On the campaign trail, Joe Biden promised to “shut down the virus” and promote “prosperity for all Americans.” Over a year later, he has done neither. COVID cases are surging, real wages are falling, and prices are skyrocketing, all but confirming the worst fears of many conservatives that Biden would be one of the most destructive presidents ever.
The January jobs report just released by the Labor Department shows that Biden’s economy is still leaving too many Americans behind. There are nearly 11 million job openings that businesses are struggling to fill – a near record high – even though there are 6.5 million unemployed Americans trying to find a job. Month after month, this has been the case: businesses are struggling to hire, Americans are eager to work, and somehow, in between, there’s a failure to connect.
Biden and his economic team have already tried to blame poor jobs numbers on the “virus.” This, of course, is the same “virus” Biden vowed to shut down. But we all know Biden’s blame game is a farce. He has spent his presidency ignoring science, pushing forced vaccinations, and pushing trillions in wasteful spending. Back in February, for example – almost exactly a year ago – the Congressional Budget Office projected 6.2 million jobs would be created without Biden’s $1.9 trillion “stimulus” package. Biden’s White House called the CBO projection “dire.” Economists warned against it, saying it would fuel inflation. But after spending nearly $2 trillion, the economy actually saw 335,00 fewer jobs created in 2021 than what Biden promised, and inflation is at a four decade high. To top it off, if it weren’t for the Supreme Court striking down Biden’s forced vaccine mandate, countless more American workers would have lost their jobs. If January’s jobs report is any indication, the new year is off to a terrible start.
Simply put, Americans are tired of Biden and his failed policies. According to a recent ABC poll, 75 percent of Americans say the economy is not good or poor, and only 1 percent think the economy is “excellent.” Forty-five percent of small business owners report that their staffing shortage is the same as it was three months ago. Almost two-thirds of business owners say the recent surge in COVID cases has negatively affected their business. And, contrary to Biden’s promise to fix the ongoing supply chain crisis he helped fuel by paying Americans not to work, 64 percent of small businesses cite it as one reason they had to raise prices.
At home, families are struggling to get by and workers just aren’t seeing that “prosperity” Biden promised, with high prices eating up any wage gains. This doesn’t come as a surprise. After December’s terrible jobs report, Biden said that he has taken a “fundamentally new approach” to the economy since day one. Last week, he said he would “stay on this track,” referring to his far-left socialist Build Back Broke agenda that even liberal economists warn would lead to higher inflation and make life harder for middle-class and poor Americans.
Americans are right to wonder if there is any end in sight. The good news is that Republican-led states have shown a better path forward. Through December, 16 of the top 20 states for jobs recovered since the pandemic began are led by Republican governors. Eight of the top ten hottest real estate markets are in red states. Business opportunities, of course, are also better in Republican-led states, with these making up nine of the top ten states for the best business tax climate.
President Ronald Reagan once wisely said: “Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.” Clearly, Biden has embraced this disastrous mantra of the far left at the expense of our families, economy, and businesses. Thankfully, with midterm elections just around the corner, Americans will make their voices heard at the polls and choose conservative leadership.