Rep. Dingell: “This is an economic crisis that’s solely of the Republicans’ making.”
Today, Congresswoman Debbie Dingell, Georgia State Representative Jasmine Clark, Colorado State Representative Lorena Garcia, and former Deputy Director of the U.S. Department of Labor Women’s Bureau Gayle Goldin participated in a press call hosted by Defend America Action to discuss how Donald Trump’s economy is having drastic consequences for working women and their families.
The speakers highlighted the immense costs of living increases we’ve seen this year as a result of Trump’s economic policies, affecting everything from child care to health care to housing to groceries, and how these pressures are pushing working families to the brink, with many women being forced to drop out of the workforce entirely.
“Republicans’ economic policies have raised the cost of living everywhere, and it’s affecting the prices on essentials, from health care to housing to groceries to both child care and long term care. They’ve cut Medicaid and food assistance to millions of Americans,” said U.S. Representative Debbie Dingell. “These decisions are pushing families to the brink. This is an economic crisis that’s solely of the Republicans’ making.”
“Donald Trump’s economy increases the cost on American families that are just trying to get by. It doubles the cost of health care, making it out of reach for millions across the country. It takes away SNAP benefits, taking food off of the table for so many families and so much more,” said Georgia State Representative Jasmine Clark. “When I look at Donald Trump’s track record over the last few months, a man who ran on being able to ‘fix our economy,’ Donald Trump gets an F.”
“We have seen a massive flux of women leaving the workforce, largely due to lack of access to early childhood care. The wages and the support systems for early childhood are diminishing, and it’s causing families to have to make very difficult decisions which negatively impact women,” said Colorado State Representative Lorena Garcia. “[Trump] has done nothing to help you, to help me, to help our communities. There is nothing that is putting America first. The only thing that’s happening is putting Trump and his billionaire cronies first.”
“Women are leaving the labor force after historic highs during the Biden administration, and for mothers of younger children, in particular, the past few months are showing striking declines,” said former Deputy Director of the U.S. Department of Labor Women’s Bureau Gayle Goldin. “[The Trump administration and Congressional Republicans] are driving up all sorts of costs for health care, for food, for child care, for basic school supplies, all while making the workplace a less safe place for women.”
BACKGROUND
Trump and Republicans’ economic policies have raised costs of living everywhere, affecting everything from child care to health care to housing to groceries. These pressures are pushing working families to the brink, forcing people to take on more debt, with many women being forced to drop out of the workforce entirely.
- CHILD CARE COSTS ARE SPIKING: Working families are already dealing with rising inflation, and Trump’s tariffs have caused large spikes in costs to basic baby items and back-to-school supplies. Meanwhile, the national cost of care for one child is averaging $13,000 a year
- TAKING AWAY CRITICAL TAX CREDITS & RAISING COSTS ON AMERICAN FAMILIES: Without these tax credits, health care costs will more than double for over 20 million Americans
- TENS OF MILLIONS ARE FACING HIGHER HEALTH CARE COSTS: In a matter of weeks, 24 million Americans who buy insurance on their own will see their premiums skyrocket. If Republicans wait until the very last minute to extend the tax credits, underlying premiums will be 4 percent higher because of the delay.
- THE HOUSING AFFORDABILITY CRISIS WORSENS: High housing prices, rising insurance premiums, and high interest rates pushed sales to their lowest level in 30 years earlier this year. High rents have left record numbers of Americans facing cost burdens, and there has been a sharp rise in homelessness this year.
- GROCERY PRICES SKYROCKET: Even as Trump is claiming inflation is “over,” 75 percent of Americans report soaring grocery prices and data shows that grocery prices have risen sharply due to Trump’s tariffs, causing a slowdown in retail sales.
- WOMEN ARE LEAVING THE WORKFORCE IN DROVES: According to the most recent jobs numbers released in August, 212,000 women aged 20 and over have left the workforce since January. Meanwhile, 44,000 men have entered the workforce since then.
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