[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 65 (Tuesday, April 14, 2026)]
[House]
[Page H2842]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1245
                              RISING COSTS

  (Ms. Barragan of California was recognized to address the House for 5 
minutes.)
  Ms. BARRAGAN. Mr. Speaker, House Republicans continue to enable 
Donald Trump's costly and disastrous war of choice against Iran, all 
while refusing to lift a finger to help working families as their bad 
policies drain Americans' wallets.
  We need Republicans to act, to rein in this dangerous President and 
help Americans have a shot at getting ahead in Trump's economy.
  This district work period, I traveled around my district to hear 
directly from people. I heard the same thing over and over again: 
Everything costs more and families are struggling. Gasoline prices have 
skyrocketed. Grocery bills have gone up. Cost of shoes? Up.
  Let's be clear about why. It is Trump's war of choice that is costing 
American families, and it is his tax through tariffs on American 
families. Due to the war, oil prices and gas prices have jumped 
dramatically. When gas prices go up, everything goes up.
  Jessica Hernandez is a driver who transports people with disabilities 
in a wheelchair-accessible van. She serves people in communities in 
California like Lynwood, South Gate, Long Beach, and Lakewood every 
single day.
  However, now, because of rising costs, she works longer hours to 
cover the cost of getting her passengers to where they need to go while 
making sure she can still feed her family.
  Think about that. She is working harder, longer, and still falling 
behind because of Trump's reckless war in Iran.
  Jessica was not the only person I heard from. I also heard from a 
truck driver who said the rising diesel gas prices have caused the 
price of delivering goods to go up. It also means hiring fewer drivers.
  If that is not enough, if you order your goods through Amazon, they 
just announced a price increase because of this reckless war of choice 
that Trump and Republicans support.
  I also spoke to a small business owner in Carson, Monica Jordan. She 
is the general manager of a small family business, a restaurant. Her 
suppliers have raised their prices. When we met, she showed me just one 
of the letters she received from a vendor saying that costs had 
increased 13 percent, and they had to pass on at least half of the cost 
to her small business. The result is higher prices for her business and 
customers.
  This story is not unique to this business. We are hearing these 
stories from businessowners across the country that they are 
experiencing higher costs, fewer customers, and some are having to 
close their doors.
  Then there is my constituent Marysol Arellano, a single mom with two 
kids in San Pedro. She used to take her kids out every Sunday for a 
family meal, a moment to bond. Now she can't afford it. What used to be 
a simple family meal is now a luxury.
  That is what this cost-of-living crisis looks like. It is people 
working longer hours. It is small businesses barely hanging on. It is 
families losing the moments that matter most.
  Instead of addressing the rising costs, President Trump has slapped 
tariffs on many products that enter the United States, and that is a 
tax on our working families.
  Trump's war with Iran is costing Americans billions. While Americans 
pay up to $7 for just a gallon of gas so they can drive to work or drop 
their kids off at school, the U.S. spends at least $2 billion of their 
hard-earned taxpayer dollars a day firing missiles and dropping bombs.
  When Americans are struggling, these are the wrong priorities, and 
Trump shows no sign of focusing on Americans first. His latest proposed 
budget calls for cuts to programs like energy assistance and affordable 
housing that would help Americans get back on their feet but asks for 
huge increases in military spending instead.
  That tells you everything you need to know; billions for war overseas 
but nothing to lower costs here at home.
  Mr. Speaker, the American people deserve better. They deserve leaders 
who are focused on bringing costs down, not driving them up. House 
Democrats are fighting to lower costs and make life affordable for 
working families.

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