On Sunday, Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) said soaring U.S. home prices and inflation are being driven by decades of government spending and regulation, as starter homes approach $1 million in hundreds of American cities.

Housing Crisis Driven By Spending And Regulation

In a post on X and during a Fox News interview, Scott argued that federal fiscal policy is the main driver of the housing affordability crisis.

"Home prices are OUTRAGEOUS. Decades of reckless bipartisan SWAMP SPENDING is driving rates and inflation," he wrote.

He added, "Congress needs to SLASH the spending so ALL hardworking Americans have the chance to live their American Dream."

During the interview, Scott said the government has made housing unaffordable through spending and regulation.

"The biggest thing we've got to do is balance a budget and stop regulating the living daylights out of everything. Government is the problem," he said.

He added that in his lifetime, homes and goods were dramatically cheaper, citing examples such as a suburban home costing $21,000 and a new car costing $1,600.

Scott said rising costs reflect "government spending and government regulation," and argued that Americans are not receiving sufficient value from federal spending relative to taxes.

Economic Gap Widens In The US

Moody's Analytics chief economist Mark Zandi said the U.S. economic divide remained firmly intact, noting that the top 20% of earners drove nearly 60% of consumer spending while most households lagged behind inflation.

He said affluent Americans had powered recent economic growth, while lower- and middle-income groups saw weaker spending gains and growing financial strain.

Separately, Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) said the Iran conflict had increased costs for American families, pointing to higher gas and living expenses and arguing that global instability was driving inflation.

Former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci also criticized President Donald Trump's economic approach, saying rising federal spending and debt levels had increased inflation risks and financial instability.

He added that both parties had contributed to widening inequality and a "K-shaped economy" in which higher-income households outperformed others.