- Amid swelling prices, most Americans see inflation as the biggest issue facing the country — far exceeding other concerns, according to a Pew Research survey.
- Some 70% say inflation is “a very big problem” for the country, followed by roughly 55% for health-care affordability and violent crime.
- While 84% of Republicans say inflation is the top issue, only 57% of Democrats were most concerned about rising prices.
Meanwhile, President Joe Biden also has faced blowback over continued inflation and plans to address the issue.
A Twitter exchange between Biden and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos began on Friday when the president tweeted: “You want to bring down inflation? Let’s make sure the wealthiest corporations pay their fair share.”
Quoting Biden’s tweet, Bezos responded: “Raising corp taxes is fine to discuss. Taming inflation is critical to discuss. Mushing them together is just misdirection.”
Bezos further criticized the White House’s strategy in a tweet on Sunday, saying the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan, signed into law last March, contributed to the spike in inflation. He also commented how the rising prices are hardest on poor families.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg responded to Bezos’ criticism of the administration’s inflation policy on Monday on CNBC’s “Squawk Box.”
“The president’s theory of the case when it comes to economics is probably never going to be wildly popular with billionaires for the simple reason that he is calling on them to pay their fair share,” he said.
“With the right kind of public investments, we can go after some of the things that we know are contributing to inflationary pressures,” Buttigieg added.
Source: Business - cnbc.com
