Peach Tree Times

Despite the ongoing issue of inflation and a steadily declining gross domestic product (GDP), U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-GA) is apparently supportive of more government spending and measures.

Currently, inflation is at the highest rate it has been in more than 40 years, a problem that many attribute to increased and reckless government spending. The White House claims the country is not in a recession or pre-recession, but key indicators are starting to say otherwise.

Recently, Warnock voiced his support for a microchip manufacturing bill that would provide $50 billion in government funding to support the manufacture of microchips amidst the shortage that is heavily affecting the economy.

"Glad we got the CHIPS Act across the finish line!" Warnock said in a recent tweet. "This bipartisan bill will create and support good-paying jobs and drive down costs right here in Georgia. This is an investment in the future of Georgia's economy, and I'm so proud we got it done."

The bill comes at a time when many are worried about the state of the U.S. GDP. In the first quarter of 2022, the GDP declined 1.6%; in the last three months, it has dropped another 0.9%, starting to form a trend of shrinkage.

But the White House has resisted any sentiment that the country is in a recession.

"When you're creating almost 400,000 jobs a month, that is not a recession," Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said on NBC's "Meet the Press," quoted by NPR.

U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) recently announced a deal with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) on a bill that includes $430 billion in new spending on energy, electric vehicle credits and health insurance; a Reuters report said. Additional proposed spending comes from the Senate, which just passed a bill known as the CHIPS-plus or Chips and Science Act, which includes more than $52 billion for U.S. companies producing computer chips. The legislation was also recently passed by the House, meaning President Joe Biden is the next to sign it into law.

In 2021, Biden proposed a budget totaling more than $6 trillion, prompting the New York Times to report that the bill "would take the United States to its highest sustained levels of federal spending since World War II."

In April, the Washington Post reported the Biden administration launched a $6 billion program that would bail out operators of nuclear power plants in economic distress. The Energy Department said the spending was part of the administration's strategy to fight climate change.

Voters have grown impatient as inflation continues and government spending appears to show no signs of slowing down.