Striking back at the “bad politicians” in the White House for the “unparalleled” supply-chain crisis, the largest GOP caucus on Capitol Hill is issuing a memo to its membership on messaging to call out President Joe Biden’s effort “to ruin Christmas.”
“Many are saying the current supply chain crisis is ‘unparalleled in American history,'” reads a Republican Study Committee (RSC) memo, obtained by The Hill. “How did we get here?
“Bad luck? Nope. Bad politicians,” the memo to be sent Thursday reads.
“The Biden administration caused it,” it continued. “And our job as Republicans is to explain to the American people what the grinches at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave did to ruin Christmas.”
Among the talking points outlined for Biden’s causing the supply-chain crisis:
- Biden’s economic policies, including billions in unemployment aid, have reduced availability of truckers and port workers.
- Biden’s Green New Deal agenda has caused shipping prices to skyrocket, oil production to plummet, and fueled massive inflation
- Biden’s “soft China policies” reopened supply-chain dependence on China again after Trump sought to reduce it.
“When the power goes out in China, Christmas is canceled in America,” according to the RSC memo.
The supply chain crisis will resonate with many Americans, particularly with regard to Christmas, and will be a useful campaign talking point for the 2022 midterms, when Republicans seek to overcome slight minorities in the House and Senate.
“It’s more than fair to say that Joe Biden has caused the current supply chain crisis,” the memo to House Republicans added. “It’s our job — even our duty — to explain to the American people who is at fault for the skyrocketing cost of living.”
Biden has moved the Port of Los Angeles to 24 hours a day service for the hundreds of cargo ships waiting in the Pacific off the coast of California, but even that move has critics noting there is little space to store the containers and too few trucks to haul the goods out of the port.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who took a paternity leave during the crisis, claims the $1.2 trillion infrastructure deal would help alleviate some backlogs, but Republicans note it was not necessary to fix the supply chain problems that have been created since Biden took office in January.
Experts expect, even if things suddenly and surprisingly pick up amid the worker shortages, the problems on shipping backlogs will last until next summer.
