The American people just cannot catch a break from President Biden’s inflation catastrophe. New numbers from the Consumer Price Index (CPI), a key index for inflation, came in “hotter” than economists had predicted. For the month of January, inflation increased at an annual rate of .5% - which led to now 6.4% inflation overall before seasonal adjustment. This new report shows, yet again, that inflation is not cooling like the Biden administration would have Americans believe. As always, let’s turn to the numbers to see the bigger impact.

Prices for basic commodities are skyrocketing, and if you’ve been to the grocery store lately, you’re seeing first-hand the effects of this inflation catastrophe. Here are a few topline numbers that you need to see:

• Food at elementary and secondary schools is UP 301.9%.
• Eggs are UP 70.1%.
• Butter and margarine are UP 32.5%.
• Flour and prepared flour mixes are UP 20.4%.
• Milk is UP 11.0%.

We should also pay attention to the burden that hardworking families, across the 5^th District and the entire country, are facing. Year-over-year real wages have been negative for 22 months. Real average hourly earnings for all employees decreased 0.2% from December of 2022 to January of 2023. Real average hourly earnings decreased 1.8%, seasonally adjusted, from January 2022 to January 2023. What’s more, the skyrocketing cost of goods and services cost families $10,000 over the last two years. Take into consideration this latest ABC-News-Washington Post poll showing that more Americans than ever before say they are worse off financially than before the president took office.

It is no mystery why we are in this situation. Out-of-control federal government spending by Democrats has put the entire nation in this rut. But House Republicans remain committed to reining that in. By curbing wasteful government spending and advancing pro-growth tax and deregulatory policies, we can put America back on track, rebuild our economy, and bring stability back.

We’re Fighting Back

This week, Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA), the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Republican Leader, and I led 32 House Republicans and 35 Republican Senators in calling on U.S. Department of Education Secretary Miguel Cardona to rescind the Biden administration’s radical income-driven repayment proposal, which will severely exacerbate rising college costs and excessive borrowing. Here is a short excerpt of our letter:

“The Constitution states that only Congress has the power of the purse. Clearly, Congress did not and would not authorize the Secretary to write off half of the $1.6 trillion student loan portfolio with the stroke of a pen because we know our constituents are the ones ultimately responsible for paying for it, including those who never stepped foot on a college campus.”

To read our full letter, click here.

ICYMI: My Latest Interview

Recently, I sat down with Rachel Campos-Duffy of Fox News, as well as with several of my colleagues, to discuss what it means to be a mother and grandmother while serving in Congress. We also talked about the importance of family, upholding conservative values, and the great many things that inspire us to serve the American people. This is an interview I will always cherish, and one that I highly encourage you to watch.

To watch our full interview, click here.

Quote of The Week

“It is a way to take people's wealth from them without having to openly raise taxes. Inflation is the most universal tax of all.”

-Thomas Sowell

Have a blessed weekend,