The Trump administration’s actions, from tariffs to the Iran war to cuts to Medicaid, are “obliterating the economic security” of a huge swath of North Carolinians, according to a new report released this month from Defend America Action.
The report, titled “The Tar Heel Affordability Crisis,” finds the country’s affordability crisis is accelerating, and the simultaneous cuts to federal and state assistance threaten to “rip away” safety nets when they are needed the most.
The report explains the cumulative impact of rising costs on working families and seniors, a point that U.S. Rep. Deborah Ross said is particularly important to understand. “This isn’t just a little thing that’s happening,” she said. “And the Trump administration has been taking actions that make all these different sectors more expensive at the same time.”
Ross continued, “There is absolutely no connection with the lived experience of the average American in this Administration. Zero. They’re not really thinking about what the consequences are for people.”
That disconnect extends to the state legislature, too, where Republicans, who control both chambers of the General Assembly, are more than 300 days late in passing a budget that would begin to address some of these issues.
“We should have a budget, first of all, so that we can ensure that the tens of thousands of state employees and teachers across the state are able to keep up with inflation better than they have been in the past,” N.C. Sen. Lisa Grafstein said.
Ultimately, it doesn’t take a report to understand that food, gas, rent, utilities, clothing, medicine, furniture, cars, and toys have all gotten more expensive under this Trump administration. And the best way to change that is to change the people making the rules.
“No one has the power except for the people, and they have a choice this November. They need to elect people to represent them and to fight for their families that are serious about the issues that matter to them and make a difference at their kitchen table,” said N.C. Sen. Michael Garrett.
