Congressman and Grocery Store Owner Claims Harris’ Price Control Plan Will Turn America ‘Into a Third World Nation’
By Jake Beardslee ·
August 28, 2024
Vice President Kamala Harris's proposed plan to ban alleged price gouging has drawn sharp criticism from a unique voice in Congress - Rep. Michael Rulli (R-Ohio), the only House member who runs a family grocery store chain. Josh Morgan-USA TODAY
Rulli, who recently won a special election to represent eastern Ohio, operates the century-old Youngstown-based Rulli Bros. Markets.
He claims that Harris's plan could have severe consequences for the American economy and way of life. Julie Vennitti Botos / Canton Repository / USA TODAY NETWORK
"It's going to be a lower standard of living for the whole continental United States," Rulli toldThe New York Post.
He predicted that the plan would "slowly turn us into a Third World nation." Brooke LaValley/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
Drawing from his experience in the grocery industry, Rulli painted a grim picture of the current economic struggles faced by many Americans.
He described witnessing customers unable to afford their usual groceries, saying, "Our people are literally being starved to death." Nikita Nikitin / Pexels
Rulli argued that artificially lowering prices would lead to widespread store closures and drastically reduced product selection.
He predicted that urban areas and food deserts would be hit first, followed by medium-sized grocery stores, and finally larger chains. Pixabay / Pexels
"Stores … will be shutting down business in droves. And then the second problem you're going to see is the selection on the shelf is going to shrink dramatically. So you're going to actually damage the quality of life," Rulli stated. U.S. House of Representatives / Wikimedia
The Harris campaign has defended the plan, arguing that while price fluctuations are normal in free markets, there's a distinction between fair pricing and excessive prices unrelated to business costs. Mishalynn Brown/Tallahassee Democrat / USA TODAY NETWORK
Critics of the plan, including Rulli, worry about its potential similarity to government price controls, which economists warn have caused significant supply shortages in other countries. Burak The Weekender / Pexels
Rulli emphasized the already thin profit margins in the grocery industry, citing a Food Industry Association assessment that put the average grocery store profit margin at about 1.6% last year. Jack Sparrow / Pexels
As an alternative solution, Rulli suggested focusing on reducing fuel costs, which he believes is the main cause of economic strain.
He criticized the Biden administration's energy policies, stating, "I think that the Biden administration has done so many horrible things to throttle our energy." Josh Morgan/USA TODAY / USA TODAY NETWORK
Annual inflation has decreased to 2.9% for the 12-month period ending in July, down from a high of 9.1% in June 2022. Karolina Kaboompics / Pexels
Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell has hinted at a potential interest rate cut in the future, though no specific timeline was provided, according to NBC News. Jack Gruber / USA TODAY NETWORK
