Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has introduced a bill that aims to restructure the US beef industry, despite not having experience in the field. The bill, known as the “Family Grocer and Farmer Relief Act”, has been criticized for misdiagnosing the cause of high beef prices and potentially making the situation worse.

Economic Malpractice

Schumer’s bill ignores the fact that beef prices are high due to basic economics: strong demand and tight supply. The US cattle herd has fallen to its lowest level in 75 years, with a total of 86.2 million head as of January 1, 2026. This is down sharply from 94.8 million head in 2019, a drop of roughly 9% in seven years.

The bill also ignores the damage done by years of anti-business policies imposed by politicians like Schumer. Instead of lowering costs, reducing regulatory barriers, and encouraging investment, Schumer wants Washington to politically restructure the beef industry in the middle of a supply crunch.

This approach has been criticized as economic malpractice, as it could lead to duplicated infrastructure, higher financing costs, stalled investment, litigation, and uncertainty across the supply chain. The likely result would be fewer efficiencies, less capacity, more risk, and higher prices at the meat counter.

A Better Way

A better approach would be for Washington to reduce the cost pressures that made beef more expensive in the first place. This could be achieved by easing unnecessary regulatory burdens on farmers, ranchers, and processors, lowering energy and transportation costs, and keeping import and export markets open during changing supply cycles.

By letting markets work and reducing government interference, the US beef industry can recover and provide affordable beef to consumers. Schumer’s bill, on the other hand, would only serve to make the situation worse and hurt the very people it claims to help.

Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.