By Rep. Kweisi Mfume
In recent months here in Baltimore and across the nation, the affordability crisis has become a defining challenge for everyday Americans. It’s crucial to underscore how the current administration’s policies have left working families, union households, veterans, single parents and individuals with disabilities struggling more than ever. When compared with what Donald Trump said he would fix on day one, it’s becoming painfully apparent that he had no idea of what people are going through on a day-to-day basis just to be able to survive with some modicum of dignity, as we watch prices go up and our dollars forced to buy less.
At the heart of this affordability struggle is a frightening reality–families are facing outrageous costs for groceries, gas, electric bills and other essentials. As open enrollment season begins to slowly come to an end, people are being forced into impossible choices about healthcare: either pay rising premiums or risk going without coverage and hoping that no one in the family falls ill. That’s what the government shutdown was about. It was an insistence on the part of MAGA Republicans who control the House of Representatives, the Senate and the White House to let health subsidies expire and do nothing about it. That is not government at its best, that’s government at its worst.
At the heart of this gridlock is a White House that is disconnected from the reality on the ground. Many feel that President Donald Trump and his right wing-aligned Republicans simply don’t grasp how unaffordable things have become. Because they don’t personally feel the pinch, there’s a perception that they see no urgent need to act. This out-of-touch stance has left millions of working families in limbo, struggling with costs that keep climbing while real solutions are put on hold. Meanwhile Donald Trump is sending 20 billion dollars to Argentina to help its flailing economy while ignoring the everyday needs of families here at home.
In other words, this administration has shown how out of touch it is with the daily realities of ordinary citizens just trying to make ends meet. We need to highlight that for working people, for those who have served our country, and for vulnerable households, these rising costs aren’t just numbers. They are daily hardships. They are decisions at the dinner table about what to cut and what to sacrifice. And they underscore the need for leaders who truly understand and fight for affordability for all.
In the end, it’s not just about policy differences. It’s about leadership that’s willing to stand up, listen, and understand what ordinary Americans are going through. And as long as this administration remains out of touch, we’ll keep seeing the same stalemate, which is why I will continue to do everything in my power to push back, speak out and stand up against policies that ignore the real needs of the people. History has proven that we will survive this dark and difficult era much like we have done in the past but it will come at a high price and a valuable lesson: That lesson is that …people who do not vote have no line of credit with the people who are elected, therefore pose no threat to those who work daily against our interests.
The opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the writer and not necessarily those of the AFRO.