities with those of the people, allow real solutions to be considered on the Senate floor, and get out our economy back on its feet.

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