“Make no mistake – this massive spending bill will raise energy costs, kill innovation for future health cures, diminish opportunities for American jobs, harm small businesses and raise taxes,” Ways and Means Republican Rep. Darin Lahood (R-IL) writes in an op-ed for the Peoria Journal Star.

CLICK HERE to read the full op-ed.

Key Excerpts:

• President Biden bungled our economic recovery: “Before Congress passed the Democrats’ multi-trillion dollar ‘American Rescue Plan Act,’ inflation was stable and our economy was recovering from the worst of the pandemic and government mandated lockdowns. The Biden administration spent trillions of dollars in unnecessary spending. The influx of capital into the economy has undermined our recovery, caused a disastrous labor shortage, and has challenged the ongoing supply chain crisis.”
• American families and small businesses will suffer even more with this bill: “Make no mistake – this massive spending bill will raise energy costs, kill innovation for future health cures, diminish opportunities for American jobs, harm small businesses and raise taxes.”

READ: Seven Democrat Myths about the Manchin-Biden Build Back Better Bill

• Democrats refused to work with Republicans to rein in inflation: “To rein in inflation, we need to reduce unnecessary government spending, end harmful government over-regulation, and invest and produce more Made-in-America products here in Illinois. Instead, Democrats in Washington are doubling down on their failed economic agenda in reviving a flawed, partisan reconciliation package.”
• Lower- and middle- income Americans are targets of Democrats’ IRS surveillance scheme: “The reconciliation bill is chock-full of tax hikes, special interest handouts and unnecessary spending that won’t reduce inflation or support struggling Illinois families. The bill provides additional money and authority to the IRS to audit and harass hard working Americans. Additionally, audits on working-class families will be used as a tool to pay for the progressive priorities of Democrat elites included in this bill. As a result of this legislation, Democrats intend to increase the size of the IRS to target residents.”

READ: CBO: New IRS Audits Will Grab at Least $20B from Lower- & Middle- Income Families

• The Last thing struggling families need are more IRS audits and tax hikes: “The last thing Illinois families need are tax hikes and a supercharged IRS with our economy in a recession. Families in Illinois are grappling with the rising cost of living and the reconciliation bill will only make the economic pain worse.”

READ: Five Ways Manchin Biden BBB Helps the Wealthy and Harms Working Families