Moderate Dems Roll Out Affordability Agenda Pitch Ahead of 2026 Midterms

A bloc of House Democrats is targeting prices for health care, housing, energy, family care, and household essentials.

Workers attach siding to a house at a construction site in Trappe, Md., on Oct. 28, 2022. Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images

A group of moderate Democrats this week released what it called an affordability agenda to “help make life more affordable” by focusing on five core areas: health care, housing, energy, family care, and household essentials, such as groceries.

The New Democrat Coalition—a center-left bloc of 115 House Democrats that describes itself as focused on pragmatic, pro-growth policies, and bipartisan solutions—is following along with the Democratic Party as a whole with a focus on affordability.

The coalition said the agenda was developed by its Economic Growth and Cost of Living Working Group, led by Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-Penn.), alongside task force leaders Reps. Steven Horsford (D-Nev.), Sarah McBride (D-Del.), and Don Beyer (D-Va.).

In announcing the policy, the coalition criticized Republicans, arguing their approach since taking full control of the government in January 2025 had not lowered costs, and said its agenda is meant to offer what it described as a different path to reduce everyday expenses.

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said last month that Republicans are already delivering on affordability, pointing to working family tax cut provisions in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act passed in 2025. He said those provisions will hit families’ wallets this year and that Republicans prevented a major tax increase by extending tax cuts from President Donald Trump’s first term.

Johnson also responded at the time that Democrats had voted for “record tax increases” and that Republicans voted for “record tax cuts and refunds.” Trump has also begun campaigning for midterms for Republicans on the same message, including recently going to Iowa, where he gave a speech on affordability and lowering costs.

In the Democratic agenda’s section on groceries and household essentials, the agenda calls for rolling back tariffs implemented under Trump and shifting trade policy in ways it says would lower consumer costs and give businesses more certainty.

It also calls for steps meant to increase competition in food markets, including support for smaller agricultural producers and efforts tied to meat and poultry processing capacity. The agenda also calls for restarting the Affordable Connectivity Program to lower internet bills for eligible, low-income households, and it includes proposals to increase the minimum wage.

On health care, the agenda calls for extending Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax credits—something Democrats and some Republicans have pushed for since the fall, prior to the credits expiring in January. The ACA credits were a major debate during last fall’s government shutdown, which lasted from October to mid-November.

It also backs expanding Medicare’s $2,100 annual prescription drug out-of-pocket cap and the $35 monthly insulin cap to people with private insurance. Other health proposals include stronger enforcement of the No Surprises Act’s ban on surprise billing, and changes to limit medical debt reporting and aggressive debt collection practices.

The housing section centers on increasing supply, citing a need to build nearly four million homes to meet the demand of Americans nationwide.

The agenda calls for cutting red tape by converting vacant commercial properties and other underutilized spaces into housing, and increasing allocations of Low-Income Housing Tax Credits. It also calls for federal support for accessory dwelling units and incentives for localities to build housing near transportation, job hubs, and schools.

Housing has become a rare area of bipartisan concern and agreement as affordability pressures persist. The House voted 388–11 on Feb. 9 to pass the Housing for the 21st Century Act, as lawmakers in both parties pointed to the need to boost supply and reduce regulatory and permitting barriers.

On energy, the New Dem agenda describes an “all-of-the-above” approach and calls for permitting changes aimed at speeding construction of transmission and generation infrastructure.

It also calls for changing how electric grid costs are allocated, with a focus on shielding residential customers from costs tied to manufacturing and data center development, and it calls for a National Data Center Strategy at the Department of Energy. The agenda cites projections that electricity consumption at U.S. data centers is expected to more than double by 2030.

For families, the agenda calls for a national paid family and medical leave program and expanded support through tax credits and other measures tied to child care and caregiving costs. It also includes proposals related to universal pre-K access and investments in the home health and long-term care workforce.

The New Dem agenda says members plan to keep pressing colleagues to move legislation and says it will urge the White House to repeal policies it says have raised prices.

Andrew Moran contributed to this report.