WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senate Democrats are rolling out a new affordability push—aimed squarely at kitchen-table issues many voters say still hurt the most.
From grocery aisles to gas pumps, Senate Democrats say Americans are still paying too much—and they’re putting a new plan on the table to bring prices down.
“Our 2026 initiative, focusing on the number one issue that the American people face: skyrocketing costs,” said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.
Schumer, along with several of his colleagues, unveiled a five-point initiative targeting health care, energy, housing, groceries and everyday household goods—along with tariffs that Democrats say are driving up costs.
Schumer blamed President Trump for failing to deliver on his biggest campaign promise.
“He promised he’d bring costs down on day one. That was his number one promise. That was the number one reason he won the election,” Schumer said.
Schumer’s criticism of the president came Wednesday afternoon, just hours before President Trump addressed the nation—placing blame on Democrats and former President Joe Biden for high prices, while teasing a looming economic boom.
“After 11 months, our border is secure, inflation has stopped, wages are up, prices are down. Our nation is strong, America is respected, and our country is back stronger than ever before. We are poised for an economic boom the likes of which the world has never seen,” the president said during his primetime address.
Analysts say declining approval ratings on the president’s handling of the economy can give some political capital to Democrats—who are also seeing lower approval ratings, with less than a year until the 2026 elections.
“The economy is always the number one issue in every single election,” said Dr. Todd Belt, Professor and Director of the Political Management Master’s Program at George Washington University.
That is especially true in the midterms, Belt said, because they are an assessment, or a report card from voters on the current administration. “They take it out on his party during the midterm elections,” he added.
“But the Democrats need to be careful because they’re not getting very high ratings either from the public. That’s why they need to put a plan together that shows that they know what they’re doing and they have a plan when they get the power,” Belt said. “Put together plans and get them voted down by the other side and then say, look and see- we tried to make things better, but they won’t let us do it. Give us the majority and we will.”
Health care costs will likely be a cornerstone to Democrats’ pitch in 2026, especially after premiums for over 20 million Americans are expected to soar as enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies near their expiration in less than two weeks.
“The Affordable Care Act passed 15 years ago. The goal was to reduce cost, improve quality, increase access, and today we’re the most expensive health care in the world. It cost three times more per person here than in any other developed country,” said Sen. Dave McCormick, R-Pa. “In the longer run, we’ve got to fix it with better transparency, more competition, and really putting more money in the hands of consumers.”
