James P. McGovern
Representative for Massachusetts · Democratic · United States
“The cost of everything is up, thanks to Republicans' awful economic policies. We have technology moving faster than our government's ability to protect people. We have an illegal war that is escalating overseas.”
House of Representatives15 September 2026Source ↗
“A few weeks ago, I visited with Jeni and her incredible team at their kitchen, where they prepare meals from scratch each week using recovered surplus food that is perfectly good to eat but would otherwise have gone to waste. These nourishing meals go directly to people in need and are customized to meet specific dietary needs.”
House of Representatives15 September 2026Source ↗
“Trump's trade war with Canada is killing tourism. It is killing our farmers and our small businesses, including in the gentlewoman's district in Minnesota right now. Why isn't she worried about that? Where is the Republican bill to lower costs?”
House of Representatives15 September 2026Source ↗
“10032, the No Payoffs for Pardons Act, which would prevent President Trump, or any future President, from giving out pardons in exchange for money, bribes, or political favors. Mr.”
House of Representatives15 September 2026Source ↗
“Anthropic's CEO, OpenAI's CEO, and even Grok's CEO, Elon Musk, agree that the government must step up to increase oversight of their companies. I don't necessarily trust these guys as far as I can throw them. Maybe they are calling our bluff. Either way, we clearly need to act.”
House of Representatives15 September 2026Source ↗
“Nearly 50 million people don't know where their next meal will come from in this country, and inflation is running at 3.4 percent, though I personally believe the rate is probably higher than this administration is willing to admit. That is what people are dealing with right now. Americans know that this economy is lousy.”
House of Representatives15 September 2026Source ↗
The complete record
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“Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote. A recorded vote was ordered.”
House of Representatives15 September 2026Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays. The yeas and nays were ordered.”
House of Representatives15 September 2026Source ↗
“We ought to be coming to work to help the American people, yet Republicans time and time again fail to meet that mark. The American people see through the blatant corruption and the outright lies that Washington has become known for. It is time to hold this President, and especially the Republicans here in Congress, responsible for steering our economy off a cliff and driving our country into the ground. Come November, I really do hope and pray for the sake of our future and for the sake of our country that we are going to correct course. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.”
House of Representatives15 September 2026Source ↗
“I hear about issues of affordability all the time, and constituents are asking me when Congress is going to do something. They don't want to hear anymore about building a ballroom or an Arc de Trump or about a reflecting pool. They want to know when their grocery prices are going to go down. This majority should be judged by what it actually puts on the floor, not by slogans, not by promises, not by press conferences, or what somebody says might happen someday. That day is today. Republicans are in complete control. They have the House, the Senate, and the White House. They could do something right now to help people if they wanted to. The thing is, they don't care. They don't care that people are hurting.”
House of Representatives15 September 2026Source ↗
“They want to believe that when the President of the United States says something, that it is truthful, and we all know that they can't rely on that because he has broken promise after promise after promise. It is wrong to make an empty promise like that. It is just cruel when the economy is this bad. There is no $5,000 check in this rule. There could be if Republicans think it is such a good idea. They could have done that if they wanted to, but they didn't. There is nothing about that. There isn't a bill to bring down food prices in this rule or to address the housing crisis or to help people afford basic, everyday things. I don't know what the gentlewoman hears when she goes home, but I hear about the cost of living all the time.”
House of Representatives15 September 2026Source ↗
“Because of the tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires and because of this unpaid, reckless, illegal war, the debt just surpassed $40 trillion, and not a peep from Republicans. They don't care. He said he would end inflation and lower prices ``on day one.'' Inflation is up. Prices are up. The economy has only gotten worse. The trouble with these lies, Mr. Speaker, is that some people believe them. Some families may hear the President promise them $5,000 and then actually plan around that money. Maybe they are now planning to get that medical procedure they otherwise could not afford or believe that they will finally be able to pay rent or pay off their credit card and have enough food to feed their family for the next month.”
House of Representatives15 September 2026Source ↗
“Trump said he would release the Epstein files, and then he did everything he could to hide them from the public, likely because he and his administration knows he is in them. Again, where is the pressure from the Republican leadership on the Epstein files? Nothing. It takes my breath away how my Republican friends just kind of turn their backs on what the right thing to do is. Trump said he would end the Russia-Ukraine war in 24 hours. That is what he said directly. That was clearly untrue. This is now year four of a full-scale conflict. He said he would end wars, not start wars. Yet we are over 6\1/2\ months into the war with Iran, and nobody believes there is an end in sight. He said he would balance the Federal budget.”
House of Representatives15 September 2026Source ↗
“Americans are estimated to have spent nearly $2,000 more last year, thanks to Trump's stupid tariffs and his illegal war. That is why I find the conversation Republicans want to have today so disconnected from what is happening outside this building. I mean, we hear enormous promises. For example, Trump is promising $5,000 payments to American adults after the election if Republicans win, and only if Republicans win. Even Speaker Johnson has acknowledged that such payments would require congressional approval. {time} 1410 Needless to say, these $5,000 checks are never going to happen. We all know that, but I guess that is to be expected from a President who is the king of broken promises.”
House of Representatives15 September 2026Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, before we finish, I want to bring this debate back to something very basic and speak directly to the American people. Are you better off now than you were 2 years ago? I think most people would say they are worse off, and the numbers back that up. When Trump came into office on January 20, 2025, the national average for a gallon of gas was about $3.12. Today, it is more than $4.31. Diesel, the fuel that moves our food, building materials, packages, almost everything we buy, is now above $6.23 a gallon. That is the most expensive it has ever been in the history of the United States of America. The annual inflation rate was 3 percent when this administration began. The latest number is 3.4 percent. Again, I think that is an undercount.”
House of Representatives15 September 2026Source ↗
“We don't have one of those, nor do we have a high-functioning Republican majority. If anything, Republicans here in the House of Representatives are more interested in jetting off to their next vacation than they are in solving the AI crisis or any other problem, for that matter. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.”
House of Representatives15 September 2026Source ↗
“What has Congress done? Not a damn thing, nothing. The Speaker is sending us home early, so we don't even have an opportunity to maybe debate these issues or come up with some sensible regulation, nothing. I think we need a national moratorium on these data centers. We need to immediately stop construction until Congress passes comprehensive legislation. People are begging us to take this on with full force. Donald Trump's response is to write them off entirely, to insult them, to defend the ultrawealthy who are getting rich off AI at the expense of the rest of us and our future. Get this: Just yesterday, Trump said that the only guardrail we need for AI is ``a STRONG AND SMART (High IQ!) PRESIDENT.'' I mean, let that sink in. Well, I hate to break it to you, Mr. Speaker, but we don't have one of those.”
House of Representatives15 September 2026Source ↗
“Anthropic's CEO, OpenAI's CEO, and even Grok's CEO, Elon Musk, agree that the government must step up to increase oversight of their companies. I don't necessarily trust these guys as far as I can throw them. Maybe they are calling our bluff. Either way, we clearly need to act. What is the response from House Republicans and from this President when they hear these things: nothing, nothing, not a damn thing. The Speaker of the House is sending Congress home 2 weeks early. Trump is saying that communities that do not want data centers will end up ``backwards and poor.'' I mean, he actually said that. I mean, seriously, these data centers are driving up energy costs. Big tech is making record profits. We have an existential threat from AI. People are begging us for action. What has the President done? He said data centers are great.”
House of Representatives15 September 2026Source ↗
“There are credible claims that these major AI firms estimate a greater than 10- percent chance that AI could cause human extinction within a decade. Let me repeat that: There are credible claims that these major AI firms estimate a greater than 10-percent chance that AI could cause human extinction within a decade. I don't know about my Republican colleagues, but I think that is a big deal. That makes me concerned. Let's pause for a moment. We are talking about a greater than 10- percent chance we could all be dead soon if we don't do something to radically change the way we regulate and oversee AI. The craziest part of all of this is that tech CEOs agree that their companies need to slow down before AI spirals out of control. They are calling on this government to help them do it.”
House of Representatives15 September 2026Source ↗
“That may not mean anything to the gentleman or to the Republicans, but people who have been screwed over by these fraudsters deserve compensation. Now, those victims don't get any compensation because Donald Trump pardoned everybody. I can go on. I have pages of names here, of fraudsters that he has pardoned. I will read a couple more: Adriana Isabel Camberos, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud, seven counts of wire fraud, and aiding and abetting; Julio M. Herrera Velutini, two counts of honest-services wire fraud; and David Levy, conspiracy to commit securities fraud. I have pages of names here, of people who have been pardoned, and as a result of their pardons, victims have lost billions and billions of dollars in compensation.”
House of Representatives15 September 2026Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, the speakers before the gentleman didn't address the fraud. The gentleman just defended it, and I am shocked. I am just stunned by the defense of this. We want to go after fraud wherever it may occur, but what we are simply saying is that, right before our eyes, we have a President who is pardoning fraudsters. I will read some more names: Robert Henry Harshbarger, Jr., guilty of healthcare fraud, pardoned by Donald Trump--the gentleman is leaving; he doesn't want to hear it, and I get it; Joseph Lewis, conspiracy to commit securities fraud, pardoned by Donald Trump; and David Gentile, conspiracy to commit securities fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, security fraud, two counts of wire fraud, pardoned by Donald Trump. Here is the deal: It has caused victims to lose over $2 billion in compensation.”
House of Representatives15 September 2026Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, to discuss our proposal, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Morelle), the chairman of the House Administration Committee and the sponsor of this proposal.”
House of Representatives15 September 2026Source ↗
“This is crazy. This is insane. If any Republican is brave enough to publicly agree that this corruption must end, I urge you to vote with Democrats to defeat the previous question. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to insert the text of my amendment into the Record, along with any extraneous material, immediately prior to the vote on the previous question.”
House of Representatives15 September 2026Source ↗
“10032, the No Payoffs for Pardons Act, which would prevent President Trump, or any future President, from giving out pardons in exchange for money, bribes, or political favors. Mr. Speaker, our Founding Fathers gave the President the pardon power as a last-ditch safeguard against injustice, not as a tool for self- enrichment or political favoritism. President Trump is handing out pardons like he is running a for- profit business, letting millionaires and Republican allies out of jail for crimes like Medicare fraud, crypto money laundering, and tax evasion. In one case, he even pardoned a longtime Republican political ally named Michele Fiore in Nevada after she stole money earmarked for a statue to honor a slain police officer. She used that money for her plastic surgery. She deserves a pardon? What the hell is wrong with you people?”
House of Representatives15 September 2026Source ↗
“They donate to this cause or that cause, or they make a big political contribution, and guess what. They get pardoned. They get pardoned. I am sorry. People are sick of the Mar-a-Lago class living by one set of rules and everybody else by a different set of rules. It is time to restore some integrity in our government. You want to get serious about fraud, then you have to focus on fraud that is going on in the Oval Office. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.”
House of Representatives15 September 2026Source ↗
“I have pages here, and I am happy to walk them over to the gentlewoman so she can see for herself. How do you defend this when you go home to your district? How do you defend this to people who are right now struggling to pay grocery bills and to say, hey, all these rich people, all these fraudsters, got pardoned by the President of the United States. What is the Republican response? Nothing. Not a peep. Not a word. You don't say anything. Don't lecture us on fraud. You have no standing. What is going on right now with the pardoning of these people is disgusting. I don't know how many of you saw ``60 Minutes'' the other night. They did a big piece on the pay-to-play schemes that are going on, where 9 to 10 of the people who are being pardoned don't even go to the Justice Department. They make a side deal.”
House of Representatives15 September 2026Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I can't believe Republicans would dare raise the issue of fraud or say that somehow Democrats aren't doing enough to combat fraud when the fraud that we all know exists is sitting right in the Oval Office. This President has pardoned enough people that cumulatively would have contributed $2 billion back to consumers and taxpayers who they ripped off. He pardoned all of them. How did they get pardoned? They paid to get pardoned. That is the way this place works around here. We have seen this pay-to-play game going on which is disgusting. Mr. Speaker, let me tell you some of the people who have been pardoned, these fraudsters who have been pardoned: George Santos, wire fraud; Ross William Ulbricht, pardoned for fraud with identification documents.”
House of Representatives15 September 2026Source ↗
“No amendments are allowed. No amendments are allowed. Take it or leave it. This process is lousy, and this rule is garbage. Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``no'' vote, and I reserve the balance of my time.”
House of Representatives15 September 2026Source ↗
“Trump's trade war with Canada is killing tourism. It is killing our farmers and our small businesses, including in the gentlewoman's district in Minnesota right now. Why isn't she worried about that? Where is the Republican bill to lower costs? Where is the legislation dealing with the price of housing or providing relief at the gas pump? Where is the serious effort to bring down health costs? That is the disconnect that people are frustrated with. Congress has limited time. Floor time is valuable, and when families are getting squeezed this badly, they have every right to expect that their government will treat the cost of living like an emergency. We can just add this: There are no opportunities for us to make any of this better, even if we tried. This is the 172nd closed rule that Republicans are bringing to the floor this Congress.”
House of Representatives15 September 2026Source ↗
“Nearly 50 million people don't know where their next meal will come from in this country, and inflation is running at 3.4 percent, though I personally believe the rate is probably higher than this administration is willing to admit. That is what people are dealing with right now. Americans know that this economy is lousy. Wall Street, the billionaires, the CEOs, and the Mar-a-Lago class are doing better than ever, but for regular people, $50 buys less food than it used to. Filling your truck's gas tank costs another $20 or $30. The rent is going up. Insurance is going up. Everything is going up. For regular people, this economy sucks. Mr. Speaker, you would think that Republicans would want to do something about it. Where is the response to the tariffs that American businesses and consumers are ultimately having to absorb?”
House of Representatives15 September 2026Source ↗
“They are filling up their cars. They are renewing their leases, and they are standing in grocery stores doing math in their heads deciding what goes in the cart and what goes back on the shelf. Every day they are wondering what the hell Congress is doing to help them. Today's rule makes it clear: Republicans will do almost anything except lower costs for American families. The national average for gasoline today is more than $4.31 a gallon. Diesel is more than $6.23 a gallon, the highest national average AAA has ever, ever, ever recorded. Now let me repeat that: Diesel costs are more now than ever before in history. Energy prices are up more than 16 percent over last year. Food prices are still climbing.”
House of Representatives15 September 2026Source ↗
“The cost of everything is up, thanks to Republicans' awful economic policies. We have technology moving faster than our government's ability to protect people. We have an illegal war that is escalating overseas. There is a lot that we could be doing, but, instead, Republicans have us debating things I think most Americans would agree will do nothing to help them. There are fraud bills. Give me a break. The President of the United States pardoned fraudster after fraudster after fraudster, and you guys say nothing. He rolled back the rules that protect the quality of our air, and you guys say nothing. I have to be honest. If this is their closing argument to the American people, lots of luck with that. Take this message home to every district in America. Good luck with that. That is because everyday people are opening their electric bills.”
House of Representatives15 September 2026Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Minnesota for yielding me the customary time. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, this is the last week the House is in session before Americans head to the polls in November. Two weeks ago, the House was scheduled to work through the end of September. Now, Republican leadership canceled the final 2 weeks. That means whatever Republicans choose to do this week, that is it. This is the majority's big chance. They have one last shot to look the country in the eye and make the case for why they deserve another 2 years of being in the majority, and they have absolutely blown it, Mr. Speaker, because here is the thing: There is no shortage of issues Republicans could address this week. We have an affordability crisis.”
House of Representatives15 September 2026Source ↗
“A few weeks ago, I visited with Jeni and her incredible team at their kitchen, where they prepare meals from scratch each week using recovered surplus food that is perfectly good to eat but would otherwise have gone to waste. These nourishing meals go directly to people in need and are customized to meet specific dietary needs. Family Table Collaborative stepped up last winter to ensure that families had hot, nutritious meals during a particularly grueling blizzard. Mr. Speaker, you can't be healthy if you are hungry, and Family Table Collaborative is tackling the interconnected problems of food insecurity and poor nutrition. Jeni and her team at the Family Table Collaborative are making Cape Cod more food secure. Their model should be supported and replicated to improve access to nutritious food and end hunger now. ____________________”
House of Representatives15 September 2026Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, the Family Table Collaborative in South Yarmouth, Massachusetts, is improving access to nutritious food on Cape Cod. Under the leadership of Jeni Wheeler, Family Table Collaborative has distributed more than 200,000 fresh, nutritious meals since 2020.”
House of Representatives15 September 2026Source ↗
“Speaker, true peace--peace in which all people can enjoy the fundamental rights they are guaranteed--is difficult to achieve, but it is worth the investment. Mr. Speaker, we must dedicate the power of our government to building a future where we can live as good neighbors.”
House of Representatives2 September 2026Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, USAID accomplished all of that for a fraction of a percent of the Federal budget. Not long ago, Members on both sides of the aisle willingly recognized the benefits of investing in foreign aid. Then-Senator Rubio was among them. In 2021, he sent a letter to the Biden administration urging them to robustly support the Colombian peace process through the State Department and USAID. He said that the investment in the security and rights of the Colombian people ``must continue to transcend party affiliation and political philosophy.'' Last week, Colombia's new President, who is backed by Marco Rubio and Donald Trump, declared an end to the peace process--an end to the peace process. He envisions a future of mega prisons and mass incarceration in his country. That is not peace or security. That is tyranny. Mr.”
House of Representatives2 September 2026Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Virginia for organizing this Special Order. Mr. Speaker, Donald Trump calls himself the President of peace. He has failed spectacularly to live up to that self-proclaimed title. I am not just talking about his illegal intervention in Venezuela, or his campaign of extrajudicial killings in the Caribbean, or his disastrous, costly, and illegal war with Iran. I am talking about the seeds of conflict his administration helped to sow by destroying USAID and firing some of the most dedicated public servants that have ever served in any government in the world. USAID saved lives, fought hunger, and strengthened democracy. It prevented problems that started overseas from finding their way back to us.”
House of Representatives2 September 2026Source ↗
“Along with my colleague Congressman Adriano Espaillat, we got to visit with students participating in summer programming at the Magnet School of Inquiry and Expression. Students had the opportunity to pick out healthy snacks at La Casita's community fridge and then fill a bag of fresh fruits and veggies to bring home to their families. Seeing the kids' excitement over choosing fun and healthy snacks brought a huge smile to my face. Mr. Speaker, we ought to be uplifting more innovative models like Verde Vida that address food waste, promote nutrition and learning, and are rooted in trusted community spaces. We can and should end hunger now. ____________________”
House of Representatives2 September 2026Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, over the August recess, I had the pleasure of visiting the incredible work being done by Verde Vida at their La Casita site and popup market at an elementary school in the Washington Heights neighborhood of New York City. Across multiple school-based sites in the city, Verde Vida and their partners work to rescue and repurpose perfectly good but unused fresh produce to distribute to families in need.”
House of Representatives2 September 2026Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays. The yeas and nays were ordered.”
House of Representatives1 September 2026Source ↗
“They will remember in November. Vote ``no'' on this rule. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.”
House of Representatives1 September 2026Source ↗
“They are sick of a Congress that debates trivial issues passionately but important ones not at all. They want to know when we are going to care about them. They are sick and tired of a Congress that gives tax breaks to entities, that gives big donations to political parties and political candidates. They want to know when they come first. My friends, you have failed miserably to deliver on your promise to make life more affordable for people. People are counting on us. They want us to do better. You have a chance. We will work in a bipartisan way to try to deal with some of these high costs the people are faced with right now. No, we come back after a recess, and this is what we are dealing with. This is garbage. This is a waste of time. This is an insult to this Chamber. It is an insult to the American people.”
House of Representatives1 September 2026Source ↗
“They want lower energy costs. They want lower grocery bills. They want an end to the corporate giveaways and tax loopholes that let big companies jack up prices and gouge consumers. You know, they want an end to giving these corporations the ability to cheat on their taxes and to avoid accountability. That is what people want us to do, not fight absurd culture wars and debate far-right fringe garbage. If our Republican colleagues want to have another debate about socialism, fine, let's have it. Waste more time passing more nonbinding resolutions. At the end of the day, people are going to vote based on their bank accounts, pocketbooks, grocery bills, and gas prices. People look at life through their kitchen window. They are tired of all of this bs that is being talked about in this Chamber.”
House of Representatives1 September 2026Source ↗
“Meanwhile, the President's big win this week is pretending to rename Lake Ontario after getting into a trade war with our closest ally and neighbor. This is nuts. This Chamber ceases to be a serious body when we don't call this stuff out and when we don't actually bring bills to the floor that address the real needs of the American people. The American people are not stupid. They know who is focused on listening to their problems and who is focused on playing political games. We should be working to lower costs, period. Contrary to what Trump says, affordability is not a made-up word, and it does have a definition. People cannot afford to pay everyday expenses. They can't afford their groceries. They can't afford their rent. They can't afford to fill their gas tank up. They want lower healthcare costs. They want lower housing costs.”
House of Representatives1 September 2026Source ↗
“The answer is no. Not one damn thing on the agenda this week will address the affordability crisis. Nothing. Congress will have condemned socialism again. Mission accomplished, I guess. You know that tells you everything about the priorities of this Republican majority. Whenever the conversation gets uncomfortable, they change the subject. Why are groceries so expensive? Socialism. Why are healthcare costs so expensive? They showed socialism. Why did Trump start another new war in the Middle East? You must be a Socialist for asking the question. When are you going to release the Epstein files? When is that going to happen? Socialism, socialism, socialism. It is literally insane. It is Trump derangement syndrome.”
House of Representatives1 September 2026Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Let me, first of all, respond to something the gentlewoman from North Carolina said about Republicans trying to protect our children. I would just ask, where the hell are the Epstein files? We have forced resolutions on this floor to be passed, to demand a release of these files. Congressman Massie came to the floor. Again, he has another resolution. Still, we have no compliance with the law. We know that this administration is up to their eyeballs in the Epstein files. When is that going to happen? When is that going to be released? I mean, talk about protecting children. Mr. Speaker, you know when Republicans send us home this week, what exactly will be cheaper? Will groceries cost less? Will rent go down? Will anybody's electric bill shrink? Will health insurance premiums come down?”
House of Representatives1 September 2026Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, can I inquire of the gentlewoman how many more speakers she has on her side? We haven't seen any other than her. I am just curious.”
House of Representatives1 September 2026Source ↗
“I say to the gentlewoman that I appreciate her reciting the RNC's talking points, and I would encourage her to keep on reciting them and bring that message home, to go home and tell the American people that things are great, that things are unbelievably wonderful, and that you should thank the Republicans in Congress and Donald Trump for raising the prices on everything. Go home and sell that message to the American people. I will tell you, Mr. Speaker, we won't have to do anything. The bottom line is that things aren't good for people. As I said, there is a Trump tax of $4,000 on average Americans. That is what they have to pay in additional costs for everything, from rent to healthcare to groceries to you name it. That is the Trump tax. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Kamlager-Dove).”
House of Representatives1 September 2026Source ↗
“The tax cuts are ``riddled with special interest carveouts that treat similarly situated Americans with vastly different tax systems.'' Consider the increased state and local tax deductions for many East Coast homeowners, new deductions for oil and gas companies, whalers in Alaska and rum producers in Louisiana, among others. The same is true of tariffs, he said, which will hit some industries harder than others. ``Together, these two changes mean we are moving toward a far more unequal and unstable fiscal system that trades durable reform for lumpy, distortionary breaks and levies that undermine long-run stability and fairness,'' he said.”
House of Representatives1 September 2026Source ↗
“The tax bill also includes cuts to the social safety net like food assistance and Medicaid, with the expectation that millions of people will lose these benefits, affecting their quality of life and financial resources. Even before those cuts, the cost burden of tariffs is expected to push hundreds of thousands of Americans into poverty next year, according to a separate Yale analysis. Tariffs amount to a national sales tax on imported goods, although the rate of tariffs varies by country and continues to change. Their impact could likewise evolve if, as Trump promises, they kickstart a US manufacturing renaissance.”
House of Representatives1 September 2026Source ↗
“First, tariffs have not yet sparked inflation on the level that many economists have predicted--although it is ticking up. There's evidence that some of the impact from tariffs could be delayed, and much of the president's tariff policy has only recently kicked in. Plus, the US economy is massive and decentralized and there are many factors beyond tariffs and taxes at play. Trump and Republicans have said the tax cuts are much larger than the tariffs, an argument that sidesteps the reality that the bulk of the tax cuts may not be noticed by many Americans. Rather than enact entirely new tax cuts, much of what the bill does is make permanent individual tax cuts that were passed as temporary policy during Trump's first term. Plus, specific measures like a temporary reprieve for taxes on tips will only help slivers of the workforce.”
House of Representatives1 September 2026Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to insert into the Record an article from CNN titled: ``Trump's tariffs are bigger than his tax cuts for most Americans''.”
House of Representatives1 September 2026Source ↗
“Occasionally, she sells some vegetables, like okra, from her garden at the local farmers market for extra income. ``President Trump has done so much better than Biden,'' said Doyle, who cited the lower rate of inflation under Trump. ``But the question is: Is Trump that good, or was Biden that bad?'' Kregar, who voted for former Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election, said his experience in the economy since graduating from college that year has shifted his views further toward Democrats. ``Every time I go to the grocery store, I'm filled with dread,'' Kregar said. ``Meanwhile, we're going to build a White House ballroom? It feels like, as an American, a slap in the face.''”
House of Representatives1 September 2026Source ↗
“added just 584,000 jobs in 2025, the worst year for hiring since Covid. And most of the growth was driven by a handful of industries, like health care and education. Economists have blamed this on factors including higher costs and uncertainty from tariffs, overhiring by companies after the pandemic, and the increasing use of robotics and AI. ``We've seen essentially no job growth. If you look outside of health and education, we lost jobs in 2025,'' Holtz-Eakin said. ``It's not a strong labor market. People are not getting hired.'' Measuring Trump's moves. The economy was once Trump's strongest selling point: He centered his 2016 campaign on a fight for working-class voters.”
House of Representatives1 September 2026Source ↗
“But then you look at the macro numbers, and I don't think it's in a good place.'' The Trump administration's regulatory cuts, along with tax breaks for corporations in last year's tax law, sent stocks to record highs last year. Those heavily invested in technology companies are gaining the most--just seven tech companies, including Amazon and Meta, were responsible for 40% of the gains last year in the S&P 500. While most Americans have some investment in the stock market, a disproportionate share of gains have gone to the wealthy, with the richest 10% of households owning around 90% of all stocks, according to Federal Reserve data. Those same households were responsible for around half of all consumer spending in 2025, the highest rate since at least 1989, according to Moody's Analytics.”
House of Representatives1 September 2026Source ↗