NEWS AND OPINION:
Friday marks the second anniversary of the Inflation Reduction Act, a bill that promised to curtail rising prices.
“The so-called Inflation Reduction Act was a trillion-dollar grab-bag of special interest giveaways that was never intended to reduce inflation. The name of the bill should be a reminder of Washington’s cynical attempt to fool everyday Americans into thinking this was anything but a political wish-list bill,” said Akash Chougule, vice president of government affairs for Americans for Prosperity.
“Vice President Kamala Harris was the deciding vote on the IRA, which means any one of the senators up for reelection this year who voted for it could have stopped it. Instead, every single one decided to go along with their party to support another trillion dollars in spending when inflation was already raging,” Mr. Chougule said in a statement shared with Inside the Beltway.
“The costs people are paying today are a direct result of Washington moving full speed ahead on its reckless spending binge despite repeated warnings. Voters should hold those senators accountable, and ask them a simple question. Would they do it again?” he said.
“When the Inflation Reduction Act was signed into law on August 16, 2022, it was touted as a solution to soaring costs. Here’s what we got instead: Americans are paying $11,400 more for the same standard of living as in 2021. Car maintenance is up 30.2% and new cars are up 18.7%, so owning a car is starting to feel like a luxury,” he said.
“Rent is up 30.7%, making it harder for would-be first time home buyers to save for a down payment. As such, 78% of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck. Unable to save for a house, a medical emergency, or retirement. The American Dream is slipping further away for countless families, as wages fail to keep pace with the rising cost of living,” Mr. Chougule said.
“It’s time to take a stand. We need to oppose these destructive economic policies that are making life harder for all of us. Let’s demand real solutions that empower individuals and promote economic freedom, not more empty promises and government overreach,” he said.
A GOVERNOR’S UPDATE
Immigration challenges on the southern U.S. border continue.
“Governor Greg Abbott, the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Texas National Guard continue to work together to secure the border; stop the smuggling of drugs, weapons, and people into Texas; and prevent, detect, and interdict transnational criminal activity between ports of entry,” an advisory from Mr. Abbott’s office released earlier this week said.
“Since the launch of Operation Lone Star, the multi-agency effort has led to over 517,400 illegal immigrant apprehensions and more than 45,900 criminal arrests, with more than 39,800 felony charges,” the advisory said.
“In the fight against the fentanyl crisis, Texas law enforcement has seized over 518 million lethal doses of fentanyl, enough to kill every man, woman, and child in the United States and Mexico combined during this border mission,” it added.
“Operation Lone Star continues to fill the dangerous gaps created by the Biden-Harris administration’s refusal to secure the border. Every individual who is apprehended or arrested and every ounce of drugs seized would have otherwise made their way into communities across Texas and the nation due to President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris’ open border policies,” the advisory said.
MEANWHILE AT THE BORDER
A round of applause, please, for U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Here’s one of four reports released Wednesday alone by the federal agency’s Office of Field Operations:
“Officers at Del Rio Port of Entry seized more than $653,000 in cocaine, brown heroin and black tar heroin in a single enforcement action,” the report said.
“This significant seizure of mixed hard narcotics underscores not only the seriousness of the drug threat our officers face every day but also illustrates the effectiveness of our border security efforts employed at the port,” said Liliana Flores, Del Rio Port of Entry director, in a statement.
“The seizure occurred on Aug. 12 at Del Rio International Bridge when a CBP officer referred a Ford pickup hauling another pickup on a utility trailer driven by a male 24-year-old U.S. citizen for secondary inspection,” the report said.
“CBP officers conducted a secondary examination of the vehicle that included utilization of a non-intrusive inspection system and CBP canines. Upon closer physical examination, CBP officers discovered eight packages containing a total of nearly 21 pounds of alleged cocaine, three packages containing nearly eight pounds of alleged brown heroin and six packages containing a total of 13.5 pounds of alleged black-tar heroin hidden within the hauled vehicle. The narcotics had a combined estimated street value of $653,892,” the report said.
WEEKEND REAL ESTATE
For sale: Historic church, built on a half-acre lot on Main Street in 1856 in Westernville, New York. The “meticulously renovated, restored & rebuilt” building features open floor plan, three fireplaces, soaring timber-framed ceiling and original woodwork, plus antique etched-glass windows; 4,852 square feet. Five bedrooms, three baths plus “tranquil living space with panoramic view” in the former steeple; state-of-the-art custom kitchen. Priced at $474,900 through ColdwellBanker.com; enter S1529814 in the search function.
POLL DU JOUR
• 66% of registered U.S. voters say they are “extremely motivated” to vote in the 2024 presidential election; 78% of Democrats, 70% of Republicans and 53% of independents agree.
• 67% of men and 65% of women also agree.
• 14% overall say they are “very motivated” to vote; 13% of Democrats, 17% of Republicans and 14% of independents agree.
• 15% of men and 14% of women also agree.
• 12% overall say they are “somewhat motivated” to vote; 7% of Democrats, 6% of Republicans and 22% of independents agree.
• 12% of men and 13% of women also agree.
• 7% overall say they are “not motivated” to vote; 2% of Democrats, 7% of Republicans and 11% of independents agree.
• 6% of men and 7% of women also agree.
SOURCE: A Monmouth University poll of 801 registered U.S. voters conducted online and by phone Aug. 8-12
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• Jennifer Harper can be reached at jharper@washingtontimes.com.