LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — The federal authorities shutdown delayed the month-to-month Shopper Value Index (CPI) report anticipated on Wednesday, clouding the image for Michigan households already grappling with increased grocery payments
The CPI, usually launched by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, is a key gauge of inflation that guides every little thing from interest-rate expectations to cost-of-living changes.
With out the October replace, retailers and households lose a knowledge level on food-at-home costs, making it more durable to plan budgets and assess whether or not checkout will increase are easing or worsening.
Latest state-level figures present shopper costs up 2.9% 12 months over 12 months in August, with grocery costs up 2.7%, the biggest non-pandemic improve since 2015. That backdrop means the missed CPI replace lands at a delicate second for households watching the value of groceries and different items.
Final month, Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Birmingham) launched the No Tariffs on Groceries Act, which might require congressional oversight earlier than a president might impose some insurance policies, akin to tariffs.
WASHINGTON, DC – FEBRUARY 06: U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI), joined by fellow Home Democrats, speaks at a press convention on overreach by President Donald Trump, Elon Musk and the Division of Authorities Effectivity (DODGE) on the U.S. Capitol on February 06, 2025 in Washington, DC. Home Democrats held a press convention on the Taxpayer Information Safety Act in response to Elon Musk getting access to the Treasury Division’s fee system. (Photograph by Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Photos)
The CPI, usually printed month-to-month by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, didn’t seem as scheduled as a result of shutdown.
“Groceries are too expensive,” Stevens mentioned in a press release, including that households “are feeling the squeeze” from rising checkout costs. She argues that tariffs danger lifting meals costs.
Stevens blamed Republicans for the shutdown and criticized former President Donald Trump’s tariff strategy, linking increased prices to financial uncertainty. “Michiganders are struggling with rising costs—that means dinner tables with less food, families making hard trade-offs about their health care, and seniors stretching their budgets just to get by,” she mentioned.
FILE – Tom Barrett, Republican candidate for Michigan’s seventh Congressional District, speaks at a marketing campaign occasion, Aug. 29, 2024, in Potterville, Mich. (AP Photograph/Paul Sancya, File)
Rep. Tom Barrett (R-Charlotte) blamed Senate Democrats for the shutdown.
“For a party that claims to defend democracy at all costs, why are they standing in the way of democratically elected folks who are in positions to make decisions for our country?” Barrett instructed 6 Information, citing the filibuster.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) blamed GOP congressional leaders for the shutdown, expressing concern for voters who will blame the get together in energy on the midterms in 2026.
The probabilities of Stevens’ invoice passing by way of Congress stay unclear. Most economists say tariffs drive inflation, whereas a minority argues that the consequences of tariffs are restricted. A coverage like this might defend family budgets from tariff-driven value will increase, however some have defended presidential tariff authority, saying it’s a key commerce coverage instrument.
Officers haven’t offered a brand new timeline for the CPI launch.
