Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins had a simple explanation Wednesday for why millions of Americans are still struggling to afford groceries nearly two years into President Donald Trump’s second term:
Blame Joe Biden.
Appearing before the Senate Agriculture Committee, Rollins was pressed by Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-GA) about rising food costs and the financial strain facing families across the country.
“Well, but that’s because of the Biden administration,” Rollins said flatly during the oversight hearing. “That is the reason.”
Warnock appeared stunned by the response.
“Two years later, that’s your answer? Because of the Biden administration?” he asked.
“Yes! Yes!” Rollins shot back.
She then pointed to a handful of products she said had become cheaper.
“Avocado is down 20%, berries down 13%, butter down 13%, eggs down 90%,” Rollins said.
“What?” Warnock replied incredulously. “Grocery costs are up… You don’t dispute that. Right? Even as you cite these individual items, you don’t dispute that grocery costs are up in America.”
“The affordability question in America is real,” Rollins conceded before pivoting to defend the administration’s broader record.
Warnock had earlier referenced USDA projections indicating that grocery prices rose roughly 3% last year and are expected to increase another 3.2% this year.
“The 3% is actually an average cost of food increase,” Rollins responded. “Over the years under the last administration, it went up 20%.”
Warnock pushed back, arguing that statistics offer little comfort to families struggling to make ends meet.
“Do you realize, Madam Secretary, with all due respect, how sterile that answer sounds to a person who’s just trying — somebody’s trying to buy groceries in Georgia, and they can’t afford it,” he said.
The exchange came against the backdrop of continued concern over food affordability.
A January report from the Joint Economic Committee found that a typical American family paid $310 more for groceries in 2025 compared to 2024. According to NBC News tracking, ground beef prices have risen 19% and orange juice prices have increased 20% since January 2025.
Meanwhile, Kiplinger reported that food prices have continued climbing in 2026, with coffee prices up nearly 35% since the start of last year.
Warnock also questioned Rollins about the administration’s decision to cut $500 million in food bank funding and reduce SNAP enrollment by approximately 4.3 million people.
Rollins rejected the characterization that Americans had been removed from the program against their will.
“No one was kicked off,” she said, describing the reductions as “a celebration of work and the dignity of work.”
Warnock closed by returning to the human impact behind the numbers.
“There are a lot of children all across Georgia who are suffering,” he said. “I think we can do better than that.”
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