After the Labor Department disclosed Tuesday that the average price of consumer goods hit a 41-year high, West Virginia Democrat Senator Joe Manchin blasted the Biden administration for responding to record-high inflation with "half-measures and rhetorical failures."
"Americans needed to know the truth about what prompted an alarming 8.5 percent increase in gasoline prices," he added.
Manchin Accuses Biden of Failing to Act Fast to Combat Inflation
According to the latest figures, Americans are being stung the most at the pump, with gasoline prices rising by 49%. It's part of a global trend of rising gasoline prices following the global financial crisis.
The inflation data released on Tuesday is the first to show the entire impact of Vladimir Putin's devastating strike on the US economy since he ordered it on February 24. President Joe Biden routinely mentions Russian ruler Vladimir Putin's participation in Americans' financial difficulties, referring to it as "Putin's price hike."
In his remarks, Manchin appears to refer to the blame-shifting, arguing that acting as if inflation is a new problem is a disservice to the American people, Daily Mail reported.
The Labor Department announced on Tuesday that the consumer price index, which measures inflation, rose 1.2 percent in March and 8.5 percent over the previous year. The data, according to Manchin, tells a "scary picture about how these taxes on Americans are being implemented."
According to Labor Department data, food costs were up 8.8% year over year and 1% in March while fuel prices increased 48 percent year over year following an 18.3 percent spike in March.
The Labor Department findings are poor news for Democrats and Biden as the midterm elections approach this year.
Manchin has been voicing inflation worries for months, but his comments might be exploited by Republicans to target Democrats. "If you want inflation to go down, Americans will have to change leadership," said Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), the leading Republican on the Budget Committee.
Manchin's comment is also a warning signal for fledgling Democratic ambitions of resurrecting a large social and climate change spending plan as the summer approaches by trimming it down to something that the White House and Senate Democrats think their red-state colleagues can accept, according to The Hill.
White House Claims Inflation Could Be a Sign of "Good Economy"
Last year, the White House characterized inflation as "transitory," yet it continued to rise until late 2021 and 2022. It also stated that inflation might be a sign of a healthy economy at times.
Although the White House finally began to acknowledge inflation's effect on common Americans, White House chief of staff Ron Klain retweeted a post dismissing it as an upper class concern.
The White House issued no reaction to the inflation figures on Tuesday morning, and President Biden did not accept questions as he departed the White House. According to the White House, Biden will speak in Iowa at 1:45 p.m., on his administration's efforts to reduce expenses for working families.
During the summer, he is likely to laud a move that would allow higher quantities of ethanol in gasoline, lowering petrol costs by a few cents per gallon. Late last year, Manchin derailed a Democratic party-line effort to approve a big reconciliation spending measure, primarily due to its expected impact on inflation.
Manchin's office did not respond to a request for comment on Tuesday when asked what specific inflation legislation he may support in Congress this year. In a recent interview, Manchin stated that he might support a plan that focuses on tax reform, prescription drug reform, and climate change, as per Fox Business.
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