Sen. Wicker says he’s not qualified to talk about Mississippi’s welfare lawsuit

BILOXI, Miss. (WLOX) - Sen. Roger Wicker said the Inflation Reduction Act won’t help reduce inflation.

“Well I think the last thing you do during an inflationary period and during a recession, which is two quarters of negative growth, is put an extra tax on the people,” Wicker said. “And that’s the effect of this so-called Inflation Reduction Act.”

Gas prices have seen a recent drop, but Wicker said the high prices Americans have seen this summer don’t surprise him.

“When the president took office, the very first day he said that we’re going to war on American oil and gas,” he added. “But what do you expect when the Biden administration says one of our goals is going to produce less oil and gas because of climate change.”

Much is riding on the 2022 midterm elections. Even a few Republican victories could tip the balance of power in Congress and help Mississippians, according to the Pontotoc native.

“I think it would give us a leadership position,” Wicker said. “If we do win the Senate for the Republicans, I will be chairman of the Armed Services Committee.”

A defendant in Mississippi’s civil lawsuit to recoup millions in misspent welfare money is asking the court to examine whether Gov. Tate Reeves is protecting himself. This coming after Mississippi Today uncovered text messages connecting the current governor to the funding of a defendant in the case. Now attorney Jim Waide is arguing Reeves should be a target of the lawsuit, not in charge of it. WLOX asked Senator Wicker what impact the case has on Mississippians.

“Let me say this,” said Wicker. “This is a state matter. It’s not something that I am really qualified to talk about. I appreciate the fact that you need to ask it. It’s not something I can have any affect on in Washington.”

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