As consumer prices have risen significantly over the past year, U.S. Rep. Bill Foster, D-Naperville, said solving the COVID-19 pandemic is key to addressing worsening inflation.

The country recorded the highest inflation rate in four decades last year and everything from food to rent got more expensive.

When asked last week in Joliet what the federal government could do to alleviate rising prices, Foster said, “a lot of that is being driven by COVID.”

“I hope that if we are fortunate and the omicron wave is the last one and that the masks come off, the economy opens up, I think that’s going to do a lot,” he said to the Herald-News.

Pollsters have found that rising prices may be contributing to President Joe Biden’s approval rating hitting recent lows. An Association Press-NORC Center poll found only 37% of Americans approved of Biden’s handling of the economy.

Foster said that as the onset of the pandemic forced many to stay home, factories shut down and demand for certain products such as cars shot up. That caused massive disruptions to supply chains. Even as the economy recovers and more people have gone back to work, Foster said that for certain industries, it takes time for supply chains to ramp up to meet demand.

“It’s a bunch of complicated things, all ultimately driven by COVID,” Foster said.

Foster praised Biden for quickly making COVID-19 vaccines available to all Americans, although millions have elected to not get vaccinated. He also expressed hope in addressing “unfinished business” by passing parts of the president’s Build Back Better bill after it has stalled in the Senate.

He also said the Federal Reserve Board ultimately is the government body most directly responsible for “steering the boat” on inflation. The Fed is tasked with increasing or decreasing interest rates.

But even if cases continue to decline as they have across the country, Foster said, “It’s going to take a while for the disruptions to smooth out.”