Announcements by the Republican National Committee of Congress are part of a six-figure campaign that seeks to link the rage for inflation to the Democrats’ bold political agenda.
The back-to-school announcements, first reported by Axios, were aimed at 15 vulnerable Democrats, including New Jersey Rep. Tom Malinowski, California Rep. Josh Harder, and Pennsylvania Rep. Matt Cartwright. The ads call for rising prices for shoes, electronics and clothing.
“The reckless economic policies of Democrats have led to a massive rise in prices, and parents across the country are feeling the sting as they send their children to school,” said Tom Emmers, president of the NRCC.
NRCC spokesman Michael McAdams told CNN that the cost of the back-to-school advertising campaign is in the middle of the five figures.
“Voters know Democrats caused an inflation crisis and we will continue to hold them accountable,” Emmers said in the statement.
It is true that inflation is here. US consumer prices rose 5.4% during the twelve months ended July. This coincided with June, the fastest annual consumer inflation since 2008.
However, as CNN previously reported, it is misleading to suggest that Covid-19 stimulus packages are the only reason for the price increase. And earlier this year, many Republicans supported Trump-era stimulus packages aimed at reviving the pandemic economy.
The reality is that rising prices also reflect the nature of the crisis: a sudden shutdown of the economy followed by a rapid reopening. Not surprisingly, supply is struggling to catch up with rising demand.
At the same time, the Federal Reserve has kept interest rates at minimum levels and pushed for an aggressive stimulus even though prices have risen rapidly.
The Fed and the White House, as well as many economists, argue that inflation will cool as the economy continues to reopen.
– Phil Mattingly of CNN contributed to this report
