While beef prices were climbing for Mississippi families, instead of finding bipartisan solutions to decrease rising food costs, Hyde-Smith dismissed concerns and claimed that Americans who couldn't afford beef “have so many proteins to choose from.”
HEADLINE: Americans Who Can’t Afford Beef ‘Have So Many Proteins To Choose From,’ Says US Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith [Mississippi Free Press, 2/24/26]
HEADLINE: MAGA Senator Gives Bonkers Answer On Affordability [Daily Beast, 2/24/26]
[VIDEO] When Asked About The High Price Of Food And Beef, Hyde-Smith Claimed That People “Have So Many Proteins To Choose From.” “HOST: You're involved closely with agriculture. You're on the committee. Price of food is high. We just did a story this week on price of beef continuing to go up. What are Republicans doing to get this cost of living under control? HYDE-SMITH: Well, the good thing is we passed what we call the one big, beautiful bill. There are so many things in there, just the child tax credits that will affect 40 million families. There are the reduction to make the cuts permanent. It is so many opportunities there that what's that they go into play just with getting your tax refund refund in 2026 is going to be bigger. And once we can get those things implemented, you're going to see a difference. But right now, you know, the cost of fuel, everything in this place at one time was on a truck. So any time you go to purchase anything, if you're going to build anything, the price of fuel affects everything. So with that being down, you know, with the Gulf of America right out our door right here, beautiful Gulf Coast, no permitting, no drilling for four years, no permitting. So now that we can undo some of the, Cumbersome things that restricted energy production. You're even going to see that even in a more significant way. But it is on everybody's mind, you know, it certainly is me at my house. And, you know, you have so many proteins to choose from and all commodities go through peaks and valleys.” [WLOX (ABC), 2/22/26]
The Cost Of Beef Reached $6.75 Per Pound On Average In January 2026 Which Was Up From $5.55 When Biden Left Office. According to the Mississippi Free Press, “ The cost of beef reached $6.75 per pound on average in January 2026, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports. That’s up from $5.55 per pound when Trump took over and former President Joe Biden left the White House a year earlier in January 2025.” [Mississippi Free Press, 2/24/26]
Beef In January 2026 Was Higher Than January 2025 When Trump Took Office. According to the Clarion-Ledger, “ According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, some categories of beef slightly dropped in January 2026 from December 2025, but all categories of beef were higher in January 2026 than they were in January 2025.” [Clarion Ledger, 3/1/26]