On July 1, 2021 President Joe Biden bragged that, thanks to his policies, Americans would be saving an average of $0.16 on the cost of a July 4th cookout.
“Planning a cookout this year? Ketchup on the news. According to the Farm Bureau, the cost of a 4th of July BBQ is down from last year,” the White House declared at the time. “It’s a fact you must-hear(d). Hot dog, the Biden economic plan is working. And that’s something we can all relish.”
The boast was widely pilloried by citizens at the time due to the increasing cost of goods and services.
Planning a cookout this year? Ketchup on the news. According to the Farm Bureau, the cost of a 4th of July BBQ is down from last year. It’s a fact you must-hear(d). Hot dog, the Biden economic plan is working. And that’s something we can all relish. pic.twitter.com/7h9qLauIbC
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) July 1, 2021
One year after Biden’s $0.16 victory lap, the American Farm Bureau Federation reported that “U.S. consumers will pay $69.68 for their favorite Independence Day cookout foods, including cheeseburgers, pork chops, chicken breasts, homemade potato salad, strawberries and ice cream, based on a new American Farm Bureau Federation marketbasket survey.”
The average cost of a cookout has risen by 17%, which according to the AFBF corresponds to a roughly $10 increase in the overall cost of a cookout.
“Despite higher food prices, the supply chain disruptions and inflation have made farm supplies more expensive; like consumers, farmers are price-takers not price-makers,” AFBF Chief Economist Roger Cryan said, adding, “Bottom line, in many cases the higher prices farmers are being paid aren’t covering the increase in their farm expenses. The cost of fuel is up and fertilizer prices have tripled.”
“The increased cost of food and supplies is a very real concern in our country and across the globe,” AFBF President Zippy Duvall said. “U.S. food assistance programs and food banks help those who struggle to make ends meet here at home, but the story is much different around the globe as food insecurity skyrockets. The big impact of a single event in Ukraine shows how dependent the world is on stable, productive agriculture.”
Biden has taken to blaming all domestic inflation on Russian President Vladimir Putin, a strategy that does not appear to be reversing his flagging approval ratings.
