Nearly 40 Dems call on Biden to lower 'sky-high' grocery prices: 'Use every possible tool'
WASHINGTON (TND) — Dozens of Democratic lawmakers called on President Joe Biden Monday to use his executive authority to lower the cost of groceries for Americans.
Americans are looking for ways to save on essential items as inflation remains a top priority ahead of the November presidential election. Discount grocer Aldi in April reported a massive increase in foot traffic as the U.S. economy worsens.
Recognizing this, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Rep. James McGovern, D-Mass., led a letter calling on Biden to act. Signing the document were 37 other Democrats and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.
“The federal government should use every possible tool to lower food prices,” they wrote. “We believe you can exercise your executive authority to take additional action to address rising food prices without congressional action. Americans are facing sky-high food prices, caused by excessive price gouging by food and grocery giants.”As president, Biden could work with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to combat major grocers which shut out smaller suppliers with exclusionary contracts, the lawmakers wrote. The authors also advised Biden to increase the number of small businesses which receive government contracts and ask the Department of Justice to scrutinize mergers within the food and agriculture industries.
“These proposals are just examples of the additional actions your Administration can take to help families at the grocery store,” the letter reads. “The American people are relying on your Administration to combat corporate greed and higher food prices.”
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The letter drew critical reactions from social media users.
“You are the party of runaway inflation, you are the party of ‘crime is fine,’ you are the party of suffocating regulations, you are the party of DEI failure, you are simply the Party of Misery,” actor James Woods said. “Stop complaining. You're responsible for ALL of it.”“You cannot control a market with 60 percent of it split 4 ways, you economic illiterate,” Doug Stafford, chief strategist for Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., said.
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