Cost of living must drive Republicans’ agenda

OPINION:

The hardworking people of America are hurting. They are very concerned about the cost of living and its impact on them and their families.

For those opposed to the war, much of the opposition stems from the belief that it takes the focus off the economy and other factors that affect costs.

Prices have been going up for some time. Even if costs in some areas are not rising as fast as they did during the Biden administration, Americans want relief. They were frustrated over the past five to six years and hoped costs would go down under President Trump.

Polls show that even among the young people we work with at Young America’s Foundation, the cost of living is the top concern of voters.

The price of gas is too high. In many areas, utility bills have gone up. Although some food prices have gone down, consumers are frustrated with overall increases in their grocery costs.

Patients are frustrated by co-pays and other healthcare costs. In states such as mine, hardworking taxpayers are very concerned about rising property taxes.

In Wisconsin, the average price of gas this month is approximately $4.39 per gallon. That is up about $1.50 per gallon from a year ago. It is higher than it was in May 2022, when gas prices soared under President Biden. That is the bad news.

The good news is that if gas prices go down before November, voters will notice. In June 2022, gas prices in Wisconsin were about $5 per gallon. By October, the price had dropped by about $1.50 per gallon.

In addition to the normal drop in gas prices during the shift from summer to fall, a change in the war with Iran would have a dramatic impact on prices.

In the meantime, Mr. Trump should consider pushing his proposal for a federal gas tax holiday and should ask state leaders to suspend state gas taxes. For example, in California, drivers pay 90 cents a gallon more for gas because of state and federal taxes and fees. A pause on those would help drive down California gas and grocery prices because transportation accounts for much of the cost of food.

Housing costs are a major problem too, particularly for younger voters looking to buy homes. Since 2020, national home prices have gone up from roughly 47% to 55%. The median home price in 2020 went from about $320,000 to more than $450,000 last year.

Rent is up as well. Since 2020, costs have surged from 30% to 35%. Although increases have slowed down this year, the cumulative price is way up. Median incomes are not keeping pace with rent costs.

Cutting red tape to build cost-effective, quality homes will help drive down housing prices. Homebuilders routinely complain about the cost of complying with obsessive regulations. Streamline the permit process to create a template to easily build more homes.

Utility prices are up, with the average residential electricity bills increasing by nearly 30% over the past decade. Costs are expected to rise by 4% this year because of surging demand and grid upgrades.

Many consumers are upset about the construction of massive artificial intelligence data centers. They are looking for ways to ensure these projects do not increase the costs of other consumers. Overall, state and local leaders should push for cost caps.

Health insurance premiums are also up this year. Beyond the marketplace under Obamacare, average annual premiums for employer-based family coverage have gone up by 24% since 2019. Transparency in healthcare should be an easy solution to drive down costs.

Elsewhere in the economy, open markets push the balance between costs and quality. The same should be true with healthcare.

In addition, conservatives must resist the false narrative about cuts to Medicaid. The measures included in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act are about reform so that able-bodied, working-age adults are not on welfare and that we are not asking hardworking American citizens to pay for the costs of outsiders to come to America illegally.

On top of all that, we should highlight the need to cut waste, fraud and abuse in government. The massive problems in Minnesota and other states show that billions of dollars are not serving people truly in need.

Finally, federal, state and local officials must reduce the burden on hardworking taxpayers. In my state, driving down property taxes is incredibly important. When I was governor, property taxes and income taxes for a median homeowner actually went down after eight years. We need more of that across the country.

Data shows that voters are consumed by concern over the cost of living. They also believe that most Democrats are crazy radicals. We need conservatives to focus on their action plans to drive down costs.

Voters are inclined to side with them, but they need to make it their centerpiece. It’s the economy, period.

• Scott Walker is a columnist for The Washington Times. He was the 45th governor of Wisconsin and launched a bid for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination. He lives in Milwaukee and is the proud owner of a 2003 Harley-Davidson Road King. He can be reached at swalker@washingtontimes.com.