West Central Reporter

U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood (R-Ill.) lays blame for the country's rising inflation squarely at the feet of the Biden Administration.

The U.S. Labor Department said wholesale prices rose 8.6% since last October, CNBC reported, their highest jump in nearly 11 years.

“Inflation is hitting the wallets of residents across Illinois, and the Biden Administration’s trillion-dollar tax and spending plan will push prices even higher,” LaHood tweeted.

The U.S. Department of Labor also reports that the producer price index is up by 0.6 percent over the month, seemingly reaffirming Dow Jones’ estimates that indicate inflation pressures are only continuing to build, according to CNBC. Further analysis shows that one-third of the increase in goods prices came from surging gasoline costs, with prices in that sector rising by nearly 7%. On the service side, the cost of autos and auto parts also increased by 8.9%.

LaHood was among GOP lawmakers who voted against Pres. Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion COVID-19 stimulus plan, dismissing the legislature as a partisan bill that falls woefully short of addressing the areas where aid is most needed, according to the West Central Reporter.

"President Biden and Democrats in Congress specifically designed the 'American Rescue Plan' package to circumvent any Republican input or changes," LaHood said in a statement. "It's deeply disappointing that President Biden abandoned his commitment to finding common ground with Republicans in his first major legislative initiative."

LaHood also recently introduced the Digital Trade for Development Act, which seeks to modernize the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) to support digital trade policies that promote further economic growth.

"Digital trade is an engine for economic success in the US and around the world," LaHood tweeted. "By modernizing the GSP, we can support open digital trade policies that expand economic growth in developing countries and advance American interests around the globe."