{"id":117817,"date":"2025-12-12T13:41:10","date_gmt":"2025-12-12T18:41:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.citizen.org\/?post_type=news&p=117817"},"modified":"2025-12-12T13:41:10","modified_gmt":"2025-12-12T18:41:10","slug":"an-affordability-crisis-for-the-holiday-season","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/www.citizen.org\/news\/an-affordability-crisis-for-the-holiday-season\/","title":{"rendered":"An Affordability Crisis for the Holiday Season"},"content":{"rendered":"

The holiday season is surrounded by age-old traditions of shared meals and thoughtful gifts that symbolize community and generosity. Yet Americans do not have as much in their wallets as previous years to make those purchases.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The <\/span>consumer confidence index dropped<\/span><\/a> almost seven points from October to November. The lack of trust in the economy comes as no surprise since the <\/span>cost of living<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>unemployment rates<\/span><\/a> have increased over the course of the year. Almost a quarter of all households are <\/span>living paycheck-to-paycheck<\/span><\/a> and unsurprisingly that trend is even sharper for people with lower incomes.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When looking at shopping data from Black Friday<\/a>, we get a closer look at reality between the social classes in our country. A recent study showed that the nation\u2019s highest 10% of earners now account for <\/span>around half<\/span><\/a> of the total consumer spending, a historic measure. Everyone else, including the middle class, is spending less than the previous two years.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The <\/span>wealth gap is massive<\/span><\/a> with the top 10% holding 67.2%, whereas the bottom 50% of households\u00a0only held 2.5% of the country\u2019s total wealth. This stark contrast is underscored with egregious examples of the ultra-wealthy getting even richer, like the looming possibility of the <\/span>world\u2019s first trillionaire.<\/span><\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As the affordability crisis facing our country takes center stage this holiday season, <\/span>t<\/span>he question becomes: What recent stressors have exacerbated people\u2019s economic insecurity and what is being done to push for relief for millions of Americans? <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

On July 4, the president signed the Republican majority\u2019s reconciliation package, which we like to call the \u201c<\/span><\/span>Big Ugly La<\/span>w<\/span><\/span><\/a>.<\/span>\u201d <\/span><\/span><\/span>This package gutted affordable health care and food assistance for millions of people to fund tax giveaways to billionaires. The <\/span>Congressional Budget Office reports<\/span><\/a> that because of this law, low-income households will see a decrease in resources of about $1,200. Meanwhile, high-income households will see a significant increase in resources of about $13,600.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Additionally, the <\/span>Republican <\/span>majority has<\/span> failed to <\/span><\/a>address the expiring<\/span> Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits. These health care credits have made it possible for 22 million low-income and middle-class individuals to afford health care. Without an extension by the end of December, health care premiums will <\/span>skyrocket 114% on average<\/span><\/a>. It’s quite Grinch-like for <\/span>Republicans to gift tax breaks to the rich yet<\/span> blatantly<\/span> refuse to protect millions of Americans\u2019 health care<\/span>.\u00a0 We will continue to keep up the pressure<\/a> to extend the ACA credits while fighting to fix<\/a> our broken health care system.<\/span><\/p>\n

Despite the crisis Americans are feeling when it comes to trying to make ends meet, the Congressional majority and the Executive are trying to save face as people across the country face the hard hits from their disastrous policy choices, with <\/span>many more pain points to come<\/span><\/a>. They are using these real-life consequences and people’s economic hardships as a political football, such as calling <\/span>affordability a con job.<\/span><\/a> All in an attempt to draw attention from <\/span>winding food bank lines<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>high healthcare premium notices<\/span><\/a>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We cannot allow our lives to be punted around the political arena. It\u2019s time we hold our lawmakers accountable for the dire outcomes of the Big Ugly Law and educate our community members about the pressing issues affecting all of us so that we can achieve a fairer economy in the future. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

You can get more engaged right now by:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n