Are Republicans Going to Lower Your Cost of Living in 2026?

Dear Neighbor,

I wonder what Donald Trump’s New Year’s resolution is going to be. I really hope it’s to lower the cost of living for American families. All through 2025, President Trump and House Republicans pushed through policies that only made life more expensive—even though they promised they’d “make America affordable again.”

When it became clear his policies were making life more expensive, Trump even called the issue of affordability a “hoax.”

From their Big, Ugly Bill that cut more than 15 million Americans off Medicaid, to greenlighting tariffs that have sent your grocery bills through the roof—the Republican platform in 2025 was to nickel and dime American families. We’re not off to a good start in 2026.

On the first day of this year, the Affordable Care Act tax credits expired because Republicans refused to work with Democrats to extend them. They had all year to work with us to lower health care costs, and they don’t have any health care plan of their own yet. Millions of people will be uninsured—or will have to pay whopping monthly premiums just to get lifesaving health care.

This is why I’m calling on Speaker Johnson to bring Democratic Leader Jeffries’ bill on extending Affordable Care Act tax credits to the floor when Congress returns. Restoring these tax credits is a way to ensure millions of Americans can pay for their health care without incurring massive costs for insurance or out-of-pocket treatment.

You can read my full statement here.

Our culture isn’t Donald Trump’s to rewrite or erase.

Last month, President Trump’s handpicked Kennedy Center board tried slapping his name on the Kennedy Center in Washington. It’s a total disgrace.

The Kennedy Center was established by an act of Congress as a living monument to a historically popular president who was murdered in cold blood—in effect, stealing another person’s memorial. Trump is facing historically low approval ratings in light of his failure to lower costs for Americans and deliver on his promises of transparency. He’s done nothing to deserve the honor of his name on the Kennedy Center.

That’s why I signed a letter with over 70 of my colleagues to demand Trump take his name off the Kennedy Center. We deserve a President who respects our cultural institutions, in addition to the constitutional powers of Congress.

BIG WIN: seniors will be paying less for prescription drugs this year!

Medicare’s negotiated lower drug prices will be available to seniors this year and will save $1.5 billion in out-of-pocket costs this year alone.

This is a big win for American consumers that has been more than 20 years in the making, and one that Democrats have fought for every step of the way. To secure this win, I took on Big Pharma and Republican opposition and fought to negotiate prices, cap insulin costs, and establish $2000 out-of-pocket limits. Now, seniors will finally have access to these lower prescription drug prices.

It’s been a long road. No matter how much Donald Trump tries to take credit for it, the fact of the matter is that Democrats worked hard to secure these negotiated prices by passing the Inflation Reduction Act and introducing more plans for negotiated prices. Instead, Trump failed to lower drug prices and has focused on making himself even richer with his TrumpRx scheme.

Democrats are just getting started. I’m going to keep fighting to negotiate more prices, lower prescription drug costs, and make essential medicine more widely available for you and your family.

You can read my full statement here.

Are you looking forward to your beach days this coming summer?

I know a lot of my constituents are looking forward to warmer weather in summer 2026 so they can go to the beach.

We should be able to take a beach day with the knowledge that our water is safe for swimming. Now that my BEACH Act has advanced through the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, we’re one step closer to a law that would make your beach days safer.

This bill reauthorizes and strengthens this crucial water monitoring program by helping local governments inform residents where and when beaches have been contaminated. It strengthens water quality monitoring systems by making it easier for local governments to find the sources of pollution. This will keep you and your family safe from pollution more efficiently and allow you to spend a day by the sea with more peace of mind.

Learn more about how my BEACH Act will make our recreational waters safer here.

Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, YouTube, and Bluesky to keep up with my work in Congress.

Click here to visit my website or call my offices directly if you have questions or need help with a federal agency:

Middlesex County: 732-249-8892

Monmouth County: 732-571-1140

Sincerely,

Congressman Pallone