Watching Vice President Kamala Harris propose her “federal ban on corporate price gouging” in the food and grocery industry reminded me of an arsonist who stands next to a burning inferno, ignoring her own role in the conflagration. In an apparent effort by Harris to run on reform as a semi-incumbent, her proposal is more about deflecting blame from her role in causing high prices than offering up a realistic solution. The fact is that even if inflation (the rate at which prices go up) has gone down from its all-time high during the Biden-Harris administration, prices aren’t going down. In any inflationary cycle, prices tend to be “sticky,” often prolonging economic hardship for families. The damage has been done—and a simple leveling off of the inflation rate isn’t going to undo it. Because this is more than just inflation; the high prices Americans suffer today are the culmination of Harris’ multiple failed policies. What’s more, the core consumer price index—the measure on which the Democrats have leaned lately to claim inflation is down—doesn’t even include the costs that are really hitting families in the Biden-Harris economy: food and fuel. Let’s start with diesel. The retail price of a gallon of diesel fuel, which powers much of our economy (and more than a few cars and trucks used by families on an everyday basis), in January 2021 was $2.72. Now, three and a half years after Joe Biden and Kamala Harris took office, it’s about $3.73—an increase of 37%. True, the price of diesel is down a bit from last year’s $4.35. But it’s wrong to imply that families aren’t still feeling that shock—especially the spikes caused by the Biden-Harris administration’s bad policies. Those price spikes, by the way, are what’s behind runaway food prices because diesel fuel is required at every point in the farm-to-table process. Farm tractors need diesel; when it’s more expensive, so is the food. Livestock feed requires additional levels of diesel, because it’s an industrial process that must be completed before livestock can be fed. Grains must be harvested, transported, treated, and distributed to farmers. “If we purchase loose cattle cubes, we see only a 30% to 35% increase, but if we buy sack cubes, it’s almost doubled,” West Texas cattle rancher Ann Mitchell recently explained.  “When you’re looking at it from an agricultural standpoint, it takes a lot more to make the business work right now. And we don’t see a big change in sale prices for our cattle. That narrows our margins more and more.” It’s not price gouging; it’s the inevitable result of the Biden-Harris administration’s war on energy. The same is true of high prices for electricity. “Since January 2021, electricity prices have soared 29.4%—50% more than overall inflation — rising 13 times faster than the previous seven years, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics data,” the New York Post notes. “Meanwhile, in those seven years before Biden took office, electricity prices rose just 5%.” That applies to businesses, too. When the cost of electricity goes up, grocery stores pay more to keep our milk cold. When their costs go up, so do ours. Not only would Harris’ price controls fail to address the “root causes” of inflation (massive government spending through the Orwellian-sounding Inflation Reduction Act), it would make matters worse. The unintended consequences, as the New York Post points out, would include “black markets, hoarding, less competition … and higher inflation.” USA Today columnist Ingrid Jacques says: “Trump’s ‘Comrade Kamala’ insult is a bit much, but price controls really are an awful idea.” Americans aren’t going to be gaslit on this; we know our budgets and bank accounts haven’t recovered from the ham-fisted economic policies of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. The Democrats who are trying on a populist persona are a day late—and a dollar short. We publish a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of The Daily Signal. The post Harris’ Politics Drive High Food Prices From Farm to Table appeared first on The Daily Signal.

CENTER SQUARE—The U.S. Department of Defense is under scrutiny for refusing to release records about exactly how spending on diversity, equity, and inclusion helps with national security. The Center to Advance Security in America in May filed with the Defense Department a Freedom of Information Act Request, the legal pathway to obtain government documents. The FOIA sought to find out what Pentagon officials estimate is the real impact on national security of DEI spending, for which Congress approved $86.5 million in fiscal year 2023. However, James Fitzpatrick, an Army veteran who leads CASA, told The Center Square that the Defense Department has confirmed it received the FOIA request, but still has not released any documents more than 100 days later. “The Department of Defense has stated that diversity, equity, and inclusion is the American military’s greatest strength, but has rarely detailed how,” reads the FOIA, which was obtained by The Center Square. “Given the recent hiring freeze on DEI-related positions, it must follow that national security has been affected in some way. The information obtained is necessary to evaluate the impact of DEI initiatives and financing on prioritizing efforts to advance national security.” The FOIA request specifically asks for documentation about how the Pentagon estimates a recent hiring freeze on DEI hires will actually impact national security. The Defense Department regularly estimates readiness and national security impacts, especially in its funding requests to Congress for various kinds of equipment, programs, and more. The most recent National Defense Authorization Act ordered a hiring freeze on new DEI positions while the Government Accountability Office reviews that spending. CASA filed suit against the Defense Department on Wednesday, a lawsuit that was exclusively obtained by The Center Square. “If diversity, equity and inclusion are truly the military’s greatest strengths, or there have been times where they have said it is critical to the success of the military, then if the [Defense Department] is imposing a DEI hiring freeze … then there must be a corresponding lack of national security that goes along with it, if their position is spending more on DEI means military gets better and stronger,” Fitzpatrick told The Center Square. Defense Department officials and documents repeatedly emphasize the importance of diversity in defending the nation. Under FOIA law, federal agencies are generally required to provide documents within about three weeks. The Pentagon has staff dedicated to handling these requests. “They are legally required to produce records,” Fitzpatrick said. “They haven’t. They are well over the friendly threshold to provide records, and really, they just need to engage in a conversation. By this point, they very well should have reached out and said they’ve started the search.” Pentagon spending on DEI has become increasingly common and controversial in recent years. DEI spending includes well-paid DEI hires, training programs on gender pronouns and so-called white privilege for troops, and efforts to recruit nonwhite Americans for certain roles. The Defense Department’s fiscal year 2022-2023 “Department of Defense Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Strategic Plan” typifies the kind of language federal officials use about the necessity of diversity spending. The undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness began the report with a message, saying that “leveraging this strategic diversity and expanding access to attract, retain, and advance the best talent our nation has to offer are the only way [the Defense Department] will be able to outthink, outmaneuver, and outfight any adversary or threat.” DEPARTMENT-OF-DEFENSE-DIVERSITY-EQUITY-INCLUSION-AND-ACCESSIBILITY-STRATEGIC-PLANDownload “The 2022 National Defense Strategy highlights that for [the Defense Department] to maintain the Joint Force’s military advantage globally and prevent attacks against our homeland, we must build a resilient force by developing and combining our strengths to maximum effect and investing in our people,” he continued. “Advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) across the Department is not about checking a box; it’s about obtaining the critical skills and experience to build the Total Force necessary to secure our nation for years to come.” The Pentagon did not respond to a request for comment in time for publication. Originally published by The Center Square The post Pentagon Withholding Docs on Whether DEI Hiring Improves National Security, Veteran Says appeared first on The Daily Signal.

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