Roy Blunt: Democrats are gobbling up your hard-earned money

(From Sen. Roy Blunt, R-MO)

Next week, Americans across the country will gather with their families and loved ones to celebrate Thanksgiving. But you can expect an uninvited guest at this year’s Thanksgiving – inflation.

Thanks to Democrats’ reckless spending, we’ve been facing skyrocketing costs for items we need every day, and it keeps getting worse. The Consumer Price Index increased 6.2% over the last year, a high not seen since 1990. Last month, inflation hit a 31-year record. Unfortunately, rising costs aren’t taking a day off for the holidays. In fact, this Thanksgiving meal is expected to be the most expensive in its history.

In their annual Thanksgiving survey, the Farm Bureau found this year’s dinner will cost Americans 14% more – and the price of turkey is up 24% from last year.

Skyrocketing costs aren’t the only concern. Americans could end up on a wild goose chase to track down Thanksgiving staples with so many empty grocery shelves. Turkeys, yams, cranberry sauce, and pies are already low in stock because of the supply chain crisis.

On top of all this, Americans will be paying more to even get to the Thanksgiving table. There is not one state in the U.S. that has an average gas price below $3 per gallon.

It’s Thanksgiving dinner in President Biden’s America.

Even former Obama administration economists have warned about the impact of Democrats’ nonstop spending. Steven Rattner, who served in President Obama’s Treasury Department, had this to say: "The original sin was the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan, passed in March. The bill...has contributed materially to today’s inflation levels."

But Democrats are blowing past these warnings and ignoring the concerns of the American people. Their only concern is pushing through a reckless spending spree filled with far-left proposals that are focused on liberals’ special interests, not on policies that will end this economic crisis.

Almost a year ago, we had a strong economy bouncing back from the impact of the COVID pandemic. Under Democrats’ misguided policies, our economy is stalling.

Americans are already feeling the strain. Democrats’ spend, spend, spend style of governing is only going to make it worse.