Representative Bryan Steil from the great state of Wisconsin joins the podcast to discuss the number one concern Americans have — inflation. We cover the policies responsible and what can be done about the increase in prices now out-pacing wages. We also consider whether relief is on the way or if high costs are here to stay.

First elected in 2018, Congressman Bryan Steil represents Wisconsin’s First Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. As a member of the House Financial Services Committee, Bryan is focused on making the American Dream achievable for everyone. Prior to being elected to Congress, Bryan spent a decade working in Wisconsin’s manufacturing industry — first with an industrial motion control manufacturer in Beloit, WI, and later at a local plastics manufacturer in Milton, WI. In the private sector, he saw firsthand how burdensome federal regulations and red tape can hinder economic growth and job creation in Wisconsin. He also learned the importance of fighting for common-sense solutions.


TRANSCRIPT

Beverly Hallberg:

Welcome to She Thinks, a podcast where you’re allowed to think for yourself. I’m your host, Beverly Hallberg, and on today’s episode, we’re honored to have on Representative Bryan Steil from the great state of Wisconsin, who joins us to discuss the number one concern Americans have, which is inflation. We’ll cover the policies responsible and what can be done about the increase in prices that are now outpacing wages. We’ll also consider whether relief is on the way, or if high costs are here to stay.

Congressman Bryan Steil represents Wisconsin’s 1st Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. As a member of the House Financial Services Committee, Bryan is focused on making the American Dream achievable for everyone. Prior to be elected in Congress, Bryan spent a decade working in Wisconsin’s manufacturing industry, first with an industrial motion control manufacturer in Beloit, Wisconsin, and later at a local plastics manufacturer in Milton, Wisconsin. It’s always a pleasure to have on those who understand private industry on our program. Congressman, thank you so much for joining She Thinks.

Rep. Bryan Steil:

Beverly, thanks for having me on.

Beverly Hallberg:

And so we’re going to get into that topic called “inflation.” We’ve heard inflation described in many ways in the past few months, first saying it doesn’t exist, then saying it is transitory, then maybe the Democrats came around to say, “Maybe this is a little bit of a problem.” Well, it’s a big problem. According to a recent poll, inflation does top COVID as the number one concern in the country, and so I’m curious, as you are in your district, you talk to your constituents. What are they saying about the cost of goods?

Rep. Bryan Steil:

Beverly, I can’t go to the grocery store, I can’t go to the gas station without people coming up and sharing their frustration with the rising costs that are clobbering Americans in the pocketbooks every day. One of the big drivers of this is the out-of-control spending that we’re seeing in Washington, D.C. We continue to see money being spent here in Washington at exorbitant levels. At the same time, the Federal Reserve’s pumping all of this cash into our economy. The balance sheet at the Fed is increased by $4 trillion. In the end, it actually punishes hardworking families. Wages aren’t keeping up with inflation. Inflation impacts everybody a little bit differently, and so in particular, what we’re seeing is seniors on fixed income and low-income workers getting disproportionately, really hit in the face here and hit in the pocketbook by inflation.

Beverly Hallberg:

That inflation number, it looks like it’s about 7% on most items. Whether we’re at the grocery store or we’re at the gas pump, we’re seeing those prices go up. When you talk about low-income Americans, whether they’re elderly or whether they’re younger Americans, low income, just trying to make things work for them, what are you hearing from them? Are people having to decide whether or not they can buy gas versus buy food? How are people actually making do during this time?

Rep. Bryan Steil:

Well, a couple of things are playing out. One is people are making decisions as to what to buy, exactly what you’re talking about. People are going into the grocery store where maybe before they used to buy chicken. Now, they’re finding themselves skipping on some of the meat in their meal, and so they’re making alternative purchases that has a real impact on quality of life. Sometimes it’s food, but also, it’s what car you’re going to be able to buy, as car prices have gone up. Maybe you’re downsizing and getting a smaller car. If you’re from a state like I am in Wisconsin, you want a little bit of a heavier car to drive in the winter, if you can, and so people are having real impacts on this.

The other piece of the puzzle, I think, that’s really playing out on this is people are just getting clobbered, and it’s not keeping up with wages. If you didn’t see a 7% wage increase, but the cost of everything you buy went up by 7%, effectively, you’ve been hit in the pocketbook with a federal tax, and the functions we’ve seen for the past year is people really having a 2% tax cut in effect, as wages aren’t keeping up with inflation. It’s been a real problem.

Beverly Hallberg:

Well, I think it’s always interesting when we have new data coming out, whether it is a jobs report that comes out the first Friday of every month and you see that the Democrats or the Biden administration like to cherry-pick the data, Republicans do that as well, but they’ve been talking about wages, saying, “Wages are on the increase. We’ve had such wonderful increase in wages.” But the reality is, as you were saying, if inflation is what it is, then wages can’t keep up.

The other side that I have been seeing — this is where I live in the state of South Carolina — no matter what fast food place I pass, there are these incentives on their signs saying, “We will give you up to $40,000 a year if you come in,” or “We’ll give you a signing bonus. Minimum wage is now $12 an hour.” It seems that even as wages go up, it’s not incentivizing everybody to get back to work.

Rep. Bryan Steil:

Yeah, we’ve seen this administration continue to disincentivize workers to get back to work. Far too many Americans are on the sidelines. What we have seen, I think quite continuously, is the fact that Biden has been putting forward policies that do not discourage workers to return to work. We’ve seen so many of the social policies being put forward, discouraging work and not tying government payments to work. There’s a real dignity in work and taking that away from people is dangerous in the long-term, as the longer people are out of the labor market, the harder it is for people to return.

Beverly Hallberg:

I think the question that so many people have is, is inflation here to stay? Is this what we can expect for the foreseeable future? What is your read on that? What do you tell Americans on how they should prepare?

Rep. Bryan Steil:

Yeah, I’m pretty concerned that we’re going to see inflationary pressures for some time to come. The reason for that is Congress has allocated but not spent trillions of dollars throughout the course of this pandemic, and so although Congress has approved the spending, that money’s not yet out the door, and so we still have billions and billions of dollars that are going to flow through the economy in the months ahead.

At the same time, the Federal Reserve increase their balance sheet by $4 trillion in the last two years, $100 billion in the last two months, and we haven’t seen that begin to slow and taper. My concern is there’s going to be real pain as we start to that really rip the Band-Aid off of these bad COVID-era policies and work to get our way to life back and so I’m concerned that inflation’s going to continue down the path that we’re seeing for some time to come.

Beverly Hallberg:

Something that the president and Democrats are still trying to push forward with it is some type of version of the Build Back Better plan or agenda. If that type of package is passed, will that provide relief for families, or actually worsen inflation?

Rep. Bryan Steil:

It won’t provide relief for families in the way that it’s being advertised. We could dive into the details. Take, for example, childcare. It’s a huge problem for so many families across this country. It’s incredibly expensive. It’s very difficult to obtain. In Build Back Better, what the president’s plan does, is it does provide free childcare for some individuals, but it actually restricts the supply. It puts all these federal government mandates, and in particular, it goes after providers that have religious affiliations, and in the end, it’s going to drive the cost of childcare up. There’s some estimates that show it’ll almost double the cost of childcare, taking it from roughly 16,000 a year to $29,000 a year, putting it beyond the reach of hardworking families.

The advertising on this bill is that it’s going to give you things for free, but I think we all know when something sounds too good to be true, it probably is, and when you look under the cover at the text of the bill and how it actually operates, some people will get it for free, but average working Americans are actually going to foot the bill for this, not only in future higher taxes, but in the short-term, in higher cost for childcare, and it’s a real loss if this ever got through because Americans are going to be just continually punished in the pocketbook.

Beverly Hallberg:

What is your read, let’s say, on more moderate Democrats, voting Democrats, independents out there, who see that our debt is now at 30 trillion, and that breaks down to roughly $90,000 per American? When they see those numbers, do they think we need to spend more to help people who are struggling, or does the average American out there realize that nothing is free, and if the government continues to spend, that means more taxpayer money is going to be needed to deal with this debt?

Rep. Bryan Steil:

As costs continue to go up, I think more and more Americans are waking up and realizing that we need to address the runaway spending in Washington. As you noted correctly, the debt just crossed $30 trillion; $90,000 for every man, woman, and child in the United States of America. That has long-term implications. We need to turn the corner immediately. Economists will measure this in a debt-to-GDP ratio, meaning, how big is the loan that you got against how much money you’re making? That’s how you think about it if you’re a family; the government’s the same way. Our debt-to-GDP is over 100%. That’s entering into the danger zone. Now is a moment in time, as we come through the pandemic, we need to rip the Band-Aid off of our COVID-era policies, get our spending under control, and work to get our way of life back. As we get our spending under control, we will eventually really be able to limit these price increases that are just clobbering American families.

Beverly Hallberg:

One of the things I’ve wondered, just as time has gone on, we have seen the debt over the years continue to rise. We almost get to this place where even hearing a trillion doesn’t sound like that big of a deal. We’re almost desensitized to thinking about trillions being added to the debt. Now, we’ve heard the concerns that you’ve mentioned here, which is we can’t keep doing this, but where is that tipping point where we get to the point of no return, that if we don’t stop spending now, we are going to see the dollar collapse, or the economy will take a major hit? What are you seeing from economists as being that tipping point?

Rep. Bryan Steil:

Well, economists always look at the spot that we’re at right now as being somewhere near the tipping point. You can hang out there for some period of time, but that’s not where you want to be, and so what we need to do is really dramatically work to get this under control before we ever actually go off an actual cliff. We have a moment in time right now where we can change course, where we can limit our spending, focus and target our spending to protect programs like Social Security and Medicare, programs that we’ve made promises to our seniors, but actually stop the new government spending that we’ve been seeing over these years. In the short term, while we haven’t seen the cliff that we’re all concerned about down the road, we do see the real-world consequences of the reckless spending in Washington being rising prices, which are just clobbering families day in and day out, as we discussed earlier.

Beverly Hallberg:

Well, something that I mentioned in your bio earlier is that you do have that private sector, entrepreneurial business side, and I know that you are focused on helping families, small business owners in your district, and you have a special focus also on struggling black and minority families moving forward. Do you find that communities of color feel like the American Dream is still for them?

Rep. Bryan Steil:

There is far too many Americans that feel like they’re not getting a fair shake, and that’s understandable. We put in so many roadblocks in this country for so many individuals. I take real specific focus on our education policies. I was recently at a black church in Racine, Wisconsin, in the congressional district I have the honor of being a voice for, and was speaking to a couple of moms and dads there about the importance of school choice, that the education of your child should not be dictated by the zip code that you live in, that you should have an opportunity to choose the school that’s best for your child.

I had a radio interview not that long ago and I was being pushed back by the host who was making counterarguments to school choice, and I said, “Wait a minute, there is school choice for some in this country right now. If you’re a family of means, you have the ability to move to a new zip code, move to a new school district. You have the opportunity to pay for private education. But if you’re a family that doesn’t have those means, you don’t have school choice,” and so my belief is that we should make sure all Americans have the opportunity to choose the school that’s best for their children.

What we have seen, I think, for too long, is many groups in our country feel like they don’t have a fair shake. In many situations, there’s policies that we could change to dramatically improve that. I think school choice is at the absolute forefront and made all the more aware is we have seen, during this pandemic, school districts making political decisions rather than decisions that’s in the best interest of their child. In particular, we’ve seen what schools are teaching. Moms and dads who had their children at home have a lot more insight into what’s being taught in our schools. We need to get control of our curriculum and make sure we’re teaching students how to learn, not teaching students what to learn. I think we also have to spend some time and really look and say, “How do we do this in a manner so that moms and dads have more control, more say in their school, and in particular, in the choice of where their children are going to school?”

Beverly Hallberg:

Do you feel that, in your state, that there is a willingness even among school board leaders to make some changes in education? Do you think, just like we’re seeing in the state of Virginia, the new governor there moving forward with certain executive orders that you’re seeing in your state as well, that there is enough of an uprising of parents who are demanding something different, that state officials are having to listen?

Rep. Bryan Steil:

Uniquely in the state of Wisconsin, the state of Wisconsin was one of the forerunners of school choice, and our previous governor, Tommy Thompson, he really kicked that into motion and was accelerated under our governor, Scott Walker, and so for many communities, we have the opportunity for school choice. In particular, in the city of Milwaukee, in the city of Racine, in my district, but it’s not as prevalent as I think it should be. I think we need to make sure that we’re expanding this and giving moms and dads more options to make sure that they’re getting the school that’s best for their child.

There is a lot of pushback on this. There’s always pushback whenever you’re trying to make change, but I do think when you talk to moms and dads out there, they agree with this, and they understand that the schools that their children are in, if they’re dictated by zip codes, aren’t always the best school for their child. Children are usually best served when their moms and dads are making the decision to say, “This school is the best school for my child, and that’s where I would like them to go,” and I think it’s critical that we provide that opportunity for all children, not just a selected field.

Beverly Hallberg:

I do think the Biden administration has been pretty tone-deaf on the issue of education, but also on the issue of crime. I want is talk just briefly about the crime in your area. Some recent numbers I saw is that policies have resulted in 25 murders and three officers getting shot in Milwaukee, in just January alone. So crime is going up everywhere, yet even the White House press secretary, Jen Psaki, talked about soft-on-crime policies, questioning those. It doesn’t seem that this administration is taking crime seriously. What are you hearing from your constituents? Are they concerned about crime?

Rep. Bryan Steil:

Yeah, I hear time and again about the impact that crime is having on families all across this country, and crime is out of control. In particular, in some of our biggest cities, you rattled off some statistics about Milwaukee, but we also have those same challenges in Chicago and big cities across this country; and we have seen soft-on-crime policies have a real negative impact on the quality of living across our country; and so I think it’s a moment and a time of reflection of the importance of standing with local law enforcement, about enforcing the rule of law, and about making sure communities are safe for everyone. I think that is just absolutely essential, that we really turn the tide of the anti-police rhetoric we saw pervade across the country over a year ago now, and really come back to the core tenant that we need to support our men and women of law enforcement who are lacing up their boots, putting the badge over their heart, walking out the door to serve and protect our community, and they need to know that we have their back.

Beverly Hallberg:

Just final question for you: I think as people hear about the wide variety of problems that are happening in this country, that they’re personal[ly] experiencing, they may be asking themselves if the best days are still to come. Do you have an optimistic message for people based on what you see in Washington, D.C., people working together to try to make better changes?

Rep. Bryan Steil:

Yeah, there’s days where I’m getting on the plane and coming out to Washington, D.C., and I think to myself, “What am I doing? I feel like I’m pounding my head into a brick wall,” and sometimes I reflect back at the very beginning of the pandemic before everybody understood what was going on. You remember the days people were wearing Saran Wrap, people didn’t know what to do. I was flying out to Washington, D.C., and I came into the Milwaukee airport and there’s nobody there. I mean, you could have shot a cannon through the airport and it wouldn’t have hit anybody.

I came up the stairs and I’m heading over to my gate and in front of me are about four or five people standing there holding signs, but facing the other way, and I said, “I got to figure out what these people are doing,” and so I went up and said “hello,” and I said, “How do you all know each other?” They said, “We don’t,” and so I thought, ‘Well, this is really strange now.’ “So what are you here for?” I’m looking at their signs, and they said, “Well, respectively, our sons and daughters just finished basic training for the United States Army, and they’re coming home.” I thought, “Holy cow. Can I wait with you and say hello and thank them?” They said, “Sure.” A few minutes later, their sons and daughters got off the flight, and again, there’s nobody in this whole airport, and they come walking out, embrace their mom and dad. I got a chance to say, “Thanks for joining and thanks for your service.”

But I reflect back on those young men and women and why they joined the military in the first place, the United States Army. It’s when I talk to these young men and women, it’s not because our best days were behind us, it’s not because we were a great country. It’s not because we had freedoms and liberties. These young men and women who joined the United States Army or the United States military to serve and protect our country are joining because they know we live in the greatest country in the world and they want to protect our country for the years in front of us. They want to protect so that their children have the freedoms and opportunities that we have; and they know and they believe that we have the greatest country of the world, and we will continue to, and our best days are ahead.

The days that I get pretty frustrated with what’s going on in Washington and the dysfunction and all the challenges that we face, sometimes I reflect back at that moment of meeting those young men and women who had just finished basic training in the midst of this pandemic, in a reflection that I know and I am convinced that our best days truly are ahead.

Beverly Hallberg:

So many people in this country are fighting for freedom, including you. We appreciate all the work that you do, and we thank you so much for joining us on She Thinks. Congressman Bryan Steil from the state of Wisconsin, thank you for joining us today.

Rep. Bryan Steil:

Thanks for having me on.

Beverly Hallberg:

Thank you all for joining us. We hope you take away something new from today’s conversation. And if you enjoyed this episode of She Thinks, join other like-minded women and men for more great conversations on our members-only platform, Independent Women’s Network. Members enjoy exclusive content, resources, messaging workshops, and more. All you have to do is enter “SheThinks” at checkout for 20% off your membership. From all of us at IWF, thanks for watching, and see you on the Network.