President Biden on Thursday argued that inflation will get worse if Republicans win control of Congress in the midterm elections next month.
“If Republicans win, inflation’s going to get worse. It’s that simple,” Biden said in remarks in Los Angeles.
Biden argued that Democrats are standing up for working people, using the top of his remarks to focus on bipartisan infrastructure law investments in California to rally for his party.
“We’ve got an election in the month. Voters have to decide. Democrats are working to bring down the cost of things they talk about around the kitchen table, from prescription drugs, to health insurance, to energy bills and so much more,” he said.
His remarks followed consumer price index data that showed inflation rose 0.4 percent in September and 8.2 percent over the past 12 months. Earlier on Thursday, Biden said in a statement that the report shows progress but that there is more work to do.
Republicans have blamed Biden’s leadership on the nation’s inflation woes, and have made the economy and rising prices a central part of their midterm campaign pitch.
Biden in his remarks said that the price of gas is too high and more needs to be done to bring it down, adding that he will speak more on gas prices next week.
Biden then argued that Republicans think inflation is rising because too many Americans are working, saying he “just couldn’t disagree more with my Republican friends who say the biggest problem in our economy right now is that working folks are making too much money.”
“I think that’s a bunch, as we Irish say, a bunch of malarky,” he said, adding that the biggest problems leading to high inflation are global inflation, the pandemic and the war in Ukraine.
Biden was joined by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti (D) and Rep. Karen Bass (D), who is running to succeed Garcetti, to tout the upcoming 350 projects across California funded by the infrastructure bill.
Biden and Vice President Harris endorsed Bass in the intraparty mayor race in August.
The event also included California Democrats Rep. Ted Lieu and Sen. Alex Padilla.