Making Life More Affordable
Floor Speech
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Ms. RIVAS. Mr. Speaker, I am here today because we have yet to see a bill offered on the floor during my time in Congress that would make life more affordable for working families.
In fact, since the last time my freshmen colleagues and I were on this floor talking about the Republicans' affordability crisis, Donald Trump unconstitutionally started a war with Iran. So far there has been no meaningful plan or strategy to ensure that America's national security interests or our servicemembers are protected.
We mourn for the families and loved ones of the 13 servicemembers who have already lost their lives in this war, and we hope that another life is not lost.
After just over 2 weeks, Donald Trump's war in Iran has cost the American people $11 billion. Donald Trump would rather pour billions of dollars to start a war with another country than address the affordability crisis that he and Republicans have created.
I recently conducted a survey of nearly 70,000 constituents in my district and asked them a simple yes-or-no question: Instead of the war in Iran, should Trump focus on making the cost of living more affordable? Over 90 percent of those who responded said ``yes.'' This sentiment is reflected across the Nation.
Donald Trump's war in Iran has the worst-ever support for a war at its start. Trump's reckless and illegal war with Iran is yet another example of how this administration has been out of touch with the priorities of American families since he has been back in office.
The American people do not want our country to get sucked into another forever war. The American people want the Epstein files released. The American people want ICE to be reined in. The American people want to pay less at the grocery store, at the gas station, and at the doctor's office.
Since the war in Iran started, prices for gas, food, and other essentials have spiked. Gas prices shot up 50 cents in just one week, and oil prices hit $100 a barrel.
Experts believe that Trump's war in Iran could push the average cost of gas to above $4 a gallon within weeks. Gas stations in Los Angeles have hit over $8 per gallon.
But Trump says he doesn't have any concern about skyrocketing gas prices. He even called anyone who is worried about the rising cost of gas a fool.
When asked whether Americans should feel scared about retaliatory attacks on U.S. soil, Trump replied: ``When you go to war, some people will die.''
It is not enough to say that Donald Trump is completely out of touch with the needs of the American people. He does not care about everyday Americans. He is more concerned about lining the pockets of his billionaire donors and starting wars to deflect from the issues people actually care about.
My House Democratic Caucus freshmen colleagues and I refuse to let Trump's distractions deter us from fighting for our constituents. We remain focused on lowering costs for our constituents and holding Trump accountable.
We all voted against Trump's war in Iran, to stop him from abusing his power. It is clear that the American public and Congress do not influence Trump's decisions, and he would rather be influenced by his impulses and emotion.
Our constituents sent us to Washington to make life more affordable for them, not to rubberstamp Trump and Republicans' agenda that actively makes their lives worse for them.
Tonight, we will hear from some of the freshmen Democratic Caucus members and the work that they are doing to make life more affordable for their constituents.
I will start with the Congresswoman from Texas.
Johnson), my colleague and friend.
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Ms. RIVAS. I draw your attention, Mr. Speaker, to the poster behind me. This is a real photo that my staff took of a gas station in Los Angeles. It is a real photo. It is not AI, and it is not photoshopped. Your eyes are not deceiving you, Mr. Speaker. You are seeing a real gas station showing $8.71 a gallon for regular gas. In the span of 1 week, gas prices shot up 50 cents--in just 1 week--and oil prices hit $100 a barrel.
Gas prices are nearly $3.50 per gallon on average across the country, but experts believe Trump's war in Iran could push the average cost of gas to above $4 a gallon within weeks. Analysts say that Americans will spend nearly $1 billion more on gas next week. Diesel prices are up 86 cents to $4.60 per gallon, and jet fuel prices have skyrocketed, hiking prices for shipping and airfare.
Trump has not shown concern for how the rising cost of gas could hurt Americans' wallets saying: ``If they rise, they rise.''
The United States produces more oil than any country on Earth, and even that supply could not stop gas prices from surging 50 percent in 10 days. Drilling more will not help Americans at the gas pump when oil companies are shipping oil barrels overseas, and it certainly will not help when a strategic waterway, the Strait of Hormuz, is shut down.
Trump's only response is to call us fools and gaslight the American people into thinking he is doing a good job. That is an out-of-touch response from an out-of-touch person. Working families in Los Angeles and across the country cannot afford Trump's war.
Across the country, families are sitting around the kitchen table and are seeing their monthly costs rise with no help in sight. It is adding up quickly, but then they turn on the TV and see that Trump has unconstitutionally started a war in Iran without strategy or justification.
Housing costs are skyrocketing. Grocery costs haven't gone down. Healthcare is being placed out of reach for millions of Americans. Republicans estimate that Trump's war is costing taxpayers upwards of $2 billion a day, and yet they cannot find a dime to lower the cost of living in this country.
Already, the cost of this war could have likely paid for extending the Affordable Care Act tax credits this year. Instead, families across the country are seeing their healthcare costs double and triple. In my district, 31,000 families have seen their healthcare costs rise because of Republican inaction. Additionally, nearly 11,000 people in California's 29th District will lose access to health coverage because of Republicans' refusal to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits.
The Kaiser Family Foundation estimates that annual out-of-pocket premium payments for ACA marketplace enrollees will increase from $888 in 2025 to over $1,900 in 2026.
Constituents in my district have made their voices heard: They would rather Trump and Republicans focus on making healthcare more affordable, not getting involved in another foreign conflict.
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Ms. RIVAS. Mr. Speaker, before I close, I want to once again take a moment to mourn the lives that have already been lost to this conflict.
My heart goes out to the families and loved ones of the 13 servicemembers who have been killed in this war. My heart also goes out to the innocent lives that have been taken as a result of this war, including the over 170 people, mostly young girls, who were killed in a school.
As we have seen, Donald Trump does not have a strategy to keep innocent lives or our servicemembers safe. He started a war because he once again refuses to address the issues Americans actually care about: releasing the Epstein files, reining in ICE, and addressing the affordability crisis he and Republicans started.
My House Democratic colleagues and I know that working Americans are not interested in another forever war. They want to be able to afford their rent, pay for their groceries, see their doctor, and fill their tank without fear of going into debt.
I am proud to work with my colleagues to drive down the high cost of living, fix our broken healthcare system, and make sure that immigration enforcement in this country is fair, just, and humane. House Democrats stand with working Americans and will always work on solutions to alleviate their fears and keep their dreams within reach.
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