Inflation threatens Biden agenda, Democratic majorities – By Jonathan Allen (NBC News) / Nov 14 2021
Analysis: But rather than scaring them off, the political uncertainty of the economy has added to most Democrats’ sense of urgency around passing Biden’s social safety net bill.
WASHINGTON — Inflation threatens to stagnate President Joe Biden’s agenda, and Republicans say it will help them decimate the Democratic majority in Congress.
“Next year’s election will be a referendum on grocery prices and you can expect Republican challengers to talk about little else between now and then,” said John Ashbrook, co-founder of the public affairs firm Cavalry and a former aide to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.
From cartons of eggs to used cars, prices are rising with an intensity that consumers haven’t seen in decades, even as interest rates creep up. Even though the broader picture is brighter — the economy is growing and adding jobs — some Democrats worry that voters will pay more attention to the cost of a gallon of milk than macroeconomic trends.
Rather than scaring them off, though, the political uncertainty of a mixed-bag economy has added to most Democrats’ sense of urgency around passing Biden’s $1.75 trillion “Build Back Better” plan, which would fund efforts to combat climate change and bolster the nation’s social safety net.
