Summer is the season for picnics, barbecues, and gatherings with friends and family—all things where we can celebrate what makes this country so great. In the past, families could go to the grocery store and expect to spend a little over $100 when shopping for a summer party, but with inflation still up, that is no longer the case. 

Inflation is like the fly buzzing around the hot dogs, ruining the party—a nuisance that bugs everyone. When President Biden took office, inflation was at 1.4%, but it has since surged by 19.9%. Prices of popular summer items have skyrocketed, and the average Washington household is paying over $1,000 more per month to purchase the same goods and services as January 2021. 

When the cost of basic items like ground beef, hot dogs, condiments, and ice cream has risen by 19-32%, it's easy to see why American families are struggling to make ends meet. Consumer purchasing power has plummeted, and middle-class families are bearing the brunt of these egregious price increases. 

Yet, as families face record-high inflation and a rising cost of living, real wages are down roughly 4.4% since 2021. For people who receive a paycheck every two weeks, this drop in earnings constitutes a loss of about a paycheck and a half each year. Simply put, Americans are feeling the strain of an economy that does not work for them.

Let’s look at the facts: 56 million Americans have been struggling with credit card debt for at least a year, food prices have jumped 25% from 2019-2023, one-in-three adults aged 18-34 live in their parents’ home, and the cost of living is so bad, one in eight retirees are planning to go back to work just to put food on their tables. This is not what the American Dream is supposed to look like.

The American Dream is our national ethos, but younger generations are struggling to attain the same version of success past generations have achieved due to the bleak economic outlook. If we do not change course, we will be facing an affordability crisis that consumers won’t be able to navigate. 

As a proud fiscal conservative and a member of the House Appropriations Committee, I remain committed to advocating for a common-sense, conservative approach to spending that works for Americans rather than against them. Every day, I hear from constituents who tell me that things have become unaffordable, and as Congress works to finalize next year’s appropriations bills, I will continue to fight to cut spending and ensure Washingtonians are better off tomorrow than they are today.