The May Consumer Price Index (CPI) report released on Thursday noted a 5 percent increase in inflation from May 2020 – the fastest rate of inflation since the economic crisis of 2008! At nearly a 13-year high – this rate of inflation is taking a toll on Americans’ wallets. Since taking office, President Biden and Democrat leaders have taken government spending – which was already too high – to unprecedented levels.
- Gasoline is 56.2 percent MORE expensive today than 12 months ago.
- Transportation services are up 11.2 percent since May 2020.
- Together, food and energy prices have increased 3.8 percent, which is the fastest rate since 1992.
I ran for office pledging to do my part to stop the spigot of spending. I’ve supported and introduced legislation that prioritized and reduced spending. However, recent budgets passed by Congress have burst domestic spending caps and this year, they’ve ignored them all together. I have spoken out against these spending levels and voted against these budgets.
I have sought to set an example by annually returning a portion of the taxpayer dollars allocated for my Congressional office expenses – saving more than $3 million dollars to date. Additionally, every year, I deliver a personal check to the Bureau of Fiscal Service at the Department of Treasury to rollback my salary to the 2008 amount. Although this may appear to be a small action given the trillions of dollars the federal government spends, it is a step in the right direction. If all federal government spending was rolled back to the 2008 amounts, we would no longer have a budget deficit.
I am confident we can set our nation on a responsible fiscal path while still investing in critical priorities including more border security, infrastructure projects and our military. It starts with the House and Senate rejecting the practice of last-minute funding deals that are negotiated behind closed doors by a small group of lawmakers.
Congressman Daniel Webster represents The Villages in the U.S. House of Representatives.
