DCCC Serves up Spin for the Labor Day Cookout

Over the Labor Day weekend, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is moving integer ads connected societal media blaming House Republicans for “driving up the terms of burgers.” But that’s misleading. The sizable emergence successful crushed beef prices is tied to drought conditions successful caller years, among different factors.

Photo by Cavan / stock.adobe.com

Lawmakers of some parties often blasted each different for rising prices, and specified finger-pointing is fashionable astir holidays, with governmental rhetoric reminding voters astir the size of their market bills for household get-togethers. The DCCC messaging mirrors Republicans’ arguments during the 2022 midterms, erstwhile legislature campaigns tied an summation successful ostentation to past President Joe Biden, and by hold the Democrats. (As we’ve written, economists cited respective reasons for the higher inflation. And portion stimulus spending did contribute, the basal of the problem, economists said, was the economical fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic. Russia’s warfare with Ukraine further affected prices.)

Here, again, prices person been affected by aggregate factors – not simply an action, oregon inaction, by Congress.

Let’s instrumentality beef, for instance.

The DCCC announced static ads connected Instagram to tally this play targeting young men successful 35 Republican-held legislature districts that it says are successful play successful the 2026 midterms. The ads amusement a grilled burger connected a toasted bun and accidental “Republicans are driving up the terms of burgers,” with crushed beef up 28%, the main culprit for the costly cheeseburger.

A DCCC website connected the taxable shows it reaches backmost to mid-2022 to get that figure, erstwhile a lb of crushed beef outgo an mean of $4.89. It’s present up to $6.25 arsenic of July, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data. A steep terms hike, of 12.8%, occurred this year.

The DCCC told america it started its examination successful mid-2022, erstwhile Democrats had power of some houses of Congress and the White House, to amusement however prices person changed with Republicans present having the trifecta of power. Republicans won control of the House successful 2022, but the caller legislators didn’t instrumentality bureau until January 2023.

Regardless of the starting point, it’s hard to spot however House Republicans are to blasted for the terms of beef close now. Tariffs, peculiarly connected imports from Brazil, could origin beef prices to proceed to spell up, but the factors influencing the outgo present began a fewer years ago.

Drought conditions successful the U.S. successful caller years person caused a diminution successful the cattle herd, as we precocious explained. That upwind “placed a batch of accent connected our farmers and their pastures that they trust connected to assistance provender cattle,” Bernt Nelson, an cultivation economist astatine the American Farm Bureau Federation, told NBC News. “When this happened, they placed precocious numbers of females connected provender for marketplace alternatively than holding them backmost to regenerate the herd. And truthful that led america to this dilatory but dependable contraction successful the cattle herd.”

In summation to a smaller cattle herd successful the U.S., the Department of Agriculture suspended unrecorded cattle imports from Mexico successful July aft a lawsuit of New World screwworm, a parasite that kills big animals, was discovered there.

It is imaginable that President Donald Trump’s tariffs, which Republicans person mostly supported, could statesman to impact beef prices arsenic well, among different imported goods. On Aug. 6, 50% tariffs connected immoderate imports from Brazil, including beef, went into effect.

“The 50% tariffs connected Brazil volition efficaciously unopen retired Brazil beef from the USA, conscionable astatine a clip erstwhile we are critically abbreviated of beef and prices are already astatine grounds precocious levels,” Bob Chudy, a advisor for U.S. beef importers, told america for our communicative connected prices published past month.

“Imported beef comprises astir 20% of USA beef proviso and Brazil is 30% of the imported beef coming to the USA. That fig has exploded successful caller years, filling the spread successful the USA home supply,” Chudy besides said.

The DCCC faulted House Republicans for not doing thing to little prices and indicated that its messaging connected this contented volition continue.

“Republicans promised to little costs connected time 1 and by each accounts person failed miserably,” DCCC spokesperson Viet Shelton told us. “Prices proceed to rise, radical are struggling to get by, and Republicans person each fallen successful enactment down sweeping tariffs that are making mundane items similar beers and burgers much expensive. From present done the midterms, the DCCC volition proceed to clasp House Republicans accountable for their breached promises and failed agenda.”

But, again, the notable burger terms hike is rooted successful factors affecting the size of the cattle herd and the proviso of imported cattle.

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The station DCCC Serves up Spin for the Labor Day Cookout appeared archetypal connected FactCheck.org.