DES MOINES – Following Donald Trump’s joint address to Congress this evening, Iowa Democratic Party Chair Rita Hart released the following statement:

“Republicans have been in control for 43 days, and they have already lost focus on their promise to bring down prices and grow our economy. Last week, Elon Musk called Social Security a Ponzi scheme and Iowa’s own Republicans in Congress voted to cut Medicaid. Now, they’re supporting tariffs that will raise the price of gas and groceries and invite retaliation while the farm economy is struggling. Iowa’s representatives have turned their backs on Iowans to appease this administration, which is clearly run and controlled by millionaires and billionaires.”

Under Republican leadership, prices continue to climb as consumer confidence plummets. 

• Just weeks into his presidency, Trump walked back his campaign promise to lower costs.
• Trump’s reckless economic policies have caused U.S. consumer confidence to plummet at its sharpest pace in nearly four years to an eight-month low.
• Business investments are now “stalling” due to Trump’s funding freezes and mass firings.

Trump and Iowa Republicans are trying to rig the economy for the ultra-rich and giant corporations by ripping away Iowans’ health care and raising costs on working families. 

• The national budget Iowa Republicans voted for last week would force working families to foot the bill for massive tax cuts to the ultra-wealthy.
• The budget threatens Medicaid funding and would leave Iowa with a massive budget shortfall; upend funding for hospitals, long-term care facilities, nursing homes; and threaten medical care for 1 in 5 Americans.
• Iowa’s trigger law would automatically end state funding for its Medicaid expansions if the federal government guts its support.