{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/lujan-joins-leader-schumer-and-senate-democrats-to-unveil-new-initiative-to-lower-costs-as-trump-and-republicans-continue-to-burden-americans-with-tariffs-unstable-economy-and-skyrocketing-prices/", "Luj\u00e1n Joins Leader Schumer and Senate Democrats to Unveil New Initiative to Lower Costs as Trump and Republicans Continue to Burden Americans with Tariffs, Unstable Economy, and Skyrocketing Prices", "2025-12-17", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "NM", "Ben Ray Luj\u00e1n", "L000570", "www.lujan.senate.gov", "lujan", "https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/?jsf=jet-engine:press-list", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 Today, U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luj\u00e1n (D-N.M.) joined Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senate Democrats to unveil a new forward-looking Democratic initiative to lower costs. Since taking office, President Trump\u2014abetted by the Republicans in Congress\u2014has plagued American families with higher costs. From slashing health care, housing, and food assistance to hiking prices with indiscriminate tariffs to handing new tax breaks to special interests and corporations, Republicans have tanked the economy and sent costs skyrocketing while prioritizing their billionaire donors over American families.\n\nDespite his lofty campaign promises, it is clear \u2013 Trump and Republicans are raising costs, catering to the wealthy and well-connected, and leaving American families behind. The American people know from utilities to housing to health care, this economy isn\u2019t working for middle-class families. Rather than \u201cstarting on day one [to] end inflation and make America affordable again,\u201d Republicans have relentlessly pursued an agenda that has raised prices for families and businesses.\n\n\u201cPresident Trump promised to lower costs on day one, but prices for food and groceries continue to climb under his administration,\u201d said Senator Luj\u00e1n. \u201cPresident Trump might think the affordability crisis is a hoax, but the data shows, and hardworking families know the real story. Senate Democrats will continue to push back against harmful Republican policies and fight for an economy that works for American families, not just the wealthy.\u201d\n\n\u201cQuite simply \u2013 the Republicans are leaving the American people behind. Now, families are left with high prices, inflation, and an erratic economy,\u201d said Leader Schumer. \u201cThe first year of Trump\u2019s administration has been nothing more than broken promises and handouts to corporations and the ultra-wealthy, while families pay the price. Their incompetence and malice demands a new vision for our country, one that actually focuses on the folks in the middle, not those at the top. Trump claims affordability is a \u201cscam,\u201d but Senate Democrats know that these skyrocketing prices can be a matter of life and death. And we are going to fight to make sure millions of families can reclaim the American dream.\u201d\n\nThe new initiative from the Senate Democratic Caucus will focus on five key policy failures of the Republican Party\u2019s agenda:\n\nHealth Care: Trump and Republicans are responsible for skyrocketing premiums, deductibles, coverage loss, and the rising cost of caregiving.\n\nEnergy: By blocking cheaper, cleaner energy sources from the grid and raising taxes on more than 90% of new electricity, Trump and Republicans are skyrocketing working families\u2019 electric bills and demolishing high-quality jobs.\n\nHousing: Trump and Republicans are dramatically worsening the housing crisis, slashing critical housing programs, and imposing punishing tariffs that are driving up construction costs for new homes.\n\nGroceries & Household Goods: Trump and Republican policies have driven up prices on everyday essentials and pushed higher costs onto American families, all the while gutting critical food assistance, spiking broadband bills, and imposing tariffs on everything from strollers to car seats to cribs.\n\nTariffs: Trump and Republican chaotic, ill-considered tariffs are unilaterally raising prices for families by nearly $1,700 a year. Consumers, small businesses, manufacturers, and farmers are paying the price.\n\n\u201cWe know what is dominating discussions across the country: costs. Americans don\u2019t know if they can afford their bills, whether it\u2019s for groceries, prescription drugs, or utilities. Those bills don\u2019t lie,\u201d said Senator Klobuchar. \u201cInstead of working to lower costs like they promised, President Trump and Republicans in Congress are raising costs and leaving families behind. Our forward-looking initiative will focus on lowering costs for Americans\u2019 basic needs. Together, Democrats will keep fighting to deliver common sense solutions to the problems plaguing hardworking Americans and our nation.\u201d\n\n\u201cElectric bills are going to keep going up for people because the Trump Administration is driving them up on purpose,\u201d said Senator Whitehouse. \u201cWhen you sabotage clean energy\u2014as Trump and his minions are trying to do\u2014you drive up demand for more expensive energy from fossil fuels. So, as Trump takes cheap clean energy off the grid, a big fossil fuel donor gets to run a plant that would otherwise be idle because it\u2019s too expensive to run. It\u2019s money directly from consumers to Trump\u2019s big fossil fuel donors. This is not only a cost problem, but it is also a corruption case, and we intend to make it aggressively.\u201d\n\n\u201cDonald Trump promised to lower costs \u2018on day one.\u2019 Instead his chaotic tariffs and failed economic policies have raised costs on Americans, especially the cost of housing,\u201d said Senator Warren. \u201cIf Republicans refuse to act to bring down housing costs, Democrats will do it ourselves when we take back Congress.\u201d\n\n\u201cWhat should be a season of giving has become a season of paying for America\u2019s 36 million small businesses. Instead of making it affordable to start and run a small business, Trump\u2019s terrible tariffs are bringing Pain to Main Street,\u201d said Senator Markey. \u201cTariffs have driven up costs for toys, clothing, and even Christmas trees\u2014and once again it\u2019s small businesses who are paying the price. We need to end the Pain on Main and lower costs for small businesses, their employees, and their customers.\u201d\n\n\u201cWhen I travel across Georgia, I always hear the same thing: that folks\u2019 dollar isn\u2019t going far enough, and things are only getting more expensive. Because of the president\u2019s reckless tariffs, the cost of almost everything continues to skyrocket,\u201d said Senator Reverend Warnock. \u201cDuring a holiday season when almost half of all families are buying fewer gifts for their loved ones, Congress should roll back these tariffs and focus our efforts on lowering costs for families.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"]], "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://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/lujan-joins-leader-schumer-and-senate-democrats-to-unveil-new-initiative-to-lower-costs-as-trump-and-republicans-continue-to-burden-americans-with-tariffs-unstable-economy-and-skyrocketing-prices/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.7532561905682087, "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"}