When the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on Wednesday delves into the nation’s snarled supply chain, lawmakers are likely to be snarled themselves in fraught politics and complex logistics.
Republicans say the nation’s backed-up ports, delayed deliveries and resulting inflation reflect President Joe Biden’s policies, nicknaming the problem the “Biden Bottleneck.” The problem emerged right before and is likely to affect the holiday shipping season, making the GOP rhetoric more salient for voters.
Democrats, meanwhile, say the problem is an outgrowth of the pandemic, when many Americans opted to buy more when forced to stay home. The increased consumption, they argue, caused a backup that has yet to abate.
The administration, backed by Democratic lawmakers, has thrown a series of policy solutions at the problem, but none have effectively moved containers out of port terminals.
Industry leaders, meanwhile, disagree about whether the government can or should try to fix the problem.
