El Paso, tx — Milk. It's a good source of calcium, vitamin D, and maybe a little pain. "Everything is more expensive right now. Gas is more expensive. We are living hard time now," Elmer Garcia, a New Mexico resident who does his grocery shopping in El Paso tells News Channel 9.

Consumers who depend on the white stuff may be shelling out a little more green come January, if leaders in the House of Representatives don't take action on a farm bill which regulates the price of milk.

We asked another shopper if she would pay $5 for a gallon of milk, she told us 'no.' The bill expired on September 30th and leaders say they won't take action on a new Farm Bill until after the November elections. And if they don't take action, neither will Patricia Garcia. "Not me, because I don't need it. But it's not fair for the people that need it like the small children or the people like the elders," she says.

It's not just milk prices that have been impacted. The recent drought affected the price of corn which some farmers use as feed, further spiking dairy and meat prices. Which are essential staples for some people's diets, "If you want to eat meat, you have to pay for it," Mr. Garcia says.

"If you have to pick between a beer or a gallon of milk... of course you're going to pick the milk," Mrs. Garcia tells us.