WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — The Biden administration on Wednesday announced new steps in tackling major supply chain problems that it hopes will help speed up imports into the U.S.
Empty store shelves are becoming a common sight across the country as many of the goods Americans want are stuck on cargo ships offshore.
The White House says the administration has been working for months to address the problems through executive orders and other measures.
Sen. Mike Lee blamed the Biden administration for pumping too much money into the economy.
“Warnings are already being raised about holiday shortages and huge price increases,” Lee said.
The White House on Wednesday blamed the supply shortages on the pandemic and problems with moving the goods from around the world into the U.S. President Biden announced a new deal brokered with major companies, labor unions and shipping ports.
“The Port of Los Angeles announced today it is going to be working 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” Biden said.
The Port of Long Beach is doing the same. The White House said these steps should speed up the process of getting goods off the ships and into stores.
Biden said mega-retailers like Target and Walmart, as well as companies like FedEx and UPS, have also committed to working overtime “to significantly increase the amount of goods they’re moving at night.”
“These commitments will move more goods faster, including toys,” said White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki.
The White House is pushing to ease backlogs and increase the volume of goods arriving in the U.S. ahead of the holiday season rush.