Make no mistake: Nov. 3 was a change election, driven by widespread dissatisfaction with the economy. What must come next is real change.
Americans have been struggling under the Trump administration’s tariffs, wars and cuts to safety net programs. Higher fuel prices from the Iran war alone are projected to cost U.S. families an extra $170 billion this year, nearly $1,200 per household. Rising costs due to tariffs are expected to add another $1,100 or so to average household costs.
But while President Donald Trump’s choices made life much harder, one thing I’ve heard from the low-income people I work with is that the crisis of affordability didn’t begin with him.
For decades, the nation’s families have found their wages inadequate to match the rising costs of healthcare, childcare, education and housing. It’s a problem that, by and large, both parties have failed to reverse. So for most Americans, a return to the pre-Trump status quo is not good enough.
The families in need for whom I advocate have for years shared heartbreaking stories about working multiple jobs and still being unable to make ends meet. Finding adequate healthcare, housing, food or support for children with disabilities is a constant struggle.