Republicans Have Nothing to Offer on Affordability

Friday, May 15, 2026

The Republican-led Congress, faced with deepening economic discontent exacerbated by President Donald Trump's Iran war, is struggling to find consensus on any plan to address the cost of living with less than six months before midterm elections.

Posted by retort at 12:12 PM | 32 COMMENTS | permalink

Comments

Last time I looked, the GOP would not admit that "affordability" was even a word.

#1 | Posted by Zed at 2026-05-15 12:18 PM

Because they haven't bothered trying to come up with something.

They're there to go along with whatever Trump says or does. Talking about this or offering solutions would make Trump look bad so they stay quiet and, instead, avoid their constituents like the plague.

#2 | Posted by jpw at 2026-05-15 12:52 PM

........ as if the dems have anything to offer.

#3 | Posted by MSgt at 2026-05-15 01:12 PM

Why bother with good policies that help Americans when you can gerrymander your way to victory? -Republicans

#4 | Posted by qcp at 2026-05-15 01:13 PM

as if the dems have anything to offer.
#3 | Posted by MSgt

You had $3 gas under Democrats.
You're never getting that again.

#5 | Posted by snoofy at 2026-05-15 01:14 PM

The GOPers are rolling out their new campaign slogan: "Shut up and get in line, or you're next..." I wonder how that will play with voters? Asking for a nation at risk...

#6 | Posted by catdog at 2026-05-15 01:24 PM

........ as if the dems have anything to offer.

#3 | Posted by MSgt

The status quo would have been far, far preferable to our current mess.

You're a stupid pile of s*&^ who gets their views from social media memes, so I don't really expect you to understand that.

#7 | Posted by jpw at 2026-05-15 01:38 PM

........ as if the dems have anything to offer.
#3 | Posted by MSgt at 2026-05-15 01:12 PM

"Universal healthcare, free college, a living wage, ending the wars, ending the corruption, taxing the rich, green new deal, jobs guarantee, UBI"

#8 | Posted by redlightrobot at 2026-05-15 05:09 PM

"Universal healthcare, free college, a living wage, ending the wars, ending the corruption, taxing the rich, green new deal, jobs guarantee, UBI"

#8 | Posted by redlightrobot

All well and good but none of those have plausible routes to get there.

I don't want to hear a dream, pie in the sky end, I want to hear how it's going to supposedly actually happen.

#9 | Posted by jpw at 2026-05-15 05:23 PM

"Ending the wars" had a plausible route to get there: Don't vote Republican.
Living wage kinda has a path, as Democrats are certainly more open to raising Federal minimum wage than anyone else.
Same with Green New Deal.

#10 | Posted by snoofy at 2026-05-15 05:35 PM

Just raising the minimum wage would jack inflation and jolt the economy, unless it was done over time. That's not something that the Dems are capable of IMO.

Green New Deal doesn't have a viable path forward as far as I can currently tell. Sure you can restart subsidies for alternative energy projects/companies, but at what point does "throw money we don't have at the problem" stop being the preferred approach?

#11 | Posted by jpw at 2026-05-15 05:42 PM

"Just raising the minimum wage would jack inflation and jolt the economy"

Yes but we would get something good for it.

Inflation also eventually rises wages, so it makes its own gravy. Structurally, inflation has eroded the purchasing power of the minimum wage by like 50% since it last changed, and that's out of whack.

#12 | Posted by snoofy at 2026-05-15 08:54 PM

"Green New Deal doesn't have a viable path forward as far as I can currently tell."

Why not? Have you seen how power and infrastructure related company stocks are doing this year? Government stimulus would yield similar results as the huge capital inflows to services AI depends on.

#13 | Posted by snoofy at 2026-05-15 08:58 PM

but at what point does "throw money we don't have at the problem" stop being the preferred approach?
#11 | Posted by jpw

Never, with Republicans in office.

Energy bills are going up up up. The problem that Uncle Sam doesn't have money is a better problem than We The People don't have money to pay their electric bill.

#14 | Posted by snoofy at 2026-05-15 09:00 PM

Republicants have nothing to offer but despair, inequality, and death.

#15 | Posted by LegallyYourDead at 2026-05-15 09:12 PM

---- off Imbecile

#16 | Posted by LegallyYourDead at 2026-05-15 09:14 PM

but at what point does "throw money we don't have at the problem" stop being the preferred approach?
#11 | Posted by jpw

Never, with Republicans in office.

Gavin newsom: Hold my beer.

CA test scores haven't changed but Newsom is bragging about $10K per student increase.
x.com

Snoofy just a hottip for your -----, if you think you're on to some "spending thingy" and it relates to only republicans .. pull you head out of your ass and look at CA.

#17 | Posted by oneironaut at 2026-05-15 09:36 PM

Never, with Republicans in office.

I don't know about you, but I don't base my behavior on the poor behavior of others.

But maybe that's just me...

#18 | Posted by jpw at 2026-05-16 11:42 AM

"I don't base my behavior on the poor behavior of others."

Who said you do?

Republicans have been borrowing and spending as long as you've been alive.

It's reasonable to assume that behavior will continue until you are dead.

#19 | Posted by snoofy at 2026-05-16 11:50 AM

"I don't know about you, but I don't base my behavior on the poor behavior of others."

You must be very different IRL than you are on here, then. >:-)

(Granted, most of us probably are.)

#20 | Posted by sentinel at 2026-05-16 12:16 PM

"I don't base my behavior on the poor behavior of others."

I gotta be honest I don't know what this is supposed to tell us.

Guy in front if you is driving 20 miles under the limit on an open highway, you don't pass him? It obviously doesn't mean that!

#21 | Posted by snoofy at 2026-05-16 12:22 PM

I bought a hybrid and some small part of the resin is because we made the bad decision not to have a national energy policy and another bad decision not to nationalize our oil...

I got all those boosters partially because other people made the bad decision not to.

Maybe I just can't think the way you do, JPW.

But if you're saying what Mom said, "If all your friends jumped off a bridge would you do it too?" then I guess it makes sense.

#22 | Posted by snoofy at 2026-05-16 12:25 PM

All well and good but none of those have plausible routes to get there.
I don't want to hear a dream, pie in the sky end, I want to hear how it's going to supposedly actually happen.
#9 | POSTED BY JPW

This guys talking about plausibility of taking care of Americans while Trump spends a billion a day on a war with Iran.

It's people like you who are keeping the Democratic Party stuck in neutral.

Because you actually believe the propaganda and have been taught to hate progressivism.

Have fun in your new country.

Try not to help destroy it too.

#23 | Posted by ClownShack at 2026-05-16 12:31 PM

Red,

"Jobs guarantee"

And a "living wage"

How exactly does that work in practice?

Are businesses supposed to pay people more than what the job is worth to the company? How long do you think they'll stay in business?

And what happens if fewer people feel motivated to work?

Also, what exactly is a "living wage"? There's a big difference between surviving and prospering.

Do you mean enough to cover basic necessities? Or do you mean a lifestyle with little financial stress, yearly vacations, entertainment, and disposable income?

Because those are two very different standards.

I read your list, and honestly, a lot of it sounds more like campaign promises than practical ideas. Somebody still has to produce the wealth that funds all of it.

At some point the math matters.

That's a conflict socialism always runs into.

It still depends on productive capitalism underneath it to generate the money, investment, and tax base to fund the promises.

#24 | Posted by BillJohnson at 2026-05-16 04:53 PM

" At some point the math matters"

Why doesn't it ever matter when the issue is newly borrowed money given away in tax cuts to the world's wealthiest?

#25 | Posted by Danforth at 2026-05-16 05:03 PM

Dan,

I agree with you and I have no answers.

But if the list posted in #8 is supposed to represent the Democrats idea of a solution, it doesn't appear they have one either.

A lot of ideas that are passed around feel more like managing symptoms than addressing underlying problems.

Because underneath it all, we still have basic human nature.

There is greed, ego, lust for power, corruption, jealousy, selfishness and the list goes on.

How much can be done while negative human traits are not only tolerated but oftentimes praised and rewarded?

#26 | Posted by BillJohnson at 2026-05-16 05:23 PM

#26 You Praise and Reward Negative traits every time you Prop up Lewser and his Corruption.

Tax cuts,funded by borrowing, then a Massive War of Aggression to benefit the interests of a Country that is a net drain on US Taxpayers.

How about spending on Americans? Their needs,not Israel's.

Why are we funding their Expansionist Wars?

Health care, Environmental Protection, US Interests, are more important than propping up Israeli Aggression.

Billionaires get tax cuts everyone, else gets the Bill.

How did this Happen?

#27 | Posted by Effeteposer at 2026-05-16 05:47 PM

How much can be done while negative human traits are not only tolerated but oftentimes praised and rewarded?
#26 | Posted by BillJohnson

Are you saying we can't do good things, simply because there's too many evil people in the world, so why even try?

#28 | Posted by snoofy at 2026-05-16 05:49 PM

#26 bj boi asks, "How much can be done while negative human traits are not only tolerated but oftentimes praised and rewarded?"

#29 | Posted by A_Friend at 2026-05-16 06:47 PM

#27 Like a naive little boi, Effeteboi asks, "How did this Happen?"

The Powell Memorandum to the US Chamber of Commerce.

Democrat's failed idea that good works automatically go rewarded, so no reason to talk about such successes.

The purposeful destruction of public US education, pre-natal through graduate school.

The purposeful destruction of the free press.

The Overton Window.

Any other questions, little boi?

#30 | Posted by A_Friend at 2026-05-16 06:55 PM

Eff,

"How about spending on Americans? Their needs,not Israel's."

What does spending on Israel have to do with spending here? Can we not do both?

America already spends enormous amounts domestically.

The U.S. spends trillions on healthcare, welfare programs, environmental programs, infrastructure, education, housing assistance, Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and countless other domestic programs.

The idea that America ignores its own citizens while sending all its money overseas simply isn't reality.

Are you suggesting America should stop helping other countries and only think of itself?

#31 | Posted by BillJohnson at 2026-05-16 08:09 PM

No, I'm suggesting The US should SPECIFICALLY stop helping ISRAEL.

Other Countries should be helped more to
make up the difference.

Tax INCREASES on Billionaires and all high Earners including Corporations.

Expand the Inheritance tax. Take more.

Universal Healthcare including Illegals.

Funded by the increased taxation of high earning people.

UBI as needed when people are displaced Economically by Technology.

Defund the Military. Cut the military budget by 70%.

That's a good start.