Budzinski Unveils Affordability Agenda to Address the Cost of Living Crisis

<p><strong>WASHINGTON, DC</strong>&nbsp;&#8211; Today,&nbsp;<strong>Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (IL-13)</strong>, Vice Chair of Policy for the New Democrat Coalition, unveiled her&nbsp;<a href="https://newdemocratcoalition.house.gov/imo/media/doc/new_dem_affordability_agenda.pdf">Affordability Agenda</a>&nbsp;— a bold, practical roadmap to lower costs for working families in Illinois’ 13th District and across the country. The plan focuses on bringing down the five core expenses straining household budgets: health care, housing, energy, family care, and everyday essentials like groceries.</p>

<p>As Vice Chair of Policy, Budzinski led the drafting of the comprehensive agenda, which outlines immediate and long-term solutions to address rising costs and strengthen economic security.</p>

<p>While President Trump and Republicans in Congress promised to lower prices “on day one” and “end inflation,” their billionaire-first agenda has failed to deliver meaningful relief. Instead, working families continue to feel squeezed at the checkout counter, at the doctor’s office, and in the housing market.</p>

<p>&#8220;Our affordability agenda takes on each of the challenges keeping people up at night,” said&nbsp;<strong>Vice Chair Nikki Budzinski</strong>. “We’ll lower grocery prices by taking on Trump’s tariff policies that drive up costs and supporting more competition, less consolidation in the grocery industry. We&#8217;ll cut red tape and modernize permitting to build four million new homes over the next decade, and we&#8217;ll finally create a national paid family and medical leave program. On health care, we won’t just extend ACA tax credits — we’re going to protect patients from surprise medical bills and stop aggressive medical debt collection. These are common-sense steps we can take now to deliver real relief for Americans.&#8221;</p>

<p><strong><u>Affordability Agenda Toplines</u></strong>&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Groceries &amp; Household Essentials</strong></p>

<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Restore certainty by rolling back Trump’s tariffs and advancing smarter, durable trade policies.</li>

<li>Support small producers and crack down on price-gouging corporations to increase competition in the food marketplace.</li>

<li>Lower internet bills by restarting the Affordable Connectivity Program.</li>

<li>Increase the minimum wage and ensure workers have a seat at the table.</li>
</ul>

<p><strong>Health Care</strong></p>

<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Reduce monthly costs by extending ACA tax credits and expanding access to prescription price caps.</li>

<li>Protect patients from surprise medical bills and aggressive debt collection.</li>

<li>Expand access to care by fully funding Medicaid and strengthening Medicare’s guaranteed benefits.</li>

<li>Increase competition and transparency while cracking down on fraud and abuse.</li>
</ul>

<p><strong>Housing</strong></p>

<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Cut red tape and update permitting and zoning to build four million homes in the next decade.</li>

<li>Level the playing field by eliminating unfair tax breaks to private equity and large investors.</li>

<li>Utilize innovative construction technologies to accelerate home production.</li>

<li>Build more affordable homes by increasing Low-Income Housing Tax Credit allocations and community benefits. </li>
</ul>

<p><strong>Energy</strong></p>

<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Reform permitting rules to make it faster and cheaper to build energy transmission and generation infrastructure.</li>

<li>Ensure energy is available and abundant by establishing a level playing field for all forms of energy.</li>

<li>Reallocate electric grid costs to protect consumers from price hikes due to manufacturing and data center development.</li>

<li>Invest in energy efficiency and home heating &amp; cooling to lower residential energy costs.</li>
</ul>

<p><strong>Families</strong></p>

<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Create a national paid family and medical leave program that covers all Americans.</li>

<li>Support working families with expanded access to tax cuts and universal pre-K.</li>

<li>Leverage federal resources and foster public-private partnerships to enhance care options and paid leave access.</li>

<li>Invest in the home health and long-term care workforce to care for aging Americans.</li>
</ul>

<p>You can read the full Affordability Agenda&nbsp;<a href="https://newdemocratcoalition.house.gov/imo/media/doc/new_dem_affordability_agenda.pdf">here</a>.</p>

<p class="has-text-align-center">&nbsp;###</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://budzinski.house.gov/posts/budzinski-unveils-affordability-agenda-to-address-the-cost-of-living-crisis">Budzinski Unveils Affordability Agenda to Address the Cost of Living Crisis</a> appeared first on <a href="https://budzinski.house.gov">Nikki Budzinski</a>.</p>