On 8/5/2022, Fox News reporter Peter Doocy asked White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre why Joe Biden was bragging about gas prices. “Why is the President bragging today about gas prices?” Doccy queried. “Because it’s gone down,” KJP said. Doocy: “It’s still $1.72 higher than when he took office.“ KJP replied, “It has come down in a way that we have not seen…in over a decade.” Doocy asked, “It’s still over $4 a gallon though.
Jean-Pierre: Okay —
Reporter: Is that good?
Jean-Pierre: You want to talk to a nurse or a teacher or a firefighter if — if having that little bit of breathing room doesn’t matter to them?
Reporter: Are nurses and teachers and firefighters saying, “Gas prices are only $4.11…” —
Jean-Pierre: I’m saying that —
Reporter: — “…this is great”?
Jean-Pierre: I’m saying that that — that even that little bit of breathing room matters to families, especially during the summer when people are traveling, … And I think that does give a little — a little bit of space and breathing room for families. And it’s important.
Reporter: Thanks, Karine. Why do you think people are continuing to drop out of the labor market?
Jean-Pierre: Say that one more time. What are you — can you say more?
Reporter: The labor force participation rate is at its lowest level of the year now. Why do you think that is?
Jean-Pierre: So, participation actually ticked up. And — for —
Reporter: It declined 0.1 percentage points to 62.1 percent — the lowest level of the year.
Jean-Pierre: So it actually ticked up for prime-age workers, when you look at 25 to 54, and for workers 65 and plus. The tick down this month was actually about teenagers … Again, what we saw this month was a tick down with teenagers.
Reporter: Back on jobs, I know you guys are excited about the jobs report, but ev- — for most people, wages are just — wages for those jobs are just not keeping up with inflation. So fundamentally, is the anxiety we’re hearing from Americans about the economy really an issue of wages and benefits? And what is the administration still doing to work on that?
Jean-Pierre: Look, we — we understand what Americans are feeling. The President understands that very personally. This is why he has done the work that he’s done this past 18 months to get the economy going again. And now, with the — with inflation as well, with costs going up for Americans, he’s focused on that. And, you know, this is something that we continue to watch very closely, and we’re going to continue to do the work …
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Why bragged gas prices? What to do about declining real wages? CBO report on Inflation Reduction Act.