Inflation hit 7.5% in January – a 40-year high – and Republicans at all levels of government have blamed the president for the price spike Joe Biden in particular and Democrats in general.
This is especially true in Florida, where the US senator. Rick Scott, chairman of the Republican National Senate Committee, criticized Biden almost daily on the issue. At the Florida House, leaders included a new $2 billion trust fund to account for higher costs in their new budget proposal.
House Budget Manager Jay Trumbulla Panama City Republican, named the bill (HB5011) the High Need Inflation Budgeting Fund (BIDEN).
Democrats say they will push back against the bill and the broader national narrative linking them to higher prices.
“We have to tell the truth – that this is not a problem or a problem that was caused by Joe Biden,” the rep said. Driskell Fence, a Tampa Democrat, told reporters on Monday. “It’s a global phenomenon.”
Driskell filed a amendment to HB 5011who would “inject truth serum” into the inflation debate, she said.
Amendment notes increase in federal spending that contributed to soaring inflation started under president donald trump in 2020 and was originally passed with Republican support to address the economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The bipartisan federal stimulus funds provided to citizens of the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic have helped avert a global depression and prevented many Floridians from falling into poverty and homelessness,” the amendment reads. . “In addition, federal funds supported the state budget and helped avoid a deficit and enabled investments in Florida’s future.”
The bill and amendment will be discussed in the House session on Tuesday.
Driskell denounced the GOP’s use of inflation as a partisan talking point and said she refrained from naming her amendment the Global Inflation Fund’s Triumphant Revenue Usage to Minimize Presence (TRUMP) because it shouldn’t. not be a partisan issue.
“We’ve now been almost two years into this pandemic and we’re still trying to rip our throats out to score political points rather than focusing on what people need to be healthy, prosperous and safe,” Driskell said.
However, as inflation remains high, Republicans are likely to continue to criticize Biden and Democrats on the issue. A CBS News poll in January found that 65% of respondents did not think Biden was focused enough on fighting inflation, and 58% said he was not focused on the economy.
Fighting inflation could be essential for Democrats to gain power in the Legislative Assembly after the November election.
In the House, they are outnumbered 78-41 by the Republicans (one seat is vacant) and far from obtaining a majority in the chamber. But even flipping a handful of seats could have a big impact on the legislation. To establish a new trust fund – as HB 5011 seeks to do – the Florida Constitution requires a 3/5 majority, or 72 votes.
“If we had six or seven more members, we could stop this bill,” Driskell said. “If we had six or seven more members, what difference would that make to this body and to the lives of people in Florida.”
The House is set to approve its budget this week, paving the way for negotiations on the final spending plan with the Senate later in the legislative session.
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