Politics, Parties, Candidates
Here's a look at documents from politicians, candidates and interested parties
Featured Stories
While Lombardo Cheers on Trump's Cancelation of Critical Solar Projects, Nevadans Face Sky-High Utility Bills
LAS VEGAS, Nevada, Dec. 8 -- The Nevada Democratic Party posted the following news release:
* * *
While Lombardo Cheers on Trump's Cancelation of Critical Solar Projects, Nevadans Face Sky-High Utility Bills
*
New reporting shows that Nevadans are scrambling to claim savings after the Trump administration and Washington Republicans ended a decades-old program to help people purchase rooftop solar panels for their homes and lower their energy bills. While Nevadans drown in sky-high costs, the Trump administration also gutted a $156 million grant that would have reduced utility bills for thousands
... Show Full Article
LAS VEGAS, Nevada, Dec. 8 -- The Nevada Democratic Party posted the following news release:
* * *
While Lombardo Cheers on Trump's Cancelation of Critical Solar Projects, Nevadans Face Sky-High Utility Bills
*
New reporting shows that Nevadans are scrambling to claim savings after the Trump administration and Washington Republicans ended a decades-old program to help people purchase rooftop solar panels for their homes and lower their energy bills. While Nevadans drown in sky-high costs, the Trump administration also gutted a $156 million grant that would have reduced utility bills for thousandsof low-income Nevadans.
The end of these household programs come on the heels of the Trump administration terminating a Nevadan solar project that would have lowered costs, power up to two million homes, and employ 845 Nevadans. To date, more than 80,500 clean energy jobs have also been lost or delayed under the Trump administration.
As Donald Trump's cost-raising agenda pummels Nevada's economy, Joe Lombardo refuses to stand up for Nevadans and speak out against Trump's cancelation of these projects. Instead, Lombardo embraced Trump's endorsement and said the president has generally " done good " in his second term so far.
Lombardo has also shamelessly tried to take credit for investments created by Democrats that he previously criticized, all while doing nothing to stand up to Trump as he guts them.
Read more below:
News 4 : Trump bill ends rooftop solar tax credits; Nevadans urged to sign up now to claim savings
* Time is running out for Nevadans to claim thousands of dollars in tax savings for residential rooftop solar after the Trump administration eliminated a longstanding tax credit.
* Federal solar tax credits, available since 2006 but eliminated in President Donald Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill, are set to expire at the end of 2025.
* The expiration is expected to contribute to a slowdown in the transition to solar power Nevada had the 'highest rate of tax returns claiming a residential clean energy credit' in 2023, according to the Las Vegas Sun.
* Kirsten Stasio, CEO of the nonprofit Nevada Clean Energy Fund, told News 4-Fox 11 the solar credits have helped people save roughly $6,000 for a typical rooftop solar system.
* "They're really significant, they can cover 30% or more of the cost of rooftop solar systems," Stasio said. "We are disappointed that these federal tax credits are going away because many households in Nevada face significant costs on their utility bills."
***
Original text here: https://nvdems.com/while-lombardo-cheers-on-trumps-cancellation-of-critical-solar-project-nevadans-face-sky-high-utility-bills/
Signed, Sealed, Delivered: Hundreds of New Yorkers Demand Mike Lawler Back Three Year ACA Tax Credit Extension
WASHINGTON, Dec. 8 -- The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee posted the following news release:
* * *
Signed, Sealed, Delivered: Hundreds of New Yorkers Demand Mike Lawler Back Three Year ACA Tax Credit Extension
*
"I don't want to hear any of [Lawler's] lame excuses. I just want to be able to afford the medicine I need to live."
The clock is ticking for Mike Lawler and House Republicans to extend the ACA tax credits as 450,000 hardworking New Yorkers are at risk of seeing their premiums skyrocket or being left without health insurance altogether.
While Lawler continues to call
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Dec. 8 -- The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee posted the following news release:
* * *
Signed, Sealed, Delivered: Hundreds of New Yorkers Demand Mike Lawler Back Three Year ACA Tax Credit Extension
*
"I don't want to hear any of [Lawler's] lame excuses. I just want to be able to afford the medicine I need to live."
The clock is ticking for Mike Lawler and House Republicans to extend the ACA tax credits as 450,000 hardworking New Yorkers are at risk of seeing their premiums skyrocket or being left without health insurance altogether.
While Lawler continues to callthe Affordable Care Act "a disaster," write phony letters to Mike Johnson, and sit around without an actual plan to address spiking health care costs, New Yorkers are taking note.
Yonkers Times reports that hundreds of Mike Lawler's own constituents have signed a petition demanding that he back a discharge petition forcing a vote to extend the ACA tax credits for three years. Fed up with his "empty promises" and lack of "real action," the constituents said if Lawler was "truly concerned about lowering health care costs for families in his district, he wouldn't be standing in the way of the only viable path to prevent this looming premium hike on New Yorkers."
REMINDER: The discharge petition has 214 signatures and only needs four Republicans to force a vote to prevent skyrocketing premiums, but Mike Lawler refuses to act.
Read about it for yourself:
Yonkers Times: New Yorkers Deliver Petition Signed by Hundreds of Rep. Mike Lawler's Constituents, Demanding He Support the Health Care Discharge Petition
* Today, a group of Congressman Mike Lawler's constituents gathered outside his district office in Mahopac to call attention to the expiring health care tax credits that are set to raise insurance premiums for thousands of families across the Hudson Valley. Led by Tracey, a disabled cancer survivor from Pearl River, they delivered a petition signed by hundreds of constituents calling on Rep. Lawler to join the House discharge petition to extend the expiring credits.
* With 214 names, the discharge petition is currently just four signatures shy of forcing a vote on a 3-year extension. Even though Rep. Lawler has claimed he wants to tackle health care affordability and has supported other extension plans, he has refused to support the only proposal with a chance of succeeding.
* December 15th is the final day for New Yorkers to enroll in health insurance plans with coverage beginning on January 1st. If Congressman Lawler allows the tax credits to expire, some Hudson Valley families could see their monthly premiums more than double, leaving thousands of his constituents without the means to afford health care or see their doctor.
* "I'm here today because I want to look Congressman Lawler's staff in the eye when I hand over this petition signed by his very own constituents," said Tracey, a cancer survivor and former tax credit recipient from Pearl River. "When I was uninsured, unemployed, and newly disabled in the wake of my cancer treatment, the enhanced tax credits were the only lifeline that allowed my two sons and me to afford the care we needed. Just this week, Rep. Lawler said he believes an extension is important, yet he's standing in the way of the only viable path to one. New Yorkers are done with his empty promiseswe need real action."
* "Everyone knows the cost of health care is insane. If I were to lose my insurance, my insulin could end up costing me thousands of dollars a year. I can't afford that, but if I were forced to go without, I could die," said Matthew, a type 1 diabetic and tax credit recipient from Cold Spring. "If Congressman Lawler gives a crap about the health and safety of his constituents, he needs to sign on to this discharge petition now! He says an extension is necessary? Then extend it. I don't want to hear any of his lame excuses. I just want to be able to afford the medicine I need to live."
* " For Congressman Lawler to claim that an extension of health care tax credits has no chance of passing is an absolutely pathetic excuse for his inaction," said Margaret, a retired pediatric physical therapist from Carmel. "The discharge petition needs just four more signatures to force a vote on the bill. If Mike Lawler were truly concerned about lowering health care costs for families in his district, he wouldn't be standing in the way of the only viable path to prevent this looming premium hike on New Yorkers."
***
Original text here: https://dccc.org/signed-sealed-delivered-hundreds-of-new-yorkers-demand-mike-lawler-back-three-year-aca-tax-credit-extension/
ROUNDUP: Democratic Governors Have "Unified Focus on Affordability" and Winning Playbook Heading into 2026
WASHINGTON, Dec. 8 -- The Democratic Governors Association posted the following news:
* * *
ROUNDUP: Democratic Governors Have "Unified Focus on Affordability" and Winning Playbook Heading into 2026
*
This weekend, with Governors Andy Beshear and Gretchen Whitmer beginning their terms as Chair and Vice Chair of the DGA, Democratic Governors presented a " unified focus on affordability " as they continue to show the path forward for the Democratic Party in 2026.
With this November's landslide victories in New Jersey and Virginia, the DGA and Democratic Governors have a winning playbook focused
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Dec. 8 -- The Democratic Governors Association posted the following news:
* * *
ROUNDUP: Democratic Governors Have "Unified Focus on Affordability" and Winning Playbook Heading into 2026
*
This weekend, with Governors Andy Beshear and Gretchen Whitmer beginning their terms as Chair and Vice Chair of the DGA, Democratic Governors presented a " unified focus on affordability " as they continue to show the path forward for the Democratic Party in 2026.
With this November's landslide victories in New Jersey and Virginia, the DGA and Democratic Governors have a winning playbook focusedon lowering costs and the biggest issues facing Americans and are working to " expand the map into red and swing states " ahead of next year's 36 critical governors races.
Read more about Democratic governors' winning playbook:
AP: Democratic governors say the party's midterm strategy must focus on voters' pocketbook concerns
* The plan is to focus intently on making life more affordable, a message they hope will work even in some conservative-leaning states.
* "We have to be laser focused on people's everyday concerns and how hard life is right now for the American people," said Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, the new chairman of the Democratic Governors Association and a possible candidate for president in 2028. "Everybody wants the economy of tomorrow, but paying the bills today is absolutely critical."
* A dozen candidates and sitting governors all said they plan to talk extensively about the costs of housing, child care, utilities and groceries during Trump's second term.
* But Democrats are talking about expanding the field by competing in states such as Iowa or Ohio, where the party used to be competitive but has struggled in the Trump era.
Newsweek: Democratic Governors Share 2026 Plans to Counter MAGA and Trump
* With both the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate under Republican control, Democrats remain relatively powerless to counter the administration in Washington, which has positioned governors as de facto leaders of the left's counter strategy. At the forefront of that effort is the Democratic Governors Association (DGA).
* The DGA leads the Democratic Party's nationwide electoral strategy and played a key role in the 2025 victories of candidates Mikie Sherrill in New Jersey and Abigail Spanberger of Virginia that helped the party unify around the message of promoting affordability.
* Beshear named Iowa, Georgia, and Nevada as three of the 36 governor races next year that the DGA plans to prioritize flipping. At the start of next year, Democrats will control 24 of America's 50 governorships, and Beshear predicted that by this time in 2026 the party will have clinched a majority.
CBS: Kentucky's Andy Beshear takes on national role as Democrats eye governors as their way back to the White House
* Heading into what could be a favorable national political environment in the 2026 midterms, Beshear is leading the Democratic Governors Association as it tries to win in states where his party has either lost ground or are hoping to hold on to critical seats.
* "[A] signing in the Rose Garden isn't real to people anymore," Beshear said in an exclusive interview with CBS News during a party gathering in Arizona. "The vote on the resolution, on the amendment, much less a bill, isn't real to people anymore. What Democratic governors do is produce tangible results that you can see and touch and feel."
* "As we look to where we are as a country, what we need going forward, the solutions are being driven by the governors," Whitmer, who is working alongside Beshear for the midterms as a vice chair for the Democratic governors' political outfit, exclusively told CBS News.
New York Times: Inside a Gathering of Top Democrats Filled With Hope, Nerves and '28 Buzz
* But as they look to next year's midterm contests, Democratic leaders expressed fresh hope of expanding their ranks in key federal and state offices around the country. They argued that as Mr. Trump's approval rating declines, Democrats can capitalize by focusing on affordability and attacking what they see as the corruption and chaos of his administration.
* The key for Democrats, many of the governors said, is to embrace a message focused predominantly on pocketbook issues and bringing down the high cost of living...
National Journal: Q&A with Andy Beshear
* I've had to win races in tough places. I'm in a Trump +30 state but won reelection by 5 percent, and have now won three straight elections in that state with a margin increasing each and every time. I think what it means is I know how to go into the reddest of red places, which is what the Democratic Party needs to do. We need to go to places that we haven't been in far too long, because what we're seeing right now is that those places, primarily rural America, are getting hit harder by Trump's policies than anywhere else.
* Are there any states that you see the DGA investing in during the midterms that might not have been seen as flippable or playable before?
* I think you're going to see us certainly competing in Georgia and in Nevada, but I also think you're going to see us competing in places like Iowa. So I think that we have a number of places that people may think of as red states, but we're going to be there. But the other places we're going to be are places that people aren't expecting, where we have a really good candidate coming out of a great primary, and/or the other side puts up someone crazy.
***
Original text here: https://democraticgovernors.org/updates/roundup-democratic-governors-have-unified-focus-on-affordability-and-winning-playbook-heading-into-2026/
Puck News: Admitting Defeat, More than 20 House Republicans Prepare for Retirement
WASHINGTON, Dec. 8 -- The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee posted the following news release:
* * *
Puck News: Admitting Defeat, More than 20 House Republicans Prepare for Retirement
*
Democrats hold largest generic ballot advantage since 2017 [ POLL ]
Democrats are massively overperforming in special and off-year elections including sweeping every competitive congressional district in New Jersey and Virginia last month. Donald Trump's approval ratings are plummeting. And House Republicans are struggling to sell one of the least popular pieces of legislation in history as prices
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Dec. 8 -- The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee posted the following news release:
* * *
Puck News: Admitting Defeat, More than 20 House Republicans Prepare for Retirement
*
Democrats hold largest generic ballot advantage since 2017 [ POLL ]
Democrats are massively overperforming in special and off-year elections including sweeping every competitive congressional district in New Jersey and Virginia last month. Donald Trump's approval ratings are plummeting. And House Republicans are struggling to sell one of the least popular pieces of legislation in history as pricesrise across the board. As a result of this epic collapse, House Republicans are reeling and feeling the heat. Puck News now reports that up to 20 House Republicans are expected to announce retirements in the coming weeks.
These anticipated departures come on top of the 23 House Republicans who have already announced they're leaving Congress, including swing-district Reps. Don Bacon and David Schweikert.
House Democrats enter 2026 with more momentum, energy, resources - and the public on our side. Year-to-date, the DCCC has out-raised the NRCC, holds a cash-on-hand advantage, and is well-positioned to take back the House.
REMINDER: Last week, the DCCC announced the 16 Republican s we expect to flee the House ahead of the midterms. Play our Bingo card over the Holidays HERE.
DCCC Spokesperson Justin Chermol :
"Knowing that voters will reject them in 2026, House Republicans are rushing to the exits as Democrats keep the pressure on. What phony Republican moderate is next to retire ?"
***
Original text here: https://dccc.org/%f0%9f%9a%a8-puck-news-admitting-defeat-more-than-20-house-republicans-prepare-for-retirement/
New Polling Shows the ACA is More Popular Than Ever. Jen Kiggans Once Said She'd "Like to Eliminate" It.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 8 -- The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee posted the following news release:
* * *
New Polling Shows the ACA is More Popular Than Ever. Jen Kiggans Once Said She'd "Like to Eliminate" It.
*
Kiggans has a longstanding track record of opposing the ACA and also voted for the largest cuts to Medicaid in history
Here's a shot / chaser for you.
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) is more popular than ever according to new polling from Gallup, with 63% of independent voters saying that they support the health care law.
What has vulnerable Republican Jen Kiggans said about
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Dec. 8 -- The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee posted the following news release:
* * *
New Polling Shows the ACA is More Popular Than Ever. Jen Kiggans Once Said She'd "Like to Eliminate" It.
*
Kiggans has a longstanding track record of opposing the ACA and also voted for the largest cuts to Medicaid in history
Here's a shot / chaser for you.
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) is more popular than ever according to new polling from Gallup, with 63% of independent voters saying that they support the health care law.
What has vulnerable Republican Jen Kiggans said aboutthe ACA? Well for starters, Kiggans once said it was her "number one" priority to eliminate it. Seriously - you can listen to Kiggans' comments for yourself here.
DCCC Spokesperson Eli Cousin :
"Congresswoman Jen Kiggans once called for fully eliminating the Affordable Care Act - a law that has helped hundreds of thousands of Virginians access affordable health insurance. Virginians simply can't trust Kiggans to protect their health care, especially after she voted to gut Medicaid, shutter health clinics, put rural hospitals at risk of closure, and jack up premiums."
***
Original text here: https://dccc.org/new-polling-shows-the-aca-is-more-popular-than-ever-jen-kiggans-once-said-shed-like-to-eliminate-it/
Nasty Attacks and an "Absent" Randy Feenstra: The Latest from Iowa's Clown Car GOP Primary
WASHINGTON, Dec. 8 -- The Democratic Governors Association posted the following news:
* * *
Nasty Attacks and an "Absent" Randy Feenstra: The Latest from Iowa's Clown Car GOP Primary
*
The On Iowa Politics podcast recently highlighted how Iowa's clown car GOP primary continues to get nastier with every passing day.
Reporters from across the state discussed how the messy primary has reached "an inflection point" as "absent Randy Feenstra" faces sharp criticism from his Republican rivals after failing to show up for Iowans and missing every GOP candidate forum for the governor's race so far.
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Dec. 8 -- The Democratic Governors Association posted the following news:
* * *
Nasty Attacks and an "Absent" Randy Feenstra: The Latest from Iowa's Clown Car GOP Primary
*
The On Iowa Politics podcast recently highlighted how Iowa's clown car GOP primary continues to get nastier with every passing day.
Reporters from across the state discussed how the messy primary has reached "an inflection point" as "absent Randy Feenstra" faces sharp criticism from his Republican rivals after failing to show up for Iowans and missing every GOP candidate forum for the governor's race so far.They also noted how Adam Steen has repeatedly attacked Feenstra for bragging about his height while being short on substance for what policies he would propose to "take Iowa to new heights."
No-show Feenstra even earned a "thumbs down" and "jeers" from his hometown paper's editorial board after he skipped a candidate forum in his own congressional district.
At the same event, Republicans went on the attack and " took turns knocking " Feenstra:
* Adam Steen tore into Feenstra in his opening remarks, saying "it's good to see all five gubernatorial candidates here. Just kidding. Where's Randy Feenstra? He talks about how tall he is and nobody cares."
* Brad Sherman mocked Feenstra's long string of absences, saying "that's sort of becoming a pattern, you know."
* Zach Lahn and Eddie Andrews piled on, with Lahn saying the "one person who isn't here" is "disqualified."
It's not just his fellow candidates as the Sioux City Journal's Jared McNett pointed out, Iowans "are not happy about it," saying that "it's just person after person saying they don't understand why you would run for governor and then not be present or transparent."
***
Original text here: https://democraticgovernors.org/updates/nasty-attacks-and-an-absent-randy-feenstra-the-latest-from-iowas-clown-car-gop-primary/
ICYMI: "It's a Disaster" - Republicans Go Into Panic Mode As Midterm Backlash Builds over Rising Costs
WASHINGTON, Dec. 8 -- The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee posted the following news release:
* * *
ICYMI: "It's a Disaster" - Republicans Go Into Panic Mode As Midterm Backlash Builds over Rising Costs
*
NBC News : "Congressional Republicans are starting to publicly and privately sound the alarm about their party's disjointed strategy to address Americans' affordability concerns."
POLITICO : "[A]s cost-of-living concerns mount across the political spectrum, the GOP is struggling to act decisively to address them."
In case you missed it, Senate Republicans are melting down as "
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Dec. 8 -- The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee posted the following news release:
* * *
ICYMI: "It's a Disaster" - Republicans Go Into Panic Mode As Midterm Backlash Builds over Rising Costs
*
NBC News : "Congressional Republicans are starting to publicly and privately sound the alarm about their party's disjointed strategy to address Americans' affordability concerns."
POLITICO : "[A]s cost-of-living concerns mount across the political spectrum, the GOP is struggling to act decisively to address them."
In case you missed it, Senate Republicans are melting down as "clear warning signs " pile up, and the affordability crisis they created takes center stage due to painful price hikes on everything from groceries to health care to electricity.
Republicans are " struggling to act decisively," as " millions of Americans' health care premiums will surge next year " and " Democrats [gear] up to hammer the GOP on the issue." Even Republicans concede their failure could cost them their majorities and that the 2026 midterms are " going to be very tough for the Republicans."
See for yourself:
NBC News: 'People aren't dumb': Republicans worry they're not doing enough on affordability
* Congressional Republicans are starting to publicly and privately sound the alarm about their party's disjointed strategy to address Americans' affordability concerns, with some growing increasingly frustrated with President Donald Trump's sometimes cavalier attitude toward the subject.
* [M]any GOP lawmakers still think their party needs to sharpen its own message and platform ahead of the midterms or else it could cost them their tenuous majorities in Congress.
* "If we don't do that, we would be morons, because the economy is very much on people's minds," Rep. Tony Gonzales, a Texas Republican, told NBC News.
* Nearly two dozen Republican senators, House members, strategists and congressional aides shared their concerns about their party's handling of affordability in interviews with NBC News.
* Their comments come after Democrats have secured wins in many of this year's elections, with voters citing economic concerns, and as Trump has dismissed the issue as a Democratic "hoax," rhetoric that has privately frustrated some Republicans.
* "People aren't dumb," [Senator Josh] Hawley said. "They know when they go to the grocery store what it costs and what it doesn't. They know what their rent costs. They know what their prescription drugs cost. And all of that stuff is too high. And they can't afford it [...]"
* The public and private warnings come as Republicans have grown increasingly nervous about Trump's standing and the broader political environment. Trump's 36% approval rating in the latest Gallup poll, the lowest mark in his second term, alarmed some in the GOP.
* "I do think there's challenges in a midterm year with our party in power," Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., who represents a swing district and is retiring after this term, said in an interview. "It's always hard. And then, you know, the president's poll numbers today were 36% in Gallup, and I don't think our side should ignore that."
* The Gallup poll found Trump's approval declining significantly among Republicans and independents. Trump's handling of the economy long a strength for him was at just 36% approval, while his handling of health care and the federal budget were at 30% and 31%, respectively. "I think there's red flags, and our party should take that threat serious," Bacon said.
* The results of a special election in Tennessee this week, where the Republican candidate prevailed by 9 points in a district Trump carried by 22 points just last year, have also fueled the GOP's anxiety. Multiple voters who spoke with NBC News cited the cost of living as a top concern that drove them to the polls in that race.
* "It's certainly a wake-up call that the Democrats are gonna be ready to go, and we need to pick up our game on the issues that matter," Rep. Scott DesJarlais, a Tennessee Republican, told NBC News. "It's always the economy, but health care has been put on the front burner, and we need to address that."
* Trump, meanwhile, has repeatedly called affordability a "hoax," a "con job" and a "scam" by Democrats, to the consternation of some Republicans.
* If the GOP doesn't pass an alternative and the ACA tax credits expire which looks almost certain to happen at this point that means millions of Americans' health care premiums will surge next year.
* "It is frustrating. It's a big deal," Van Drew said, when asked about the prospect of his party letting the ACA subsidies expire. "Affordability, it's the new buzzword now. And I think the thing that we can do the most immediately right now is the health care issue."
POLITICO: Republicans have an affordability problem. They can't agree on how to fix it.
* [A]s cost-of-living concerns mount across the political spectrum, the GOP is struggling to act decisively to address them.
* The GOP is struggling to coalesce behind a health care plan that would prevent Obamacare premium hikes set to kick in next month and efforts to rein in President Donald Trump's tariffs have run aground in the House. Meanwhile, [...] the fate of other smaller bills to address things like housing prices and student debt have sparked intraparty sparring.
* "The cost of living is a legitimate issue I think it was one of the main reasons President Trump was elected. I think it's still an issue," Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) said in an interview [...]
* [T]here are clear warning signs for Republicans. Forty-six percent of respondents in a recent POLITICO Poll said the cost of living is the worst they can remember it being.
* That includes 37 percent of those who voted for Trump in 2024, and about a quarter of Trump voters say he is either fully or mainly responsible for the current state of the economy.
* "We haven't probably messaged as effectively as we should," Senate Majority Leader John Thune said in an interview, when asked about the party's economic case.
* Trump himself has recently taken to calling the emphasis on affordability a "hoax" perpetrated by Democrats.
* Democrats are gearing up to hammer the GOP on the issue [...]
* "They are in a bubble from Donald Trump on down," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer told reporters last week. "Donald Trump says there's no affordability crisis what kind of world is he living in?"
* "It's a disaster," Hawley said. "Health care, as it currently is, is too expensive for everybody."
Newsweek: John Kasich Says Affordability Issue Is Hurting GOP: 'Republicans Know It'
* Republicans are in danger of losing control of the House in next year's midterm elections amid growing voter concern about affordability, former Ohio Republican governor John Kasich said Thursday.
* Democratic victories last month in state and local elections that turned on affordability issues and a closer-than-expected congressional race this week in Tennessee underscored the public's mounting unease with the direction of the economy under President Donald Trump, Kasich said in an interview with Newsweek.
* "The voters have spoken. They believe that the economy is not in good shape and they're upset about rising prices," said Kasich, a former House lawmaker and longtime Trump critic who ran for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination. "And Republicans know it."
* The 2026 midterms are "going to be very tough for the Republicans," Kasich added. "I expect they're not going to hold the House."
* But Trump changed course this week, saying that affordability was a "con job" perpetrated by Democrats and blaming the Biden administration for inflation.
* "It doesn't mean anything to anybody. They just say it, affordability," Trump said of Democrats, during an event Tuesday in the Oval Office. "I inherited the worst inflation in history. There was no affordability. Nobody could afford anything."
* Kasich said that argument won't resonate with voters.
* "You can't convince people about how much they're spending on items when they go to the grocery store," he said.
* According to a new Gallup poll, Trump's approval rating has fallen five percentage points to 36 percent, the lowest mark of his second term.
***
Original text here: https://www.dscc.org/news/icymi-its-a-disaster-republicans-go-into-panic-mode-as-midterm-backlash-builds-over-rising-costs/
