Psaki slams Gov. Abbott over truck inspections at Texas-Mexico border, blames him for price increases

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The Biden administration is claiming that Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's inspection of trucks entering the U.S. from Mexico is not only "unnecessary," but contributing to inflation throughout the country.

In a statement issued Wednesday morning, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said that the delays caused by Abbott's policies were having far-reaching impacts. 

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"Governor Abbott’s unnecessary and redundant inspections of trucks transiting ports of entry between Texas and Mexico are causing significant disruptions to the food and automobile supply chains, delaying manufacturing, impacting jobs, and raising prices for families in Texas and across the country.," Psaki said.

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Last week, Abbott directed the Texas Department of Public Safety to carry out "enhanced safety inspections" of vehicles that pass through ports of entry, citing "cartels that smuggle illicit contraband and people across our southern border." Abbott is anticipating an uptick in smuggling when the Biden administration ceases expelling migrants via the Title 42 public health order.

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Price increases, meanwhile, have been an ongoing problem throughout Biden's presidency, with inflation now reaching a 40-year high. Psaki's statement blaming Abbott for price increases comes a day after a Labor Department report showed that the consumer price index rose 8.5% over the past 12 months.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki speaks during a press briefing at the White House, Friday, March 4, 2022. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

The day before the release of that report, Psaki blamed the high inflation on the Russian invasion of Ukraine., stating that the administration expected March inflation numbers "to be extraordinarily elevated due to Putin’s price hike."

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President Biden himself has also said that 70% of inflation was Putin's fault.