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To answer why inflation is increasing and combat the high cost of gas in 2022, AFP's True Cost of Washington Tour has been inviting lawmakers to join them at rollback events where staff and volunteers cut the price of gas and groceries for constituents.

Here’s what policymakers are saying about AFP’s True Cost of Washington Tour

Jul 26, 2022 by AFP

True Cost of Washington Tour logo that reads, "Pay More, Get Less" - a reference to Washington's failed policies that are driving inflation, gas prices, and the high cost of living in 2022.

As summer temperatures have spiked, so has U.S. inflation.

To give Americans some relief from rising prices, Americans for Prosperity activists have traveled the country rolling back the cost of a gallon of gas to the price it was when President Joe Biden took office.

“[It] was great to feel a bit of nostalgia after Biden’s policies caused a bump at the pump,” Representative Bill Johnson said after joining AFP in Poland, Ohio, to roll back gas prices to $2.38 per gallon for customers.

The True Cost of Washington Tour has generated a significant amount of media attention and support from state and federal policymakers who are eager to enact new energy policy solutions that will help their constituents make ends meet.

Below is a sample of what these leaders have said about the tour.

At a House hearing, congressman mentions AFP’s efforts, confronts Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen about inflation

“The top two biggest issues are gas and groceries. That’s what everybody talks about. It transcends everything. And you look at what inflation has done and it’s really a tax on the American people. The people that make the least are the ones that are most affected by it.

Two weeks ago at a gas station in Peoria, Ill. in my district … we lowered the price of gas with an organization, Americans for Prosperity, to $2.38. … For two hours, we literally had people lined up for miles.

I talked to a lot of those folks. Single moms. Working families. Low-income folks that were filling up with gas and just extremely frustrated. … People that are fearful of what’s going on in the economy.”

– Representative Darin LaHood (R-Illinois)

Rising cost of gas over time is Americans’ top concern

We need a return to lower prices

“The long line of cars speaks for itself. Hoosiers are desperate for a return to pre-Biden policies… Enough is enough!”

– Representative Jim Banks (R-Indiana)

Unleash energy abundance instead of attacking it

“The folks in Whitehall and the folks in Springfield have the same concerns. They’re wondering why the Biden administration just doesn’t approve the Keystone Pipeline so we can lower energy prices. They wonder why JB Pritzker and Democrats in Washington continue to attack American energy exploration.”

– Representative Rodney Davis (R-Illinois)

The #1 question: Why are gas prices so high?

“Thanks to AFP for putting this on and showing the country why we need to reduce our gas prices. It’s the number one issue I hear when I come back to Peoria: why are gas prices so high?”

– Representative Darin LaHood (R-Illinois)

The consequences of reckless government spending

“The results of the Biden administration’s policies have led gas from that $2.38 per gallon … to $4.89. That’s more than double, and that is being felt by West Michiganders. That’s being felt by everybody who has to commute to work…

This is what happens when you have excessive government spending that’s driving inflation and overt hostility to American energy production.”

– Representative Peter Meijer (R-Michigan)

The policies that could bring down rising gas prices

‘It’s all about policy’

“What a blessing to my community. Let’s not forget it was just a year and a half ago that Joe Biden declared war on the energy of this country… Joe Biden is trying to blame everybody under the sun but it’s all about policy.

– Representative Jackie Walorski (R-Indiana)

Use our own resources

“What we can do is listen to AFP…we understand that America is too great to diminish the abilities we have, the resources we can use, and the future that ought to be brighter than the last one.

When you have good policy based upon the resilience of America, based upon all of the resources we have that we’re wasting by leaving them in the ground…life could be good and sweet.”

– Representative Tim Walberg (R-Michigan)

We’re spending too much money.

“Number one, we’re spending far too much money. That’s inflationary and causes everything to go up.

Number two, we absolutely need to once again be energy independent. There’s no reason we need to be buying gasoline from Russia, the Middle East, Africa, etc. if we can do it right here in America.”

– Representative Steve Chabot (R-Ohio)

Continue to help families

“The best thing that we can do is make Democrats approve permits for American energy exploration, approve the Keystone Pipeline, and ensure that we continue to help families who only care about getting prices back to that price [$2.38 a gallon].”

– Representative Rodney Davis (R-Illinois)

Cut reckless spending and unleash energy abundance

“Cut reckless spending that’s been driving inflation. Approve and support American domestic energy production. And focus on recognizing reality, not living heads in the clouds … but recognizing the impact that these negative policies are having on older folks.”

– Representative Peter Meijer (R-Michigan)

Rep. Peter Meijer joined AFP-Michigan at its True Cost of Washington event this summer to help provide relief from rising inflation and the high cost of gas in 2022.

Grand Rapids, Michigan – June 30: Rep. Peter Meijer joined AFP-Michigan state director Annie Patnaude and AFP volunteers at their True Cost of Washington event. Rep. Meijer shared what he thinks is causing inflation to increase and what solutions we have on hand to lower gas prices.

The high cost of gas in 2022 didn’t have to be this way

“It doesn’t need to be this way. … We have 200 years of oil left in this country. We ought to be producing energy here in an independent way. … We have to get back to energy independence. … We ought to open up production in a safe, environmentally-productive way. We can do that, but we need good policy, and we haven’t had that with the Biden administration.”

– Representative Darin LaHood (R-Illinois)

Make sure life is not unaffordable

“We need to be focusing on American energy independence. We need to be focusing on making sure we can build what we need to build, and we need to make sure that life is not unaffordable. We need to make sure we’re doing what we can to control costs.”

– Representative Peter Meijer (R-Michigan)

Three things we can do right now to curb inflation and high gas prices

“So the first thing the Biden administration could do, is stop the war on American energy. Let us explore our energy resources. I’d much rather sell energy to our friends than buy it from to our enemies.

The second thing he can do is stop the runaway spending. He’s proposed increasing the EPA’s budget by 29%. The Department of Interior by 24%. They’ve spent trillions of dollars in deficit spending. Stop that and that would start helping inflation as well.

And then finally cut the red tape. … The Biden administration has done 35% more regulatory actions than the Trump administration over the same timeframe. And that also adds to the cost of inflation because the cost of regulatory compliance is huge, about $2 trillion a year.”

– Governor Pete Ricketts (R-Nebraska)

Inflation: It’s the “true cost of government”

Don’t make things worse for small businesses

“The last thing we ought to be doing is raising taxes. It’ll make the economy even worse, it’ll kill people’s jobs, particularly small businesses who can’t afford this…small businesses are the backbone of the American economy. Don’t over-tax them, don’t over-regulate them, let them do what they do best.”

– Representative Steve Chabot (R-Ohio)

It doesn’t have to be this way

“A big shout out for Americans for Prosperity. This is such an important event to point out what’s happening”

What we’re seeing is people lining up for hours, and they’re mad. They’re mad because they’re having to make decisions between gas and food…the sad thing is it doesn’t need to be this way. We’re off track with our energy policy

The same people who are [paying] $5 a gallon on gas are trying to get mortgages on homes, the rates are almost double what they were a couple years ago, they’re trying to buy groceries, they’re trying to buy baby formula. It doesn’t have to be this way.

– Representative John Curtis (R-Utah)

We could be doing more to combat the high cost of gas

“I sit on the Energy and Commerce Committee. We could be doing more in this country to make sure this [rising cost of gas over time] doesn’t happen.

He [President Biden] killed the Keystone XL on his first day in office, 830,000 barrels. He’s killing leases on federal lands and offshore…

And then of course right here in Ohio, we’ve got Michigan with the governor up there wanting to kill Line 5, which is a huge amount of product that comes into Ohio every day.”

– Representative Bob Latta (R-Ohio)

This is the true cost of Washington

“This administration, from the get go — well, even on the campaign trail — they talked about wanting to end fossil fuel production.

The first day in office, he shut down authorizations for pipelines and just took not only an incredibly hostile approach to American energy production and the abundance of energy we have domestically, but he also ushered in massive stimulus spending packages that have led to the inflation that’s driving up costs as well.

So there are many different factors behind it, but frankly right here this is the true cost of government.”

– Representative Peter Meijer (R-Michigan)

What not to do if you’re looking to unleash energy abundance

“The first thing he [President Joe Biden] did was cancel the Keystone Pipeline. And then he tried to cancel the leases on federal lands. And, in fact, he still after a year and half, has not had a successful lease on federal land for energy exploration.”

– Governor Pete Ricketts (R-Nebraska)

Landing page for AFP's True Cost of Washington Tour to lower the cost of gas in 2022 and connect people to how Washington's failed policies are causing inflation and high grocery bills. Join the True Cost of Washington Tour today.

Learn more about the True Cost of Washington Tour to see how you can help lower the cost of living in America. 

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