Lt. Gov. Rodriguez: “[Trump] can come here, but he can’t outrun his record, and neither can the Republicans who rubber stamp it.”
WASHINGTON, DC — Today, Defend America Action is releasing an updated Wisconsin report highlighting the devastating affordability crisis Donald Trump and Republicans have created for the state.
Tariff-driven inflation is wreaking havoc on Wisconsin families. Electric bills are up 13 percent since Trump took office, and 270,000 Wisconsinites stand to lose their health care under the Trump-GOP budget. An estimated 375,000 residents are set to lose food assistance as Trump and Congressional Republicans reward corporations and the ultra-wealthy with tax breaks at everyone else’s expense.
Defend America Action, Main Street Action, and the Cost Coalition also hosted a press call this afternoon with Lieutenant Governor Sara Rodriguez, State Senator Chris Larson, Main Street Action member and Wisconsin business owner Kyle LaFond, and former Special Assistant to President Biden for Health Care Jessica Schubel to discuss Trump’s affordability crisis and its consequences for Wisconsinites.
“Across Wisconsin, incomes have fallen behind inflation, and the vast majority of Democrats, Republicans, and independents are all saying the same thing: that they can’t keep up,” said Lieutenant Governor Sara Rodriguez. “Tomorrow, Donald Trump is bringing his cameras to Wisconsin. Wisconsin families are bringing the receipts. He can come here, but he can’t outrun his record, and neither can the Republicans who rubber stamp it.”
“Tomorrow, Donald Trump is going to be stepping out of his echo chamber and into reality. He’s going to hear about how real costs are going up, and how people are having to adjust or cancel vacations because of high gas prices,” said State Senator Chris Larson. “Trump’s tariffs and his wars of choice have sparked a national energy affordability crisis that’s hit our neighbors here in Wisconsin especially hard.”
“When we talk about tariffs, I’m paying those. Some of our inputs went up anywhere from thirty to 300% last year,” said Main Street Action member and Wisconsin business owner Kyle LaFond. “For the first several months, those were costs that I just absorbed. Unfortunately, I couldn’t continue to do that, so I had to raise my prices. With all the chaos and uncertainty that this administration has caused, we simply can’t forecast, we can’t plan, we can’t look towards the future and remain optimistic.”
“Rising costs are everywhere. Grocery prices this past month were the highest they’ve been since 2022. Rents and electricity bills are going up. The gas in Wisconsin has shot up by 60% since January, thanks to Trump’s war in Iran,” said former Special Assistant to President Biden for Health Care Jessica Schubel. “So, when you add in higher health care costs to the mix, what are folks going to do? It’s death by a thousand cuts for families.”
A recording of the press call is available here. Defend America Action’s updated Wisconsin affordability report is available here.
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