Rep. Rick Crawford to Newsmax: Piles of Cash Won't Cure Supply Chain Woes

The answer to solving America's supply chain issues does not lie in throwing more money at the issue but in employing policy that can help to find solutions, Rep. Rick Crawford, R-Ark., told Newsmax on Wednesday.

''You can only stack storage containers so high before you run out of room,'' Crawford told ''American Agenda.'' ''They're going to have to start thinking about the labor issues.''

For example, he said, the trucking industry has an 80,000 driver deficit, and rail transportation is at over 120% capacity.

''What are we doing to address those things that can be addressed through policy?'' Crawford said.

He also slammed President Joe Biden for his comments concerning rising energy prices, ''when he's the guy that pulled the plug on the Keystone XL Pipeline and has made every effort to increase energy costs.''

Winter is approaching, and the price of heating oil will be crippling to many, particularly in the Northeast, where households rely primarily on heating oil for their needs.

''This president and his administration have done nothing but exacerbate the problem of energy costs, and they're not doing anything to address it,'' Crawford said.

Meanwhile, too much money is being sought with the infrastructure bill that Biden has yet to sign when targeted projects would be the best solution for most communities.

''I still think that we don't need to spend over $1 trillion on infrastructure when we spend it wisely and appropriately in a more targeted manner,'' Crawford said. ''Let's spend it wisely and appropriately. Let's not forget that this is a finite resource that was provided by the American people.''

The lawmaker also noted the supply chain crisis has been made even worse by the fact there is ''very little talk'' about other factors, including vaccine mandates.

''There's considerable push back across the country, and I think you need to get out of the Washington bubble to fully realize that,'' he said. ''It's not that people are necessarily against vaccines, but they don't like the mandates.''

There is also nothing being done about China, Crawford added, calling it the ''root problem of supply chain issues.''

''They are not only responsible for the pandemic, but they're also responsible for a lot of the supply chain issues because much of our manufacturing originates in China, and so those problems emanate from China, and there's been very little said about that,'' Crawford said.

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