Groceries at 43 Year High

September 16, 2022

Grocery Prices Reach 43 Year High

Inflation remains painfully high, and the price of necessities like food, electricity, and rent continues to soar. Grocery costs have reached a 43-year high according to the August Consumer Price Index numbers released by the Bureau of Labor and Statistics. While the focus should be on providing relief for families, farmers, and small businesses, the Biden administration continues to prioritize extreme Green New Deal initiatives and other special interest items with unprecedented price tags. Eggs, potatoes, milk, frozen foods, and coffee are all up significantly and this latest report underscores the need for fiscal responsibility from policymakers. If you haven't had the opportunity to read my Detroit News opinion editorial, please click here.

Opposing Student Loan Bailout

In August, President Biden announced a $500 billion student loan bailout. This week, in the Education & Labor Committee, I spoke against the illegal plan. The President does not possess the authority to unilaterally cancel loan obligations. Speaker Pelosi argued the very same thing not too long ago. In due time, I’m confident the courts will agree. More still, this plan is irresponsible and unfair to the millions of Americans who made the decision to either not attend college or budgeted making sacrifices to pay off loans. Finally, the underlying issue of skyrocketing higher education costs are only exacerbated by this bailout.

Demanding Accountability for Children

Students not only need in-person learning for educational growth, but also for their emotional, physical and mental well-being. And virtual schooling is insufficient to meeting these critical developmental needs. Earlier this month, the Department of Education released data showing that reading and math scores for nine-year-olds declined over the course of the pandemic. This is just the latest in a growing data trove that is showing just how disastrous extended school closures were to students. This week, I spoke in favor of a resolution demanding full transparency of communication between the Biden administration and the American Federation of Teachers regarding reopening schools and supporting safe, in-person learning.

Supporting Small Business

Small businesses are the backbone of our communities providing meaningful employment, distinct local opportunities, and important innovation. I am proud to have been named a “Guardian of Small Business” by the National Federation of Independent Business for my record of fighting for small business. On Thursday, I also had the chance to meet with the Small Business Association of Michigan and discuss legislative priorities for small businesses in Michigan still seeking to recover and find qualified workers.

Defending Second Amendment Rights

This week, I worked with 100 of my House colleagues in sending letters to the CEOs of American Express, Mastercard, and Visa expressing concern with the new firearm-specific Merchant Category Code (MCC), designed to track the use of credit cards used to purchase firearms. As this new classification is implemented, the letter calls for ensuring it is not used to track law-abiding gun owners or infringe on their Constitutional rights. This system raises all sorts of Constitutional concerns and is ripe for government overreach, which was clearly the intended purpose when anti-gun activists lobbied for private companies to create this new code. Click here to read the letter.