‘Irresponsible’: Gov. Lombardo urges Biden to halt excessive spending

Gov. Joe Lombardo sent another letter to President Joe Biden, this time urging the president to halt what he deems as excessive federal spending.

The Nevada Republican governor had sent Biden a letter in March in advance of the president’s visit to the Silver State to talk housing, beseeching him to release more of Nevada’s federally owned land to make way for more housing developments.

On Thursday, Lombardo sent another letter accusing the president of “irresponsible spending” and asking him to embrace “free market principles that rely on supply and demand.”

“Your administration must halt excessive federal spending to curb future inflation, which will lead to irreversible calamity not only in Nevada but across the nation,” Lombardo wrote.

He cited the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ March Consumer Price Index that showed prices have risen 3.5 percent since last March. The president’s Fiscal Year 2025 Budget Request totals $7.3 trillion, while the Congressional Budget Office estimated that the U.S. will generate roughly $5 trillion in revenue in Fiscal Year 2025, which would result in a $2 trillion deficit, Lombardo wrote.

The United States is far from reaching a 2 percent inflation target, which if achieved would trigger reductions in interest rates and help Americans purchase a home, save for college or plan for retirement, the Nevada governor wrote.

Echoing his past concerns over housing, Lombardo also urged the president to take action on the housing crisis. He said the housing market is “reeling from the combined effects of high inflation and interest rates.”

“Nevadans need more accessible housing, but the rising costs of materials and labor and high interest rates are creating a barrier for Nevadans to achieve their dream of owning a home,” he wrote.

In response to the governor’s letter, the Nevada State Democratic Party accused Lombardo of trying to “pass the buck” on Nevada’s housing crisis. The party reiterated previous criticisms that Lombardo vetoed Democratic bills in the last legislative session that they believe would have lowered housing costs for Nevadans, and highlighted Biden’s $1 billion given to Nevada through the American Rescue Plan to address affordable housing.

“President Biden and Democrats are taking real action to increase access to affordable housing and keep Nevada families in their homes while cracking down on corporate bad actors,” Nevada State Democratic Party Spokesperson Tai Sims said in a statement.

Contact Jessica Hill at jehill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @jess_hillyeah on X.