Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., on Thursday issued a statement warning that inflation "can no longer be ignored" after the Labor Department said consumer prices increased 7.5% last month, the highest rate since February 1982.
"This inflation is real," Manchin said in remarks to reporters at the Capitol on Thursday, according to Fox News.
"It's harming people. It's 7.5%. That's a tax, and it continues to increase. It's not decreasing. So the feds have to step up to the plate and do something. The administration has to.
"We all have to work together right now to get our financial house in order. If not, it's going to be absolutely horrible what it's going to do to the American economy."
Manchin sent a statement to The Hill that same day by email saying that inflation is "draining the hard-earned wages of every American" and "causing real and severe economic pain that can no longer be ignored."
He went on to say, "it’s beyond time for the Federal Reserve to tackle this issue head-on, and Congress and the administration must proceed with caution before adding more fuel to an economy already on fire."
The senator also said that "the threat of inflation is real," and to "get serious about the finances of our country."
"It’s time we start acting like stewards of our economy and the money the American people entrust their government with. Now, more than ever, we must remember it is not our money, it’s the American people’s money. It is not our economy, it’s their economy," Manchin continued.
"We all have a [responsibility] to do all that is possible to roll back inflation and manage our debts because the longer we or the Federal Reserve waits to act, the more economic pain will be caused," he wrote.
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.