Democrats won historic electoral victories Tuesday night on a pledge to make life more affordable for Americans, an issue that united voters across political and demographic divides.
asserted
that → win → divides
Now comes the hard part.
asserted
part → come → ?
An overwhelming majority of midterm voters had a negative view of the economy, with more than 80% saying they were worried about the price of necessities like gas, groceries and healthcare, according to the NBC News Exit Poll.
uncertain
they → have → Poll
In a reversal from 2024, voters this year said they trusted Democrats on the economy more than they trusted Republicans.
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they → say → Republicans
The stunning electoral results on Tuesday night were the culmination of a monthslong effort by Democrats to make the high cost of living a central campaign issue in races across the country up and down the ballot.
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cost → make → ballot
From Kansas to South Carolina to Maine, Democratic candidates uniformly seized on and stuck to the topic of inflation, while Republicans sought to redirect voters’ attention to fears of socialism and crime, often laced with Islamophobia.
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Republicans → seize → Islamophobia
In the hours after NBC News projected they would capture full control of Congress on Tuesday night, Democrats continued to hammer their affordability message.
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Democrats → project → message
“We are laser-focused on addressing the affordability crisis that has been crushing everyday Americans,” House Democratic leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said Wednesday morning on NBC’s “TODAY” show.
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Jeffries → focus → show
But tackling affordability in Congress is easier said than done.
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tackling → tackle → Congress
How it could actually happen
When Democrats take control of both the House and Senate in January, they have a decent chance of passing legislation that could limit Trump’s tariff authorities, or make it more difficult for him to continue to wage war in Iran.
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him → happen → Iran
They have also discussed legislation to reinstate Republican cuts to healthcare funding.
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They → discuss → funding
Any one of these actions, if fully executed, could push down costs for consumers.
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one → execute → consumers
As president, Trump has the authority to veto any legislation passed by Congress.
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Trump → have → Congress
If he does, Democrats don’t have the two-thirds majorities needed in the House and Senate to override his presidential veto.
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Democrats → do → veto
Following the Democrats’ wins Tuesday night, however, Trump said he would be willing to work with the opposition party.
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he → follow → party
The offer was very similar to an olive branch he extended to Democrats during his first term after they won House and Senate majorities in 2018.
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they → extend → 2018
Ultimately, that failed to produce any meaningful legislation.
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that → fail → legislation
This time around, Democrats made a string of economic promises on the campaign trail.
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Democrats → make → trail
Jeffries, who is considered a front-runner to become the speaker of the House, has said that if Democrats take back the House they will restore Affordable Care Act health insurance tax credits that expired in 2025 and reverse Medicaid cuts and work requirements in Republicans’ 2025 tax bill.
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that → consider → bill
In the Senate, Ron Wyden, D-Ore., said he would like to see the Senate Finance Committee focus on issues like taxes and rising healthcare costs, while investigating banks allegedly involved in Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking crimes.
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Committee → say → crimes
“I think we have a mandate to get stuff done,” said Sen.-elect Abdul El-Sayed, D-Mich.
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Sayed → think → mandate
“I ran on getting money out of politics, putting money in pockets, and passing Medicare for All.”
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I → run → All
During his campaign, El-Sayed said he would push to make Medicare, the health insurance program for seniors, available for all Americans.
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Medicare → say → Americans
He also focused heavily on cost-of-living issues, even as Trump repeatedly attacked his Muslim faith and accused El-Sayed of being a “jihadist.”
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Trump → focus → Sayed
Another one of Tuesday night’s big winners, Sen.-elect James Talarico, D-Texas, has proposed eliminating tax cuts that benefit the wealthiest households.
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that → propose → households
He has also proposed lowering costs for middle-class households by offering free pre-K for all 3- and 4-year-olds and expanding a down payment assistance program for first-time homebuyers.
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He → propose → homebuyers
Economic inequality, a central message of Talarico’s campaign, was an issue that resonated with midterm voters this cycle.
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that → resonate → voters
According to the NBC News Exit Poll, 69% of them believed the U.S. economic system favors the wealthy, while only 31% said it is generally fair.
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it → accord → wealthy
Other Democratic candidates have proposed pushing to end the war in Iran as a way to help lower gas prices, along with a proposal to suspend the federal gas tax.
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candidates → propose → tax
Another key Democratic campaign pledge was to limit the construction of new data centers to help curb rising electricity costs.
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pledge → limit → costs
Talarico said Wednesday that he was open to working with Trump on issues on which they can find common ground, like suspending federal taxes on gas and diesel and cutting red tape to make housing more affordable.
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housing → say → tape
“I agree with the president on the need to legalize marijuana and reform this broken criminal justice system,” Talarico said in a Fox News interview.
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Talarico → agree → interview
“These are just some of the issues that I agree full-heartedly with President Trump, and I look forward to working with him for all 31 million Texans.
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I → agree → Texans
Democrats have pledged to take a different approach to lowering prices than Trump did two years ago when he won the 2024 presidential race.
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he → pledge → race
A cautionary tale
Both Democrats and the president notched their historic victories on the same promise: to bring down the high cost of living.
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Democrats → notch → living
Trump promised voters cheaper groceries, gas below $2 a gallon, and a wave of new manufacturing jobs.
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Trump → promise → jobs
Instead, prices kept rising, wages struggled to keep pace with inflation, and today there are fewer factory workers in America than there were when Trump took office.
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Trump → keep → office
While the broader economy has grown at a relatively healthy rate, the gains from that growth have disproportionately flowed to the wealthiest households, leaving most Americans with an increasingly bleak view of their financial situation.
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gains → grow → situation
Unemployment has remained low, but there are relatively few new jobs being added outside of a few areas, like healthcare.
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Unemployment → remain → healthcare
Likewise, broader disruptions to global oil markets from the U.S. and Israel’s war on Iran could outlast any temporary pause in active combat.
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disruptions → outlast → combat
…and 11 more, not listed.
The Aporia
