Inflation and the Supply Chain

Floor Speech

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Mr. MANN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remind Congress that small businesses and consumers all over the country are feeling the repercussions of President Biden's spending spree.

It is very simple: President Biden's so-called rescue plan has directly caused a crisis we are seeing on the farm and on Main Street. Injecting $1.9 trillion of government spending into the economy without a clear plan for execution has increased costs and disrupted the supply chain.

All government spending must be paid for somehow, and Americans are paying for it with inflation. Since February 2020, the amount of money in the economy has grown by over 26 percent, so it should come as no surprise that Americans are experiencing the highest price increases since the Great Recession. Consumer prices for used cars and trucks have risen by more than 24 percent, and costs have increased 11.2 percent for furniture, 9.6 percent for household appliances, 6 percent for utilities, and 5.6 percent for clothing.

President Biden promised to raise taxes only on wealthy Americans, but these price increases happening under his direction are a tax on every American. Inflation-adjusted wages are down nearly 2 percent since President Biden took office, and with the Democrats planning to continue their reckless tax-and-spend habits, American families can expect the cost of living to keep going up.

As if rising costs weren't enough, this administration's so-called rescue plan has created a labor shortage that is weakening our supply chain and leaving manufacturers and business owners high and dry.

Earlier this month, I hosted a manufacturing tour across my district in Kansas, where I visited small businesses that produce and sell products like highway signs, car accessories, and industrial valves. These businesses are the driving forces in their communities, but the leaders who run them all painted the same bleak picture: Vendor costs are rising; labor is hard to come by; and a weakened supply chain is slowing everything down.

The Grasshopper Company in Moundridge, Kansas, builds and sells mowers and landscaping tools, the same ones used by the White House groundskeepers. Grasshopper is facing longer lead times on vendor items than they have ever seen, and the prices on raw materials like steel seem to be rising daily. To meet their customer demand on time, Grasshopper had to pay an extra $28,000 air freight fee. Back in July, Grasshopper's disrupted supply chain and increased cost of doing business forced them to raise the price of their goods midseason, something they have not had to do since the Carter administration.

Another manufacturing company in my district told me that the supply chain backlog has made it impossible to plan for their future. Their suppliers are telling them that essential inputs like electronic components will now take at least 5 to 6 months before they even ship. Before this year, they never had to wait longer than 4 weeks.

Sadly, these are just two examples from Kansas' Big First District. Small businesses all over the country are being forced to raise their costs due to supply chain issues, inflation impacting their own inputs, labor shortages, or all the above.

To get inflation under control, strengthen the supply chain, and stop consumer costs from rising even further, we need to get Americans back to work, stop the vaccine mandate, quit recklessly printing money, and end the spending addiction here in Washington. Securing Release and Return of American Missionaries in Haiti

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Mr. MANN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express the urgent need for the Biden administration to secure the release and return of the 17 American missionaries taken captive in Haiti by a street gang known for mass kidnapping of religious groups.

I cannot imagine the terror they are experiencing in this very moment as we speak. We cannot sit idly by while they fear for their lives.

For decades, the United States has invested in developing Haiti through government aid and nongovernment organizations like Christian Aid Ministries. I urge President Biden and this administration to leverage our relationship with the Haitian Government to secure the safe return of every member of this group.

The captivity of Americans, whether in Port-au-Prince, Kabul, or anywhere else, is an international crisis. President Biden's actions in this moment are assuredly being watched by those who would not hesitate to do our country harm and could have longstanding repercussions for Americans practicing their faith across the globe.

The United States must be clear: If you capture our citizens, our government will respond swiftly and decisively.

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