Making Life More Affordable

Floor Speech

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Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend Congresswoman Rivas for hosting this Special Order hour.

Mr. Speaker, millions of American families are struggling with the skyrocketing cost of living. They can't afford gas, groceries, or their bills.

Republicans in the White House week after week are gaslighting the American people. Now, we are seeing Donald Trump make reckless foreign policy decisions which are increasing the costs for American families as we speak.

Over the past few weeks, the news out of the Middle East has been alarming. Trump has significantly escalated military involvement in Iran, a war that puts American lives at risk.

Now, let's talk about what this means for working families. Wars aren't just fought overseas, but they are paid for right here in the United States. Every increase in military spending and every escalation of conflict has a ripple effect that touches grocery bills, utility costs, and most immediately the price at the pump.

Gas prices are rising with an average gallon in Texas now between $3.26 and almost $3.50, while diesel approaches $5 a gallon, a jump of 25 cents just this past week.

It is families who are paying the price: parents who are driving their kids to school, commuters trying to get to work, and seniors who are trying to make their Social Security stretch just a bit further.

All of this is happening while Trump and Republicans continue to ignore the affordability crisis facing everyday Americans every day of every week and every hour.

We are talking about real families deciding whether to fill their car with gas or put food on the table. We are talking about the anxiety that comes from not knowing how to cover the next bill when our leaders gamble with the lives and the money of American taxpayers abroad.

The billion dollars that we are spending each day on this war could be spent on supporting families, tax relief, the child tax credit, healthcare, the Affordable Care Act--everything.

How many times have we heard from Republicans coming to this floor clutching their pearls saying: Oh, we don't have the money to spend to make healthcare accessible for so many people.

There are so many things that Republicans come down here to say that we don't have the funding for, yet they are willing to let this President spend their hard-earned tax money on a war overseas instead of the needs of the people right here at home.

While families are tightening their belts, Republicans in Washington are going on a spending spree. They are continuing to try to fund a foreign war with no end in sight, which the American people do not want. All without addressing concerns right here on affordability right now, at kitchen tables at home right now, for people in this country.

The picture could not be clearer. While Republicans prioritize reckless wars over the well-being of the American people, Democrats are laser focused on protecting working families and making sure they can afford what they need to survive.

I urge Republicans to remember the people behind the numbers. Remember the families struggling to fill their tanks, to buy their groceries, and to pay their rent. Remember that every dollar spent on this never-ending war is a dollar taken from American families already stretched too thin.

Mr. Speaker, I stand here today not just to call attention to the human cost of war but to call on all of us to act to protect the families of this country, act to prioritize affordability and lower the costs for those who need it, and act to ensure that the promise of the American Dream is not priced out of reach for the millions of people who sent us here to fight for them.

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