Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2026

Floor Speech

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Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, Donald Trump said the cost- of-living crisis is fake news, ``a con job by the Democrats.''

Mr. Speaker, 60 percent of Americans can't afford a basic quality of life, 45 percent have had to skip a doctor's appointment or a prescription because they can't afford it, and 41 percent are living with medical debt. The American people are simply not making it.

Not only is that crisis real, it is a crisis that Republicans promised to solve. Voters believed them. Now, after a 54-day hiatus, what are Republicans doing? They are voting to raise the cost of living. They are voting to make it even harder to get by, not by some marginal amount. They are doubling, tripling, and quadrupling monthly premiums.

What is their defense? They are looking people in the eye and flat- out gaslighting them: Costs aren't up; costs are down.

Trump says: ``I don't want to hear about the affordability.'' Well, get used to hearing about it. You are going to hear about it a lot because people are feeling it every single day. People can't make rent. They can't afford their prescriptions. They can't afford to take their kid to a doctor. They can't find childcare. When they find it, they can't afford that, either. Grocery and utility bills are spiking. This is the crisis of our time, and it is about to get exponentially worse because of the GOP's craven allegiance to billionaires over working people.

The cost-of-living crisis is not fake news. It is not a perception issue. It is daily life for the people that we all represent. Let's do something about it. Let's reject this budget. Let's stop the healthcare cuts. Let's stop the premium hikes. Let's stop the hospital closures, and let's stop the billionaire giveaways.

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