Washington, D.C. – Yesterday, as part of the ‘Republican Price Tag Campaign,’ Congressman Don Beyer (VA-08), Congressman Gabe Amo (RI-01), Unrig Our Economy, Economic Security Project Action, Social Security Works, Navigator Research, and Americans from across the country held a national press call to highlight the estimated $3,800 more American families are paying for health care, food, energy, clothing, and other basic needs under President Trump and Republicans in Congress.
While Republicans in Congress promised to lower costs, their policies are making everyday life more expensive for millions of Americans. Families are being forced to pay more for health care, groceries, utilities, and other basic necessities, while Republicans have prioritized tax breaks for billionaires and wealthy corporations.
Throughout the month of August, Americans held nearly two dozen Republican Price Tag events across the country.
Watch the full press call here
“The Joint Economic Committee issued new analysis that found the average American family has had to pay almost $4,000 more because of rising prices under the policies and actions of this administration and my Republican friends in Congress,” said Congressman Don Beyer (VA-08). “What’s driving this figure? The biggest buckets are health care, grocery, energy costs, and housing. Congressional Republicans relentlessly voted for policies that drive American prices higher, and we heard today from a few of the millions of people who are bearing the brunt of that. It doesn’t have to be that way. The American people deserve better.”
“Congressional Republicans are supporting a tariff regime that is raising costs and foreign wars that are driving up gas and grocery prices, while taking the focus away from the challenges real people are facing every day,” said Congressman Gabe Amo (RI-01). “I look forward to continuing to hear from the people facing the challenges created by this administration and working on the behalf of all Americans who deserve a government that wants them to have a better life.”
“As a parent, the rising cost of our economy feels crushing. And then as a small business owner, having that experience magnified is also pretty devastating for our business,” said small business owner Michael Howard in Macomb County, Michigan. “The impact of the Republican Price Tag of $3,800 on average, for our business means that we’re going to struggle to maintain our staffing levels. The rising costs and just everything in general means that we’re going to see less income as a business because people have fewer means. And as a dad just trying to put food on the table for my family, these increases to the cost of gas and basic necessities really sets us back.”
“We have seen where our customers are having a harder time with buying necessities like their gas and their food and their school supplies, and I think that we directly see how that can impact kids,” said Phoenix, Arizona small business owner Jenn Mawcinitt. “I look around in my shop, and I’ve seen the way that the tariffs have dramatically increased the price of toys. When I’ll recommend a birthday gift to a mom who’s shopping at the $20 price point, I will walk over to it and realize, ‘oh no, this is now almost a $30 toy.’ The way that those have gone up over the past year is just absolutely incredible. I think that people were promised lower costs during this administration, and I’ve heard it over and over again. All I have seen is how this is affecting families, and how costs are rising at an exorbitant rate.”
“I was a center pivot irrigation dealership. If you’ve flown over the country and looked out the window and saw a whole bunch of green circles on the ground, that’s a bunch of center pivots that irrigate the corn and soybeans that we grow. They’re the biggest driver of the economy. That’s the biggest thing we had for export, and now we’re not exporting anything. Tariffs have driven up the cost of everything,” said former Nebraska small business owner Jeff Due. “We were an ag supplier industry with the irrigation business, and the cost of a new machine five years ago was about $65,000 to $68,000. Today, it’s over $110,000. And by the time you figure that we’ve had to increase our labor expenses just to cover the bases, farmers can’t afford these things, and they are actively disengaging.”
“Republicans in Congress promised to lower costs. Instead, working families are paying more for nearly everything they need while billionaires are getting even more tax breaks,” said Unrig Our Economy Campaign Director Leor Tal. “Health care. Groceries. Energy. Clothing. Basic household expenses. Families are feeling every dollar of the Republican Price Tag.”
“In every focus group, we hear from Americans who are being forced to make these really difficult decisions: on which bill do they pay, how do they take on an extra job, or, in the gig economy, can they find something else to help supplement their income? Can they cut corners even further to try to make ends meet?” said Navigator Research Managing Director Melissa Toufanian. “Behind every data point is a person, and far too many people are really hurting right now.”
“The GOP agenda is rocket fuel for the cost of living crisis. Republicans chose billionaires and big corporations over families, and now every working American is paying the price,” said Anna Aurilio, VP of Economic Security Project Action. “The Republican majority cut taxes for the ultra-rich and paid for it by raising the cost of healthcare, energy, food and student loans.”
“Costs for American families are skyrocketing, due to Republican tax cuts for billionaires, destructive tariffs, and Trump’s senseless war,” said Alex Lawson, Executive Director of Social Security Works. “Paychecks, and Social Security checks, aren’t keeping up. We are making sure that every voter knows who is responsible for the outrageous prices they are paying at the gas pump and at the grocery store.”
About Unrig Our Economy
Unrig Our Economy is a national campaign to fix the rules of our economy to make it work for working people. We know that when the middle class does well, all of us do well — which is why we’re fighting on behalf of working Americans and holding corporations, their wealthy executives, and the politicians who enable them accountable.
About Social Security Works
Social Security Works is a non-profit fighting to protect and expand Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid—because everyone deserves to live in dignity.
About Economic Security Project Action
Economic Security Project Action mobilizes resources and people behind ideas that build economic power for all Americans.