Sen. Mike Lee says continued federal COVID-19 aid is 'throwing gasoline on the fire' of inflation

Utah Sen. Mike Lee on Thursday lauded the state’s recent decision to stop paying higher jobless benefits, arguing that federal coronavirus relief dollars are now damaging the economy rather than helping it.

“With this latest round of government spending coming in right now, it’s kind of like throwing — not just water on an oil fire — but it’s a little bit like throwing gasoline on a fire,” the Republican senator said during an event hosted by the University of Utah’s Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute.

Dumping government money into the economy has sent inflation soaring and driven the cost of gasoline and food upwards, he contends. And the $300-a-week unemployment bonus, supported by federal funding, also has backfired by making it more profitable for people to stay home than re-enter the workforce, Lee continued.

He said he’s heard from employers across the state who can’t fill positions, including one Logan restaurant that can’t find people to work for $18 an hour in entry-level jobs.

Read more: https://www.sltrib.com/news/politics/2021/05/13/sen-mike-lee-says/
(Salt Lake Tribune)