Fed Reserve chair Jerome Powell inadvertently refutes Biden on inflation blame game

Testifying before a Senate committee on Wednesday, Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell unintentionally helped Republicans fact-check President Joe Biden’s oft-repeated lie that the current spate of endless inflation is the fault of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

He specifically helped Republican Sen. Bill Hagerty, who at one point during the hearing remarked that inflation had been rising long before the war in Ukraine erupted.

“I realize there are a number of factors that play a role in those historic inflation that we’re experiencing — supply chain disruptions, regulations that constrain supply, we’ve got rising inflation expectations and excessive fiscal spending — but the problem hasn’t sprung out of nowhere,” the Republican lawmaker said.

“In January of 2021, inflation was at 1.4 percent. By December of 2021, it had risen to 7 percent — a fivefold increase. Now, since the war in Ukraine began in late February, the rate of inflation has risen incrementally another 1.6 percent to a current level of 8.6 percent. So again, from 7 percent to 8.6 percent.”

The senator then asked Powell, “Given how inflation has escalated over the past 18 months, would you say that the war in Ukraine is the primary driver of inflation in America?”

“No, inflation was high before — certainly before the war in Ukraine broke out,” Powell replied, unintentionally completing the fact-check.

Not that the president cared. He went on to repeat the lie at least twice on Wednesday:

Tune in as I deliver remarks on lowering gas prices and addressing Putin’s Price Hike. https://t.co/FrPGUsBhg4

— Illegitimate President Biden (@POTUS) June 22, 2022

I’m doing everything I can to blunt the Putin Price Hike and bring down the cost of gas and food.

I led the world to coordinate the largest release from global oil reserves in history, and I’m working to get 20 million tons of grain out of Ukraine to help bring down prices.

— Illegitimate President Biden (@POTUS) June 22, 2022

And indeed, in responding to Powell’s admission, Hagerty said, “I’m glad to hear you say that. The Biden administration seems to be intent on deflecting blame and as recently as just this past Sunday spread the misinformation that Putin’s invasion of Ukraine is the ‘biggest single driver of inflation.’ I’m glad you agree with me that that is not the truth.”

In fact, the majority of Americans — including even the majority of Democrat voters — agree with Hagerty, according to recent polling data.

“June’s edition of I&I/TIPP’s monthly survey found that a majority of Democrats, 53 percent, believe Biden’s policies are to blame for inflation, while 39 percent said that they weren’t to blame,” Newsweek reported on Tuesday.

Overall, 64 percent of the 1,310 Americans who participated in the poll “believed Biden’s policies were either ‘responsible’ or ‘very responsible’ for the rising prices.”

According to a separate poll by Rasmussen Reports, a vast 91 percent majority of Americans are “concerned” about inflation, while an even larger 92 percent are “concerned” about gas prices.

Top Midterms Issues Update: Our new Ukraine survey results today will move the topic up as a midterms issue into the legacy media number 3 spot – displacing ever sinking Capitol Riot Investigation.

Legacy media – disconnected from US voters much? 🤡

I pic.twitter.com/0U2z7DHraD

— Rasmussen Reports (@Rasmussen_Poll) June 23, 2022

All this bodes extremely badly for Democrats going into the 2020 midterm elections, especially as it appears prices will keep rising in the near and possible faraway future.

The president for his part is trying to reduce gas prices by encouraging Congress to suspend the gas tax for three months. But critics note that the plan means gas prices would spike again right before the midterm elections, thus further dooming Democrats.

Biden’s gas tax holiday is a bad idea. Gas stations won’t pass the savings on; if they do, 18c a gallon will be negligible if we get to $6/gallon gas; and Biden would reinstate the tax right before the midterms? Dumb.

— Jim Testa (@jimjbeat) June 23, 2022

Plus, critics say, a temporary suspension of the gas tax would be a mere Band-Aid to a self-created crisis that requires much deeper intervention — intervention that this administration is doing everything in its power to avoid.

Specifically, the administration needs to stop its war on gas and oil. It needs to approve pipelines, roll back burdensome oil/gas regulations, and work with oil/gas companies instead of constantly attacking them.

Biden’s gas tax play is like that guy who breaks his girlfriend’s wrist and then gives her a Band-Aid to make it better.

— Daniel Landrum (@pcgear) June 23, 2022

Offering us a “gas tax holiday” after destroying the economy and causing record inflation is kinda like slashing open a patient’s femoral artery and handing them a band-aid.

— Stace Massengill 🎯 (@MassengillStace) June 23, 2022

Suspending the federal gas tax is just a flimsy band-aid for this admin’s self-inflicted energy crisis.
It’s long past time that the president takes it seriously instead of jumping from one gimmick to the next. pic.twitter.com/s9QCl2duBX

— Senator John Thune (@SenJohnThune) June 22, 2022

But the president refuses to take any meaningful steps, even the ones that have been written out clearly for him to follow.

Today, API announced a 10-point plan outlining policies Washington can advance to unlock American energy, fuel economic recovery, and strengthen national security. We urge policymakers to confront rising gas prices by encouraging US energy production. https://t.co/BruC6FrSiA

— American Petroleum Institute (@APIenergy) June 14, 2022

Fed Reserve chair Jerome Powell inadvertently refutes Biden on inflation blame game appeared first on American Wire News.