On the recordJuly 9, 2024
I am going to yield to Mr. Alford here in just a moment, but let me yield myself 2 minutes for the purpose of a response. It is difficult for me to sit here and be lectured about the cost of living by the gentleman from Massachusetts. Madam Speaker, 2 years ago in the Rules Committee, when Republicans were in the minority and Democrats were in the majority, we pleaded with the then-majority to not do the American Rescue Plan, to not do the Inflation Reduction Act, and to not engage in all of this vast Federal spending that they had teed up. The problem was, after the coronavirus infection in December 2020, the economy was basically getting back on its feet. All we had to do was stay out of the way. Instead, $2 trillion went to the American Rescue Plan and $4 trillion to the Inflation Reduction Act, with an extremely bloated infrastructure bill. What happened? The cost of living blew through the roof for the poor and middle class because inflation became so severe. The people who are supposed to be watching this, like the Chairman of the Fed and the Treasury Secretary, said that inflation is transitory, that we will get a handle on that. We are sitting here now, 18 months later, and they don't have a handle on it. My colleague talked about the cost of living and talking to his constituents about that. They are still suffering from what Democrats did at the beginning of this administration. Madam Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Missouri (Mr.…
