Congressman Robert Aderholt (R-AL04) on Saturday excoriated President Joe Biden for his economic policies in an emailed newsletter to voters of Alabama’s Fourth Congressional District. This newsletter followed Thursday’s confirmation from the Commerce Department that Gross Domestic Product fell for the second quarter in a row.
“We got the news Thursday morning that the U.S. economy has now had two consecutive quarters of negative economic growth,” Aderholt said. "If you Google the definition of a recession, you’ll find this: 'a period of temporary economic decline during which trade and industrial activity are reduced, generally identified by a fall in GDP in two successive quarters.'
“However, the White House and most of the national media are both attempting to convince Americans that everything is fine. Americans are not buying this spin. Most Americans have felt we have been in a recession for over a year now. The polls show this is what Americans are thinking, and now we have the economic data to back it up.”
The economy had been roaring post-pandemic.
“Joe Biden Inherited a recovery and created a recession,” Aderholt claimed. “When Joe Biden took office in January of 2021, he inherited a booming COVID recovery from the Trump Administration. His economic prescriptions have now had a year to be absorbed by the economy and it's clearly bad medicine. All of his policies on issues from energy, to dealing with supply chain issues, to inflation, have led to this economic mess. Everyone feels it each time they go to the grocery store or fill up their gas tanks. But the White House wants you to believe everything is fine. They would have us believe everything is coming up roses, but did you know the price of flowers is up 14%?
“Speaking of inflation, and particularly gas prices, it's now been a year since these stickers started showing up on gas pumps across Alabama and across the country. President Biden wants you to believe that the increase in fuel prices isn't because of his bad policies, but because of the war in Ukraine. But the war in Ukraine only started at the end of February, and these stickers started reflecting people's feelings about gas prices a year ago now. Gas prices have come down some in the past few weeks, but the average price for a gallon of gas in the U.S. is still $4.30. When he took office in January of 2021, the national average was $2.39 and even lower here in Alabama.”
Aderholt has blamed Biden for his energy policy, including halting the Keystone XL pipeline that would have brought Canadian oil to American refineries in Oklahoma and Texas.
Aderholt cited his co-sponsorship of “The Keystone XL Pipeline Construction and Jobs Preservation Act, which would authorize the pipeline, support thousands of jobs, and strengthen American energy independence,” as one step toward fighting inflation.
The White House credited President Biden’s release of oil from the strategic reserve for the drop in oil prices since mid-June.
“As of this morning, gas prices have dropped 81 cents per gallon since their peak in June, as you’ll see from the chart to my left here,” said White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre Monday. “That means American families who — with two cars are saving $80 a month. Drivers can now find gas for $3.99 or less at around half of all gas stations across the country. And average gasoline prices have come below $3.99 in 19 states.
It should be noted that at least some of the SPR oil has been sold to China, an economic and military rival.
Aderholt has represented Alabama’s Fourth Congressional District since his first election in 1996.
To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandon.moseley@1819News.com.
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