Central South Dakota News

U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) recently appeared on Fox Business’ Varney & Co., where he discussed the Biden Administration’s decision to halt munitions aid to Israel and the implications of this action. The senator also addressed the issue of high inflation rates and rising prices, as highlighted by the April inflation report.

During his conversation with Stuart Varney, Rounds expressed concern over President Biden's decision to pause weapons shipments to Israel. He stated, "We can't make him do it. But we can most certainly send a message to our allies, the Israelis, that we do not support the way that he has taken on this particular tactic." He further criticized the administration for releasing information about private conversations, arguing that such actions send a detrimental message to Hamas and other global actors.

Rounds also commented on how this decision could impact perceptions of American leadership in places like Taiwan and Ukraine. He speculated about how world leaders like Putin and Xi Jinping might interpret these actions, stating that such inconsistencies could undermine trust in American alliances.

The senator was equally critical of President Biden's handling of economic issues, particularly inflation. When asked about how the president might address increasing prices in an upcoming speech, Rounds responded, "I have no idea. But prices are up since his time in office; inflation is up over 18%. Groceries are up over 20%. Gasoline is up over 37%. The American people aren't stupid. They understand that."

He dismissed claims that corporate greed was responsible for these increases and instead blamed policy decisions made by the administration, such as canceling a pipeline from Canada and neglecting traditional energy sources.

Throughout his appearance on Varney & Co., Senator Rounds maintained a critical stance towards President Biden's foreign policy decisions regarding Israel and domestic economic policies.