WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 07th November, 2022) Bad policies implemented during the coronavirus pandemic and overall incompetence have contributed to the inflation crisis and workforce issues in the United States, Republican congressional candidate Wesley Hallman told Sputnik.
"I think that some bad policies and incompetence led to some of our inflation crisis with coming out of COVID and paying people or incentivizing people to not work, and that's one of the reasons why you have the workforce issues that you do have right now," Hallman said. "The second thing that that did was put on steroids the inflation problems because you've got a major spike in fuel and food prices globally."
In addition, the chaotic US withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021 also showcased the folly of the United States disengaging from international leadership, Hallman said.
Moreover, Russia carried out its special military operation in Ukraine because the United States signaled it would not do anything, and the developments there led to a disruption in wheat and oil supplies in the global markets, he said.
"It affects our day-to-day lives on the basis of people's wallets," Hallman said.
The congressional candidate said US global leadership is needed to maintain stability abroad and national security at home.
Hallman said US leadership is also needed to maintain the stability of the energy market. Hallman said he supports the US efforts to invest in innovative technologies that are going to provide alternate sources of energy, but he underscored the importance of the United States being able to provide its own fossil fuel energy.
"When it comes to fossil fuels, these are fungible markets and so us getting our supply on there will help lower the cost overall," Hallman said. "Our nation is producing energy, but when energy is taken off the market, you're gonna get a spike in prices because the supply ultimately is finite and determined by producers as we've seen with OPEC-plus as well."
Last month, the Saudi-led OPEC+ group announced it would slash oil production by 2 million barrels of crude oil a day due to declining demand caused by a slowing global economy.
The United States in response to the decision said it would review its bilateral relationship with Saudi Arabia, but Riyadh underscored it did not aim to harm the United States with its decision, adding that it was solely based on economic forecasts.
"When I go back to why American leadership is important, the fact that a longtime ally in Saudi Arabia feels empowered to really cut against policies that would frankly benefit not just the United States, but the international system, and they feel empowered to go the other way, and in many ways give a little bit of aid to Russia as they still conduct operations, I think that you see right there what are the results of failed American leadership and or weakened American leadership," Hallman said.
Since 2021, energy prices have been surging worldwide as the global economy rebooted after the pandemic. The growth increased after the European Union and other Western states imposed sanctions on Russian oil and gas, disrupting supply chains amid surging demand. A price cap on Russian seaborne oil, suggested by the G7 and expected to be implemented in December, and the decision by OPEC+ to curb production also strained the already tense global energy situation.
Hallman is running for a US House seat in this year's midterm elections to represent California's 28th congressional district. Hallman, a 27-year Air Force veteran, previously served in the Pentagon for the Joint Chief of Staff's strategic plans and policy directorate. He also worked as the Chief Air Force Liaison to the House of Representatives where he worked with lawmakers on national security matters.
US voters head to the polls for midterm elections on November 8 to determine who controls Congress, with Republicans poised to seize the House from the Democrats while the Senate struggle is expected to come down to the wire.
