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President Joe Biden stood before Congress and the American people Tuesday night and told us the state of the union is “strong.” He cited efforts to curb inflation, noted the number of jobs recovered and pointed to the Hispanic unemployment rate, which hit a record low in September.
But the president didn’t share the whole story.
Despite low unemployment — which speaks more to the resilience of the Hispanic community than the success of the Biden administration — the past few years have been a rough ride. And the president’s agenda of higher taxes, increased spending, greater regulation and more mandates from Washington would make things worse, not better.
Here’s a real look at the state of the union for Hispanic Americans and an agenda for effective reform.
The COVID-19 pandemic and post-pandemic period delivered an economic shock we’re still contending with. Our community was hit hard by high inflation and felt the negative effects more than the average American — indeed, that gap widened. Looking at inflation since Biden took office, the situation is bleak. Regardless of recent declines, the inflation that’s already occurred will cost the average American household nearly $9,000 between October 2022 and October 2023.
In addition to paying higher costs, Hispanics are less likely to have seen a doctor or other health provider over the past year and less likely to receive preventive care.
