Lafayette Reporter

WASHINGTON – In a passionate speech on the Senate floor, Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) urged his colleagues in Congress to prioritize the issue of high inflation, which continues to burden families in Louisiana. He highlighted that Louisianians are facing an average increase of $798 in their monthly expenses due to inflation under President Joe Biden’s administration.

Sen. Kennedy emphasized the importance of keeping focus on the cost of living in the country, stating, “My purpose in rising today, Mr. President, is to suggest that we should keep our eye on the ball. We are faced with many difficult issues in the Senate today. We always are. But I think that's especially true today. . . But I don't want my colleagues to forget about one of the most important issues of all facing the American people today, and that is the cost of living in our extraordinary country.”

Highlighting the impact of inflation on Louisiana families, Sen. Kennedy expressed his concern, stating, “I say this with no joy whatsoever: Inflation in America today is man-made, and that man's name is President Joe Biden. In my state, where the mean household income is $55,000, the average [Louisiana] family is paying $800 a month more—a month, not a year, a month—more to live in this wonderful country as a result of Bidenomics. That's $9,600 a year that a family of four making $55,000 a year has to find.”

Explaining the concept of falling inflation, Sen. Kennedy clarified, “Falling inflation just means prices are still going up every month, every day, but they're not going up as fast as they were. We call that disinflation. Falling inflation also means that prices overall are not going down. (That's deflation.) My point is, even though inflation is falling—and I am so glad it is—all that means is that prices are not going up as fast as they were and we're going to be stuck with these high prices. They're going to be permanent even if inflation goes to zero.”

Recognizing the concerns of American parents, Sen. Kennedy highlighted the cost of living as one of the top five worries when they go to bed at night, stating, “We have a lot of the issues that we're struggling with right now, but among the five things that moms and dads in America worry about when they lie down to sleep at night and can’t is the cost of living in our wonderful country. . . President Biden's inflation is strangling a free people. The American people deserve better, and I don't want us to lose sight of that fact as we grapple with other issues.”

For a complete view of Sen. Kennedy’s remarks, click here.