President Joe Biden claims “the much-predicted” supply chain crisis did not occur.
During a meeting with his Supply Chain Disruptions Task Force, Biden explained, “Earlier this fall, we heard a lot of dire warnings about supply-chain problems leading to a crisis around the holidays.”
He added, “So we acted… The much-predicted crisis didn’t occur. Packages are moving, gifts are being delivered, shelves are not empty.”
The president noted “on-shelf availability, before the pandemic, was about 91%. Today, it’s at 90%… I’m sure you can go and find some shelf where it’s empty because a particular sort of gifts are very popular. I don’t know.”
He continued, “And delivery times for this season, for FedEx, UPS, and U.S. Postal Service are faster than before the pandemic, even as Americans have purchased a record amount of goods.”
Watch his remarks below:
President Biden: "Earlier this fall, we heard a lot of dire warnings about supply-chain problems leading to a crisis around the holidays. So we acted. […] The much-predicted crisis didn't occur. Packages are moving, gifts are being delivered, shelves are not empty." pic.twitter.com/qrJBSJiuB8
— The Hill (@thehill) December 22, 2021
Biden also commented on inflation, saying, “We can and we will address prices by expanding productivity capacity in our economy so we move more goods to market, get more Americans working, encouraging more investments in innovation and making sure Americans see those benefits at the store and at the pump when they go to fill up their cars.”
Consumer prices surged 6.8% in November, the highest it has been since 1982. Last month, the president announced the Department of Energy would be releasing 50 million barrels of oil to lower gas prices, as IJR previously reported.
According to a new NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll, Biden’s approval rating has dropped to 41%. Fifty-five percent of American adults disapprove of Biden’s job performance. The poll was conducted between December 11 and 13 and surveyed 1,400 adults.
