A group of Democrats on Sunday knocked President Trump for not quickly lowering grocery prices.
“We write to ask about your Administration’s plan to lower food prices for American families. Americans, in the first days of your new presidency, are facing egg shortages amidst an avian flu outbreak and still-high prices at the grocery store,” a letter from the group of Democrats reads. “During your campaign, you repeatedly promised you would lower food prices ‘immediately’ if elected president.”
“But during your first week of office you have instead focused on mass deportations and pardoning January 6 attackers, including those who assaulted Capitol police officers,” the group continued. “Your sole action on costs was an executive order that contained only the barest mention of food prices, and not a single specific policy to reduce them.”
“To make food more affordable, you should look to the dominant food and grocery companies that have made record profits on the backs of working families who have had to pay higher prices. These companies often exploit crises like pandemics and avian flu outbreaks as an opportunity to raise prices beyond what is needed to cover rising costs,” the group of Democrats said.
During the 2024 presidential campaign, former President Biden’s administration was often blamed by Trump for high grocery prices, with the price increases for bacon, cereal, crackers and other items being slammed by Trump on the campaign trail.
However, Trump in an interview from December said he doesn’t think his presidency will be a failure if prices of food don’t drop.
“I’d like to bring them down. It’s hard to bring things down once they’re up. You know, it’s very hard. But I think that they will. I think that energy is going to bring them down. I think a better supply chain is going to bring them down,” Trump said.
The Monday letter from the group of congressional letter says to Trump that “Americans are looking to you to lower food prices.”
“We urge you to make good on your campaign promise to lower food prices for American families. Therefore, we ask that you respond to this letter with additional clarity on your plans to lower food prices,” the group added later.
Those who signed the letter included Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Reps. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), Hank Johnson (D-Ga.), Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-Fla.), Chellie Pingree (D-Maine), Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), Greg Casar (D-Texas), Chris Deluzio (D-Pa.) Yassamin Ansari (D-Ariz.), Norma Torres (D-Calif.), Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.), Chuy Garcia (D-Ill.), Maxine Dexter (D-Ore.), Danny K. Davis (D-Ill.), Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.), Gabe Amo (D-R.I.) and Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.).
