[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 66 (Tuesday, April 16, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Page S2759]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                               Inflation

  Mr. President, now on one final matter, last week, cumulative 
inflation since President Biden took office hit 19.4 percent. Since 
January of 2021, gas prices are up 47.8 percent. Car repair costs have 
increased 6.7 percent. In barely 2 years, car insurance premiums have 
increased--listen to this--45.8 percent.
  Americans know that stable prices and basic safety shouldn't be much 
to expect from their new leaders. As one woman recently told reporters, 
``What can you do? You need insurance. You can't have a vehicle or a 
house without them. So you have to . . . figure out where you can cut 
other things to make sure you can drive around.''
  Of course, the soaring cost of insuring a car has a lot to do with 
the dangers of driving one in blue cities across America where soft-on-
crime policies let violent offenders run free. Today, drivers are more 
likely than ever to become victims of crime, as 2023 saw rates of car 
theft tick up by 29 percent in 34 cities across the country--more than 
double since 2019. And 2023 was also the second year in a row that car 
thefts surpassed 1 million in the United States.
  Here in Washington, local residents and Members of Congress alike 
have fallen victim to an unchecked surge of carjackings. And the city's 
response? Hand out free tracking devices.
  Millions of Americans are waiting eagerly for this fever of 
incoherent policy to break. They are recalling woke prosecutors, and I 
suspect they plan to fire many more of their local, State, and national 
leaders this fall. Bidenomics isn't working, and neither is soft-on-
crime radicalism.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Padilla). Without objection, it is so 
ordered.