JOHN,

We’ve seen corporations exploit crises like hurricanes and pandemics to raise prices and price gouge the American people. Now they’re using new technology to inflate grocery prices, even though most Americans are already struggling to afford food.

Have you heard of surge pricing? What about surveillance pricing?

One grocery industry analyst told National Public Radio that, using electronic shelf labels rather than price stickers, grocery stores can raise and lower prices at will: “If it’s hot outside, we can raise the price of water and ice cream.”¹ But that’s not all.

Big grocery chains are also gathering consumers’ personal data, creating profiles on each and every one of us. They then pair these profiles with the use of mobile apps, online shopping, and even cameras at check-out lanes with facial recognition technology to raise prices on items based on an algorithm’s assessment of your ability to pay. This is surveillance pricing, and it often hits Black and brown communities the hardest.

Target has even been known to raise prices on consumers who are using the Target mobile app while in the store. Their thinking is, you’re already there and will pay whatever price they give you. This is predatory pricing and we’ve got to stop it.

To combat corporate greed and demand consumers’ rights, I’ve introduced the Stop Price Gouging in Grocery Stores Act. Will you add your name now as a grassroots co-sponsor to demand Congress put people over profits?

Many of my colleagues in Congress ran on a promise to lower prices for everyday people.

But most also take money from corporations. And as part of their Big Budget Betrayal, Republicans massively cut SNAP nutrition benefits―which will directly harm millions of families’ access to nutritious food―and refused to renew the Affordable Care Act premium tax credit, which has helped working people afford healthcare.

They’re more interested in handing billionaires tax breaks and allowing corporations to rake in record profits, all at our expense.

My Stop Price Gouging in Grocery Stores Act would:

• prohibit surveillance pricing in retail food stores (providing narrow exceptions for discounts for students and seniors)

• require food stores to disclose the use of facial recognition technology

• ban electronic shelf labels in large retail and grocery stores

• require the Federal Trade Commission to enforce these bans and hold corporations accountable

I’m also co-leading the Stop AI Price Gouging and Wage Fixing Act with Rep. Greg Casar to prohibit all companies from using surveillance data to raise prices or lower wages.

Add your name now as a grassroots co-sponsor of the Stop Price Gouging in Grocery Stores Act and the Stop AI Price Gouging and Wage Fixing Act to protect consumers from corporate greed.

Together, we’re demanding Congress stop exploitation and prioritize the needs of working people over enriching billionaires and fueling corporate greed.

Thank you for taking action today,

Rashida

¹ A supermarket trip may soon look different, thanks to electronic shelf labels