Biden: Temporary silo plan to get Ukraine grain out

President Joe Biden says he's working closely with European Union partners to build temporary silos along the Ukraine border and some in Poland to get much-needed grain out. Biden made the announcement during a speech at the AFL-CIO event in Philadelphia on Tuesday. Blockaded ports in Ukraine, caused by the ongoing war with Russia, have impeded exports of up to 25 million tons of grain from the key European breadbasket.

This comes as Ukraine and the West have accused Russia of stealing Ukraine’s grain and causing a global food crisis that could cause millions of deaths from hunger.

The head of Ukraine’s presidential office accused Russia's military of shelling and burning grain fields ahead of the harvest.

Biden also called on Republicans in Congress to do more bipartisan work to help the U.S. economy especially in lowering prices for the average American.

The president used his speech in an attempt to reset the terms of the debate on the economy as the president's own approval ratings have slid while consumer prices and the cost of gasoline have surged.

Inflation at a more than 40-year high has caused voters to sour on the economy, despite a recovery after the pandemic-induced downturn that has led to robust hiring and a healthy 3.6% unemployment rate.

The president on Tuesday tried to remind his audience of the food lines and layoffs during the coronavirus pandemic that preceded his presidency, contrasting that with the improvements in household balance sheets under his watch.

But even as the economy has quickly amassed jobs, inflation has left many workers feeling worse off as wages have not kept up with the costs of living. The Labor Department said Friday that average hourly earnings, after adjusting for inflation, have fallen 3% over the past year.

Inflation has left Biden and Democrats' control of the House and Senate vulnerable in the upcoming midterm elections. Republican lawmakers have blamed the president's $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package for causing inflation to start rising last year. GOP lawmakers also say the Biden administration has been too restrictive on domestic oil production.

Image: AP