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By Laura Schulte -
Politifact
Inflation is a worrying issue for the United States — and the world — as the prices of goods and services continue to rise.
In June, annual inflation in the country reached 9%, its highest level since 1981, according to Forbes magazine.
In a recent tweet, Senator Ron Johnson, a Republican politician seeking his third term in November 2022, made the following claim:
"Thanks to failed policies by the Democrats, beer is 9.1% more expensive."
But
have the prices of this product really gone up that much?
Are Democratic policies responsible for that increase?
Let's take a look.
Beer prices have had a sustained increase since the 1990s
When asked for the source to back up their statement, Johnson's team referred to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which shows the average price of a malt beverage in an average American city over the years.
According to the data,
the average cost of 16 ounces of beer has risen from $1.50 in April 2020 to $1.66 in June 2022
, which represents a 10.7% increase in the retail price.
But there are important details to point out.
First, in April 2020, Republican Donald Trump was president — so, as a basic point, the blame must be shared.
Biden presents his economic rescue plan for the pandemic that includes a $1,400 check
Jan. 15, 202103:26
In addition,
the price of beer has been rising since 1996
, according to statistics from that government unit.
It has had its ups and downs along the way, although since 2019 prices have started to increase more drastically.
Johnson puts up numbers, but even with the timeline he's using, he's putting the blame in one direction.
Let's take a closer look at the culprit part.
In his statement, Johnson argues that the policies put in place by the Democrats have been at the root of inflation, driving up the prices of goods like eggs, milk and beer.
Thanks to failed Democrat policies, beer is 9.1% more expensive.
Ron Johnson Senator
Johnson's team shared a link to a March 30, 2022 post from The Washington Times, a right-wing outlet.
In the article, the blame is focused on the Biden Administration's spending, noting that the coronavirus stimulus packages, which included $1,400 checks to Americans, were approved shortly after Joe Biden's inauguration.
The article cites a report from the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, but even that headline only says that Biden's policies "helped fuel" inflation.
"We don't get the same anymore": Latinos affected by inflation make tough decisions like buying less meat
July 13, 202201:46
In April 2022, PolitiFact National reviewed a claim that Biden's spending "has sent prices skyrocketing" and found it partially true.
The article found that while some of the inflation was caused by stimulus checks, that wasn't the only cause.
There are many other factors to take into account, such as changes in the labor market, increases in energy prices, problems in the supply chain and the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
A June 2022 analysis by factcheck.org also found that while stimulus checks had a small impact on inflation,
many other factors drive prices higher
.
To a large extent the exceptional circumstances caused by the COVID-19 pandemic — especially the shutdown of the economy in the first days and the rapid recovery that followed — have played a more important role.
In the United States, the price of beer rose 10.7% as of April 2020. Jack Andersen / Getty Images
That economic push caused shortages in the supply chain, created labor problems and changed spending habits for people forced to stay home.
However, in claims like that — blaming Democrats or Republicans — we have argued that blame (or credit) for what goes on in a complex world economy cannot be attributed to any one person or event.
our verdict
Johnson assured in a tweet that the price of beer has risen 9.1% in the United States due to Democratic policies.
[“I spend $100 more a month.” Consumers adjust their spending for inflation]
While
the price of this product did rise 10.7% as of April 2020
, part of that increase came under the Trump administration and prices have had a sustained increase since the end of the 1990s.
Although certain Democratic policies such as the American Rescue Plan have affected inflation, there are many other factors that have caused the prices of goods and services to rise, such as the consequences of the pandemic, the war in Ukraine, changes in the labor market and energy costs.
We rate this statement
Partially True
, which means that while it is partly true, it leaves out important details or takes information out of context.
