The shutdown recession from February to April 2020 was devastating, and the costly effects of the policy errors since then have been large and long-lasting. There must be a return to the dignity and permanent value of work instead of dependency on government from Washington’s big-government agenda and mandates related to COVID-19. The U.S. labor market is better, but improvements are needed. This is in spite of Congress adding $6 trillion in deficit-spending since January 2020 to reach the new high of $30 trillion national debt. And the Federal Reserve has monetized the vast majority of the new debt, leading to a 40-year high inflation rate. Given high inflation and a stagnating economy, stagflation is here for the first time since the 1970s. Congress and the Fed should stop overspending and overprinting money, respectively, and instead provide pro-growth policies so that Americans can improve their livelihoods.