{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://davids.house.gov/media/press-releases/davids-hears-kansans-rising-costs-facing-families", "Davids Hears from Kansans on Rising Costs Facing Families", "2026-05-27", "2026", "2026-05", "Democrat", "House", "KS", "Sharice Davids", "D000629", "davids.house.gov", "davids", "https://davids.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "OVERLAND PARK, KS \u2014 Today, Representative Sharice Davids hosted a listening session with Kansans from across the Third District focused on the rising cost of living and the financial pressures families continue to face from higher prices on groceries, healthcare, housing, fuel, and utilities. Davids emphasized the need for practical, bipartisan solutions that lower costs for hardworking families instead of policies that reward billionaires and large corporations at everyone else\u2019s expense.\n\n\u201cKansans are working hard, doing everything right, and still getting hurt by rising costs,\u201d said Davids. \u201cFamilies should not be paying more at the grocery store, more at the gas pump, and more for healthcare while billionaires and massive corporations keep getting tax breaks and special treatment. I wanted to hear directly from Kansans about what they\u2019re experiencing so we can keep pushing for practical, bipartisan solutions that actually lower costs for everyday folks.\u201d\n\nThe discussion comes as many Kansas households continue reporting financial pressure due to rising inflation and reckless policy decisions in Washington that only favor billionaires. The average family is paying more than $2,500 extra this year due to tariffs and is expected to spend about $740 more on gas. In the past year, residential electricity prices have risen by 13 percent nationally, and families have paid more than $300 more for groceries.\n\nDavids discussed her work to lower costs for Kansans, including efforts to cap insulin at $35 for seniors, lower prescription drug prices through Medicare negotiation, expand affordable housing supply, strengthen Kansas agriculture and local food systems, support year-round E15 fuel access to lower prices at the pump, and extend Affordable Care Act tax credits that help families afford health coverage. She also highlighted her opposition to reckless tariffs and extreme Medicaid cuts that are closing rural hospitals and increasing healthcare costs for Kansas families.\n\nEach participant previously wrote to Davids\u2019 office, expressing concerns about rising costs:\n\nSteven S., Olathe\n\n\u201cContinue to work in a bipartisan manner to address rising consumer prices and do something about the spiraling costs of healthcare. It's the biggest failure that our democracy has created.\u201d\n\nRobert B., Overland Park\n\nHis wife said, \u201cThank you for your amazing work in Washington and in Kansas. \u2026 I don\u2019t understand what exactly the government can do to affect the prices of groceries and fuel. \u2026 My concern is for those who really do struggle to make ends meet \u2014 between rising healthcare costs and all the other things folks have to spend money on. And my concern is for a long view for the next generation of leaders in Washington.\u201d\n\nKay E., Shawnee\n\n\u201cRising costs are a major concern. Prices continue to go up and probably will never go down. There is so much political fighting that the common person can hardly afford to live anymore.\u201d\n\nErika K., Gardner\n\n\"I am a federal employee. \u2026 My husband and I \u2026 purchased a home in Gardner because that's where we could afford to purchase, and we're glad we did. Driving 5 times per week, plus childcare, plus groceries \u2014 and mind you, groceries and fuel have increased from this Republican administration's tariffs and wars \u2014 our capacity to save has become more limited. I'm worried how far this can go.\u201d\n\nDavids was raised by a single mom and knows what it\u2019s like to struggle to put food on the table, stretch every dollar, and make difficult choices between paying for groceries, healthcare, gas, or rent. That experience continues to shape her focus on lowering costs for working families and making sure everyday people \u2014 not just billionaires and large corporations \u2014 have a fair shot at getting ahead.", 1, "2026-06-12T06:37:16Z", "2026-06-12T06:39:00Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://davids.house.gov/media/press-releases/davids-hears-kansans-rising-costs-facing-families"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.7313328571617603, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}