Historic Food Inflation is Hurting American Families
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding food inflation:
“Parents across the country are struggling to get their hands on the infant formula their babies need.
“Here are just a few of the letters I’ve received from parents and grandparents in Kentucky.
“‘We have been struggling to get formula for our granddaughter for months now. The situation has turned dire.’
“‘My six-month-old Ezekiel has had to switch what he needs twice since his birth due to the shortages.’
“‘We traveled from Lexington, Kentucky through West Virginia and Virginia into Washington D.C. [but] every place we stopped… had empty shelves of baby formula.’
“This outrageous, unacceptable situation has been unfolding in slow motion over several months.
“Much of it stems from a recall that resulted in a plant being shut down.
“But it seems that while President Biden’s Administration and the FDA knew all about this problem as it developed, they have been asleep at the switch in terms of getting production back online as fast as possible.
“Both Republican and Democratic Senators have asked the White House and the FDA for answers — and gotten few.
“The Administration has got to be more proactive and forward-leaning. But yesterday, I understand that a White House spokeswoman wasn’t even sure if they had a point person for this problem or who it might be.
“Even before the acute shortages, soaring costs were already squeezing families.
“The inflation figures show the price of baby food has skyrocketed 13 percent in just 12 months.
“Overall food inflation is 9.4 percent year-on-year. That is the worst year for food inflation in 41 years.
“It should not be this hard for Americans to feed their families.
“Parents need President Biden and his team to step up to the plate.”
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