Vice President Kamala Harris admitted on Friday that inflation is “a heavy weight to carry” for Americans, even though the Biden administration has spent months downplaying rising prices.
While speaking to reporters in Paris, France, the vice president commented on the elephant in the room.
“Prices have gone up and families and individuals are dealing with the realities of the bread costs more, the gas costs more, and have to understand what that means,” she said, Fox Business reported. “That’s about the cost of living going up. That’s about having to stress and stretch limited resources.”
Harris conceded that rising prices on basic goods have become a “source of stress for families.”
“[It’s] not only economic, but is, on a daily level, something that is a heavy weight to carry,” she said. “It is something we take very seriously, very seriously.”
Historic price hikes, such as those Americans are currently seeing, “has a direct impact on the quality of life for all people in our country,” she continued.
“It’s a big issue and we take it seriously and it is a priority for us,” she said, claiming that the White House is working to tackle the issue. She also used the opportunity to politick for President Joe Biden’s “Build Back Better” agenda.
According to Harris, trillions in new spending on social programs and green energy are “designed to make it less expensive for working people to live.”
“It was specifically designed to bring down the costs of child care and increase accessibility and availability,” and to “bring down the cost of elder care and make it available to all those working families that need that support and need that help.”
“Build Back Better is not going to cost anything,” Harris said, repeating a claim from the White House.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki has previously stated that trillions in spending will cost nothing.
Reporter: "Does the president still believe that Build Back Better will not add a dime to the national debt?"
Psaki: "Correct. It Won't."
Reporter: "Why should Americans believe that?"
Psaki: "Because it won't." pic.twitter.com/QB86LDjhPc
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) October 19, 2021
Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer has said the agenda will pay for itself by asking the wealthiest Americans to pay more in taxes.
The best way to address inflation is to pass a bill that creates jobs, reduces bottlenecks, and is totally paid for by making sure the wealthy pay their fair share.
That’s just what we’re doing with the Build Back Better Act. https://t.co/2mIkcB5lFi
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) November 10, 2021
Harris on Friday claimed that passing Biden’s agenda is crucial for not only lowering costs on common goods, but also for offering people a way to tackle goals such as child care, the New York Post reported.
“So when we can get Build Back Better passed, and we are optimistic that we will, the American people will see costs actually reduced around some of those essential services that they need to take care of their basic responsibilities, including issues like child care and elder care and also preschool,” she said.
Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, who seems to hold all the cards with regard to an infrastructure bill passed last week with the assistance of more than a dozen Republicans, tweeted Wednesday that inflation is on his mind with regard to more spending, in a direct challenge to Biden and Democrats.
“By all accounts, the threat posed by record inflation to the American people is not ‘transitory’ and is instead getting worse. From the grocery store to the gas pump, Americans know the inflation tax is real and DC can no longer ignore the economic pain Americans feel every day,” he wrote.
By all accounts, the threat posed by record inflation to the American people is not “transitory” and is instead getting worse. From the grocery store to the gas pump, Americans know the inflation tax is real and DC can no longer ignore the economic pain Americans feel every day.
— Senator Joe Manchin (@Sen_JoeManchin) November 10, 2021
On Wednesday, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics issued the Consumer Price Index Summary for last month.
“The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 0.9 percent in October on a seasonally adjusted basis after rising 0.4 percent in September, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Over the last 12 months, the all items index increased 6.2 percent before seasonal adjustment,” BLS announced.
“The all items index rose 6.2 percent for the 12 months ending October, the largest 12-month increase since the period ending November 1990.”
Story cited here.
