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cost of living
Price Index Report Shows Why Trump Policies Are Delivering 'Extra Pain' for US Consumers
"The People’s Price Index demonstrates how Republican policies are raising prices and are responsible for the extra pain millions of Americans are feeling everyday."
Oct 15, 2025
With the Bureau of Labor Statistics temporarily out of commission due to the shutdown of the federal government, one progressive advocacy organization is stepping up with some numbers of its own to measure the health of the US economy.
Unrig Our Economy on Wednesday announced the creation of the "People's Price Index," a report that highlights how US consumers are being hurt by the policies of President Donald Trump and the Republican Party.
"The People’s Price Index demonstrates how Republican policies are raising prices and are responsible for the extra pain millions of Americans are feeling everyday," explained Unrig Our Economy.
Among other things, the report focuses on the role that Trump's tariffs have played in raising food prices, as staples such as beef, coffee, and fresh produce have all seen dramatic price increases over the last several months.
As The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, consumers have been struggling with the continued rise in grocery prices, and many of them appear to simply be buying less food than they normally would in order to save money.
Dirk Van de Put, CEO of snack company Mondelez International, told the Journal that US shoppers have "no inclination to increase their spending" on food, even as prices have continued to rise.
"They’re unsure about what’s going to happen, when those tariff effects really are going to hit them," Van De Put added.
In addition to grocery prices, the report examines the impact of Trump's tariffs on foreign lumber, furniture, and kitchen cabinets, all of which went into effect this week.
In short, the report found that anyone planning on doing a renovation to their house in the near future will have to pay significantly more.
"The head of the Hispanic Construction Council said that kitchen cabinets and vanities will cost homeowners 'thousands' more due to a 50% tariff Trump placed on kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanities," Unrig Our Economy explained. "Trump’s furniture tariffs are expected to raise the cost of a home by as much as $60,000 in some markets."
Unrig Our Economy's analysis of the tariffs comes just days after investment bank Goldman Sachs released new research estimating that US consumers are shouldering up to 55% of the costs stemming from Trump’s tariffs, even though the president has repeatedly made false claims that the tariffs on imports exclusively tax foreign nations and companies.
The price index also explores how the changes to healthcare spending in the Republican Party's One Big Beautiful Bill Act are expected to raise up the cost of having health insurance.
"President Trump and congressional Republicans’ refusal to extend crucial health care tax credits has already caused insurers to propose the largest hike in monthly premiums since 2018," the report notes. "If Republicans allow these tax credits to expire, monthly premiums will double on average for people who get insurance from the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace. Some people will see premiums go up by nearly $2,000 a month."
Additionally, the report finds that the cuts made to programs such as Medicaid will result in fewer Americans being insured, putting more financial strain on hospitals thanks to an increase in emergency room visits, which will thus "cause people with private, employer-based insurance to pay hundreds of dollars more each year for their healthcare."
Progressive advocacy group Groundwork Collaborative this week also highlighted the negative effects that Republicans' failure to extend ACA tax credits will have on Americans' financial and physical health.
"Trump and Republicans in Congress would rather shut down the government than address the fact that average premiums will more than double for over 22 million Americans in mere weeks," Groundwork Collaborative explained. "A family of three earning $70,000 will pay an extra $3,017 next year. A 60-year-old couple earning $85,000 will pay an extra $18,080—more than a fifth of their income."
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US Consumers Paying the Most for Tariffs: Wall Street Giant’s Report Exposes Trump Lies
The report from investment bank Goldman Sachs comes as President Donald Trump is piling up even more tariffs on imported goods.
Oct 14, 2025
New research from investment bank Goldman Sachs affirms, as progressive advocates and economists warned, that US consumers are bearing the brunt of President Donald Trump's trade wars.
As reported by Bloomberg on Monday, economists at Goldman released an analysis this week estimating that US consumers are shouldering up to 55% of the costs stemming from Trump's tariffs, even though the president has repeatedly made false claims that the tariffs on imports exclusively tax foreigners.
Goldman's research also found that US businesses will pay 22% of the cost of the tariffs, while foreign exporters will pay just 18% of the cost. Additionally, Goldman economists estimate that Trump's tariffs "have raised core personal consumption expenditure prices by 0.44% so far this year, and will push up the closely watched inflation reading to 3% by December," according to Bloomberg.
Despite all evidence that US consumers are shouldering the costs of the tariffs, the Trump administration has continued to insist that they are exclusively being paid by foreign countries.
During a segment on NBC's "Meet the Press" last month, host Kristen Welker cited an earlier Goldman estimate that 86% of the president's tariffs were being paid by US businesses and consumers, and then asked US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent if he accepted that the tariffs were taxes on Americans.
"No, I don't," Bessent replied.
“Goldman Sachs says 86% of the tariffs have been paid by American businesses & consumers. Do you acknowledge that these tariffs are a tax on Americans?” - NBC
“No I don't.” - Scott Bessent
pic.twitter.com/6wtAznhpCc
— Spencer Hakimian (@SpencerHakimian) September 7, 2025
As Common Dreams reported in August, executives such as Walmart CEO Doug McMillon have explicitly told shareholders that while they are able to absorb the cost of tariffs, Trump's policy would still "result in higher prices" for customers.
Goldman's report comes as Trump is piling up even more tariffs on imported goods that will ultimately be paid by US consumers as companies raise prices.
According to The New York Times, tariffs on a wide range of products including lumber, furniture, and kitchen cabinets went into effect on Tuesday, and the Trump administration has also "started imposing fees on Chinese-owned ships docking in American ports."
The administration has claimed that the tariffs on lumber are necessary for national security purposes, although some experts are scoffing at this rationale.
Scott Lincicome, vice president of general economics at libertarian think tank the Cato Institute, told the Times that the administration's justification for the lumber tariffs are "absurd."
"If war broke out tomorrow, there would be zero concern about American ‘dependence’ on foreign lumber or furniture, and domestic sources would be quickly and easily acquired," he said.
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Eric Adams Drops Out of NYC Mayor Race in Face of Trump Pressure to Stop Mamdani
"Donald Trump and his billionaire donors might be able to determine Eric Adams and Andrew Cuomo's actions but they will not dictate the results of this election," Mamdani said in response to the news.
Sep 28, 2025
Following pressure to drop out of the mayoral race from the Trump administration and business leaders, current New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced on Sunday that he would end his bid to seek reelection.
Adams was running as an Independent against former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, also running as an Independent; Republican Curtis Sliwa; and frontrunner Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist whose victory in the Democratic primary has spooked moneyed interests and right-wing politicians including US President Donald Trump.
" Donald Trump and his billionaire donors might be able to determine Eric Adams and Andrew Cuomo's actions but they will not dictate the results of this election," Mandani said in response to the news. "New York deserves better than trading in one disgraced, corrupt politician for another. On November 4, we are going to turn the page on the politics of big money and small ideas and deliver a government every New Yorker can be proud of."
Adams' term as mayor was marked by scandal. He was charged with bribery, wire fraud, and soliciting illegal campaign donations from foreign parties by the federal government in 2024 only to have the charges dropped by Trump's Department of Justice in 2025 so that Adams could focus on facilitating Trump's anti-immigrant crackdown. The incident raised concerns among New Yorkers that Adams was beholden to the president.
"Despite all we've achieved, I cannot continue my reelection campaign," Adams said in a video posted on social media Sunday. "The constant media speculation about my future and the Campaign Finance Board's decision to withhold millions of dollars have undermined my ability to raise the funds needed for a serious campaign."
Adams had faced pressure to bow out of the race so that Cuomo would be the only centrist candidate, in a bid to hinder Mamdani's pathway to victory. His announcement comes weeks after the news broke that Trump administration officials were weighing offering jobs to Adams and Sliwa in order to boost Cuomo.
In his video, Adams did not endorse any other candidate by name, but appeared to warn against Mamdani.
“Major change is welcome and necessary, but beware of those who claim the answer [is] to destroy the very system we built over generations,” he said. “That is not change, that is chaos. Instead, I urge leaders to choose leaders not by what they promise, but by what they have delivered."
Cuomo praised Adams for his decision, saying, "I believe he is sincere in putting the well-being of New York City ahead of personal ambition. We face destructive extremist forces that would devastate our city through incompetence or ignorance, but it is not too late to stop them."
However, it is unclear how much Adams' departure will actually help Cuomo, as he was polling at less than 10% and, as the Associated Press noted, there is no guarantee that enough of his supporters would switch their allegiance to Cuomo to make a difference.
Mandani has run a popular campaign focused on lowering the cost of living in New York City, including proposals such as free busses, city-run grocery stores, and universal childcare.
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