Price inflation could undermine President Joe Biden’s sweeping infrastructure agenda, but the White House will not admit it.

Consumer prices last month were 5.4% higher than July 2020, reaching the same elevated level as June and the largest spike since 2008. But while the White House focused on how increases were less than expected, the data have left centrist Democrats skittish about their party’s spending priorities and Republicans gleeful about next year’s midterm elections.