Congressman Troy Downing, R-Mont., joined “Mornings with Maria” to discuss the economic toll of the shutdown, record high beef prices and the president’s $2,000 relief plan amid growing fears of inflation and rising debt.
Beef prices have soared to record highs, yet Americans continue to buy steaks.
Economists say entrenched demand is helping to drive up prices and there is little sign of it easing in the near term.
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“There is nothing that forces me, you or anyone else when we go to the grocery store to pay more for beef. People choose it,” he said.
“Consumer desire for beef is high and, regardless of the supply side situation, this means prices are rising.”
The average price of beef in supermarkets increased from about $8.40 per pound in March to $9.18 per pound in August 2025. (Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP/Getty Images)
According to USDA data, the average price of beef in grocery stores rose from about $8.40 per pound in March to $9.18 per pound in August 2025, an increase of about 9% over that period.
Americans are still buying, but actually more than ever.
In 2024, consumers spent more than $40 billion on fresh beef, which accounted for more than half of all fresh meat sales, according to data from Beef Research, a contractor for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.
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Industry analysts say that while beef supplies are expected to tighten even further in 2025, prices could rise slightly higher.
Despite these pressures, economists like Tonsor say that Americans’ loyalty to beef remains unparalleled and that large-scale production is part of what keeps it within reach for consumers.
Cattle are shown in pens at the Cattlemen’s Columbus Livestock Auction on October 8, 2025 in Columbus, Texas. (Melissa Phillip/Houston Chronicle/Getty Images/Getty Images)
“I would argue that these economies of scale benefit the consumer,” Tonsor said. “The ability to operate at a lower cost per capita and ultimately per pound produced gives us the ability to offer beef and all the other products we’re talking about at a lower price. Anything we do that loses these economies of scale hurts consumers in the form of higher prices.”
But even with strong the consumer’s appetite Keeping the market alive means farmers face challenges at the other end of the supply chain.
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While strong demand is one reason beef prices remain high, supply is another reason.
Years of drought, high nutrition costs and an aging ranching population has thinned herds across the country, leaving U.S. livestock supplies at their lowest levels in more than 70 years.
A ranch hand gathers cattle at the Adams Ranch Inc. in St. Lucie County, Florida, on July 9, 2013. (Ty Wright/Bloomberg/Getty Images)
Derrell Peel, a professor of agricultural economics at Oklahoma State University, said the current supply crisis won’t be solved overnight.
“The fact is there is nothing anyone can do to change this very quickly,” Peel said. “We are in a tight supply situation that has taken a number of years to develop, and it will take a number of years to get out of it.”
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He noted that there is no quick way to relieve pressure on livestock prices, as it takes roughly two years to bring animals to market and several years to rebuild herds.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration says it is working to bring down beef prices by increasing supply through more imports from countries like Argentinawhile laying the groundwork for a long-term plan to strengthen America’s livestock industry.
