Poll: Majority Say Biden Administration Is Not Doing Enough to Address the Supply Chain Crisis

Most Americans do not believe the Biden Administration is doing enough to address the supply chain crisis, a Rasmussen Reports survey released Friday found.

The survey asked respondents if the Biden administration is “doing enough to fix problems with the U.S. supply chain.” A majority, 59 percent, said no, followed by 27 percent who said yes and 14 percent who remain unsure. A majority of Republicans and independents, 84 percent and 63 percent, respectively, do not believe the Biden administration is doing enough. One-third of Democrats share that sentiment. 

Across the board, 82 percent are concerned that the supply chain crisis could lead to shortages of “food and other basic supplies.” Of those, 49 percent are “very” concerned. There is no true partisan divide on that, as a majority of Republicans (93 percent), Democrats (73 percent), and independents (80 percent) are concerned.

The survey, taken November 10-11, 2021, among 1,000 likely voters, has a margin of error of +/- 3 percent. 

The survey follows news this week of a record number of cargo ships, 164, waiting off the coast of California to unload goods, driving the ongoing supply chain crisis and directly affecting prices as supply lacks:

The ships seem unable to offload the goods because the ports are jammed with containers waiting for truckers to drive the freight to locations around the nation. But the ports appear to be struggling to efficiently move the containers from the ships to trucks or trains.

Truck drivers have complained they wait for hours to pick up a load of freight at the ports, which prohibits their productivity. With delays impacting drivers’ ability to earn a living, the trucking industry is facing a 30 percent labor shortage or 80,000 drivers in real numbers.

Because the trucking industry is already facing a labor shortage, Biden’s vaccine mandates will likely exacerbate that, although several trucking and retail trade associations are suing the Biden administration over the mandate.

The crisis prompted Florida to take action, with the state offering incentives for businesses to move their cargo through the Sunshine State’s ports. 

“We in Florida have the ability to help alleviate these log jams and help to ameliorate the problems with the supply chain,” Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) announced last month, emphasizing that the state has capacity. 

“We want to make sure that Americans get the goods they need, particularly as we approach the Christmas season,” he added.