GOP Sen. Ted Cruz on Wednesday placed the blame on President Joe Biden for "crisis after crisis" in the economy and at the southern border amid sobering data on both issues.
In a tweet, the Texas conservative lamented an all-time high in illegal border crossings and inflation.
According to the Labor Department, the consumer price index (CPI) jumped 0.9 percent last month after climbing 0.4 percent in September. The largest gain in four months hoisted the annual increase in the CPI to 6.2 percent — the biggest year-on-year rise since November 1990 — and followed a 5.4 percent advance in September, Reuters reported.
Inflation pressures are also brewing in the labor market, where an acute shortage of workers is driving wages higher. The number of Americans filing claims for unemployment benefits fell to a 20-month low last week, other data showed Wednesday, Reuters reported.
On the volatile border issue, the Customs and Border Patrol recorded more than 1.7 million migrant apprehensions at the southern border through September this year — the highest number ever.
"Joe Biden is responsible for crisis after crisis and the American people are paying the price," Cruz tweeted.
Cruz wasn’t the only Republican underscoring the economic stress.
Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel warned Wednesday that "forcing unconstitutional mandates on workers and small businesses, giving tax cuts to the rich, and asking hardworking Americans to foot the bill for a socialist wish list prove just how out-of-touch Biden and Democrats are with reality.
"In Biden's America, your paycheck is worth less, and you owe the government more."
Meanwhile, Biden said he’s asked the National Economic Council to work to reduce energy costs and the Federal Trade Commission to push back on market manipulation in the energy sector — aiming to reverse the upward spiral.
Biden said he was committed to the independence of the Federal Reserve in its efforts to combat inflation. "Inflation hurts Americans pocketbooks, and reversing this trend is a top priority for me," he said in a statement.
Fran Beyer ✉
Fran Beyer is a writer with Newsmax and covers national politics.
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