As grocery prices spike at the fastest pace since 1979, The Wall Street Journal spoke to shoppers about what that means for them and their budget.
- Jamaica Bonvillian, a mother of two: “I just get to the point where I break down and I’m like, ‘OK, how do I do it?’… I’m going to be dead honest. Mental health, it’s taken a toll. Why is it so hard to stay afloat and to live without just going through the motions of living?”
- Kerry Carter, who feels “less connected to his community” because he can’t host seafood boils for friends and families: “I can’t do what I want to do…Now, I cringe.”
- Jessica Boudreaux, who is struggling to balance the budget to feed her son and grandson: “It’s horrible. It’s nonsense… Luckily my grandbaby is only 2, so he doesn’t eat a lot… I gotta do what I gotta do.”
- Megan Naquin, a mother of six who now spends more on food than her mortgage: “Stuff hasn’t just gone up a little bit, it’s gone up tremendously… Anytime we go grocery shopping we say [to the kids], this better still be [in the pantry] next week.”
These are just some of the stories from millions of Americans who can’t afford food. According to CBS News, demand at food banks is up from during the pandemic, and an additional 13 million Americans are seeking help compared to before the pandemic.
But what is Biden’s response? To grouchily insist “I got that” and to insist Americans need “perspective.”
He clearly does not get the pain Americans are feeling and has no empathy for those struggling. Instead, he is doubling down on reckless spending that sent prices surging in the first place, and Democrats in the House and Senate are helping him.
