WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Representative Greg Stanton (D-Ariz.) joined other leadership members of the New Democrat Coalition to unveil their Affordability Agenda, a policy roadmap to help make life more affordable for Americans by focusing on lowering the five core costs that are too high for hardworking people: health care, housing, energy, family care, and household essentials like groceries.
“Trump has failed to deliver on his promise to end inflation and make life more affordable for working families. In fact, he’s made things worse: his trade war is raising prices on everything from groceries to housing, and Congressional Republicans sent health coverage costs skyrocketing for tens of millions of Americans,” said Rep. Stanton. “The New Dems Affordability Agenda doesn’t just undo Trump’s economic sabotage, it offers bold solutions to the biggest pressures families face. This forward-looking plan brings the American dream back within reach for Arizona families.”
With the Affordability Agenda, Stanton and the New Dems are offering a better path to lower everyday costs in the short- and long-term by rolling back harmful policies pushed by Republicans in Washington, promoting competition and supporting small businesses to boost consumer choice, and breaking down regulatory barriers across the government that prevent us from meeting the needs of the American people.
The full Affordability Agenda is available HERE.
Affordability Agenda Highlights
Groceries & Household Essentials
- Restore certainty by rolling back Trump’s tariffs and advancing smarter, durable trade policies.
- Support small producers and crack down on price-gouging corporations to increase competition in the food marketplace.
- Lower internet bills by restarting the Affordable Connectivity Program.
- Increase the minimum wage and ensure workers have a seat at the table.
Health Care
- Reduce monthly costs by extending ACA tax credits and expanding access to prescription price caps.
- Protect patients from surprise medical bills and aggressive debt collection.
- Expand access to care by fully funding Medicaid and strengthening Medicare’s guaranteed benefits.
- Increase competition and transparency while cracking down on fraud and abuse.
Housing
- Cut red tape and update permitting and zoning to build four million homes in the next decade.
- Level the playing field by eliminating unfair tax breaks to private equity and large investors.
- Utilize innovative construction technologies to accelerate home production.
- Build more affordable homes by increasing Low-Income Housing Tax Credit allocations and community benefits.
Energy
- Reform permitting rules to make it faster and cheaper to build energy transmission and generation infrastructure.
- Ensure energy is available and abundant by establishing a level playing field for all forms of energy.
- Reallocate electric grid costs to protect consumers from price hikes due to manufacturing and data center development.
- Invest in energy efficiency and home heating & cooling to lower residential energy costs.
Families
- Create a national paid family and medical leave program that covers all Americans.
- Support working families with expanded access to tax cuts and universal pre-K.
- Leverage federal resources and foster public-private partnerships to enhance care options and paid leave access.
- Invest in the home health and long-term care workforce to care for aging Americans.