Rep. Bynum Unveils “Affordability Agenda” to Lower Costs

Yesterday, Congresswoman Janelle Bynum (OR-05) in collaboration with the New Democrat Coalition, announced her Affordability Agenda. The agenda functions as a roadmap to help make life more affordable for Oregonians by focusing on lowering five key costs that are too high for our families: healthcare, housing, energy, family care, and household essentials like groceries.

Despite promising to lower prices “on day one” and “end inflation,” President Trump and Republicans in Congress have failed to lower the cost of living. So far under President Trump, Oregon families’ basic living expenses have increased by an average of $1,791.

“The numbers do not lie – the cost of living is out of control,” said Rep. Bynum. “From healthcare to housing to groceries, everything feels unaffordable and this Administration is doing nothing about it. That’s exactly why I’m unveiling this Affordability Agenda. It’s past time Congress started working to make life less expensive. Affordability should mean not just getting by, but getting ahead. Let’s get to work.

The agenda promotes competition and supports small businesses to boost consumer choice and breaks down regulatory barriers across the government to meet the needs of everyday Americans.

Affordability Agenda Toplines

Groceries & Household Essentials

• Restore certainty by rolling back Trump’s tariffs and advancing smarter, durable trade policies.
• Support small producers and crack down on price-gouging corporations to increase competition in the food marketplace.
• Lower internet bills by restarting the Affordable Connectivity Program.

Health Care

• Reduce monthly costs by extending ACA tax credits and expanding access to prescription price caps.
• Protect patients from surprise medical bills and aggressive debt collection.
• Expand access to care by fully funding Medicaid and strengthening Medicare’s guaranteed benefits.

Housing

• Cut red tape and update permitting and zoning to build four million homes in the next decade.
• Level the playing field by eliminating unfair tax breaks to private equity and large investors.
• Build more affordable homes by increasing Low-Income Housing Tax Credit allocations and community benefits.

Energy

• Reform permitting rules to make it faster and cheaper to build energy transmission and generation infrastructure.
• Reallocate electric grid costs to protect consumers from price hikes due to manufacturing and data center development.
• Invest in energy efficiency and home heating & cooling to lower residential energy costs.

Families

• Create a national paid family and medical leave program that covers all Americans.
• Support working families with expanded access to tax cuts and universal pre-K.
• Invest in the home health and long-term care workforce to care for aging Americans.

You can read the full Affordability Agenda here.

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