WITH COSTS SKYROCKETING UNDER TRUMP, CONGRESSMAN PAT RYAN ESCALATES PUSH TO PASS HIS “AFFORDABILITY AGENDA,” HOSTS “KITCHEN TABLE” CONVERSATION TO HIGHLIGHT LOCAL IMPACTS
With Costs Skyrocketing Under Trump, Congressman Pat Ryan Escalates Push to Pass His “Affordability Agenda,” Hosts “Kitchen Table” Conversation to Highlight Local Impacts
For his first legislation of the 119th Congress, Congressman Ryan introduced his Affordability Agenda specifically to lower the costs of groceries, prescription drugs, housing, and protect Social Security.
Recent actions by the Trump Administration – from massive tariffs, to attacks on Social Security, and a budget that dramatically cuts Medicaid – have compounded the affordability crisis plaguing Hudson Valley families
NEWBURGH, NY – Today, Congressman Pat Ryan hosted local farmers, small business owners, families on fixed incomes, and housing advocates for a “Kitchen Table” discussion to address how the growing affordability crisis is affecting everyday life in the Hudson Valley. From attacks on Social Security, which risk the stability of our seniors’ retirement, to the reversal of critical housing funding, leading to an explosion in housing costs which put kids and veterans on the street, to a 25% tax on people with across-the-board tariffs, actions by the new Trump administration have made a bad economic situation worse. For example, Trump’s tariffs on building materials will raise the cost of building a single-family home by as much as $10,000, an extraordinarily damaging increase with housing costs as high as they already are.
The group met at Alexis Diner in Newburgh, a local business that has been rocked by the recent skyrocketing food prices, in particular the cost of eggs. At the beginning of January, a dozen eggs cost on average $5.81. Less than 2 months into Trump’s Presidency, that price has nearly doubled to $8.17.
“The financial pressure folks are feeling right now is intense, and it’s across the board – we need to be protecting Social Security, bringing down grocery prices, making housing more affordable, and getting our farmers the support they need. Instead, Trump’s pushing housing costs even higher with tariffs, ignoring the rising price of eggs, and threatening people’s health care. We all pay more while his billionaire cronies pad their profits,” said Congressman Pat Ryan. “Combating the affordability crisis is my absolute top priority – the first thing I did this year was introduce my Affordability Agenda, an in-depth plan to bring down the cost of living for Hudson Valley families. Whether it’s fighting back against Big Pharma jacking up your health care costs, Wall Street increasing your housing costs, or corrupt politicians trying to take your Social Security, I will always stand up and fight for Hudson Valley families.
“High prices are crushing Hudson Valley families and seriously hurting our local small businesses,” said Ward Todd, President, Ulster County Regional Chamber of Commerce. “We all need relief, and I’m grateful to Rep. Ryan for bringing us together today, and being an advocate in Washington for our hard-working Ulster County small business owners.”
“Access to safe, stable, and affordable housing is the foundation of thriving communities. We applaud Congressman Ryan's leadership in addressing the housing crisis and bringing much-needed attention to the challenges faced by families across our region,” said Kevin O’Connor, Chief Executive Officer, RUPCO. “RUPCO remains committed to working alongside our partners to create and preserve affordable housing in our region. However, we are deeply concerned about the volatility of construction material prices due to tariffs, which puts additional strain on project budgets and make building even more unaffordable at a time when the need for housing has never been greater.”
“One of the fastest growing new industries in the state and the whole nation is the Craft Distilling industry. In 2005 when Tuthilltown Spirits Distillery in Gardiner, Ulster County received its Distilled Spirits Plant permit there were roughly 15 small distilleries operating in the US. 70% of the raw materials used by NY Farm distilleries come from NY Farmers, including primarily corn, rye, potatoes, apples. Federal funds, already approved by Congress, being clawed back by the new administration puts every distiller and the farmers who produce their raw materials at grave risk,” said Ralph Erenzo of Tuthilltown Spirits Farm Distillery. “Farmers and distillers in anticipation of those dedicated funds, have already spent millions of dollars to expand, to acquire equipment and hire additional staff in order to meet demand. Distillers and brewers statewide depend on Canadian grain as a necessary ingredient in production, so the tariffs on imported Canadian grain will substantially add to the already costly process of making craft spirits. This puts all the smaller producers at an enormous disadvantage when pricing of their premium products rises to meet the cost of the tariffs; a cost which will pass through to the American consumer. Action must be taken to remove the administration's unconstitutional blockades to approved government funding before catastrophic damage drives many farmers and farm distillers out of business.”
“I am encouraged to see Congressman Pat Ryan actively engaging with his constituents in the Hudson Valley through his listening tour, addressing the critical issue of the rising cost of living both locally and nationally. As the leading economic development center in Orange County, we collaborate with site selectors and commercial developers to evaluate costs in New York State compared to neighboring regions,” said Maureen Halahan, President & CEO, Orange County Partnership. “To remain competitive and attract jobs, it is essential that we position ourselves effectively in the marketplace. Congressman Ryan’s initiative provides a valuable platform for individuals to voice their concerns, ensuring that our needs are effectively represented in Washington.”
President Trump campaigned on fighting inflation and the affordability crisis, but his actions since taking office have actually worked to raise prices. The sweeping 25% tariff on Mexico and Canada is effectively a tax on American consumers, and is expected to raise prices on everyday goods by up to 25%. Additionally, recent sweeping spending and administrative cuts by the Trump Administration have threatened several programs that Hudson Valley families rely on, including critical housing assistance through the Department of Housing and Urban Development, SNAP benefits, Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, veterans benefits and more. Congressman Ryan is on the front lines of this fight, making it clear that he will fight against any proposal that would hurt Hudson Valley families.
Congressman Ryan has long recognized the housing crisis across the Hudson Valley, and has worked with local, state and federal partners to address the high cost of and low access to housing in the region. Recently, Congressman Ryan has been working with local housing partners–who lost critical funding for programs keeping Hudson Valley veterans and children off the streets–due to President Trump’s sweeping cuts at HUD. As a part of his Affordability Agenda, the first legislation Congressman Ryan introduced in the current Congress, Congressman Ryan’s “Bold Housing Agenda” is written specifically to lower housing costs for Hudson Valley families.
The rising cost of groceries is crushing Hudson Valley families, and has been for years. Egg prices are at all time highs, and the administration’s response has been to suggest that folks raise chickens. Congressman Ryan has consistently worked on a bipartisan basis to address the crisis with his Lower Grocery Prices Act. Reintroduced in the Affordability Agenda, Congressman Ryan’s bipartisan legislation aims to remedy the issue of grocery affordability, and hold exploitative corporations accountable. The bill would require the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) to analyze the price of groceries over the last 20 years, provide effective solutions on how to lower costs, and develop a national plan to combat the high prices and ease the affordability crisis.
Congressman Ryan is also fighting to bring down the cost of health care, while at the same time protecting Hudson Valley small businesses. Ryan’s recent push for Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) reform aims to bring down prescription drug costs for consumers AND protect local Hudson Valley family-owned pharmacies. Furthermore, Congressman Ryan’s Affordability Agenda also includes the Stopping Pharma’s Ripoffs and Drug Savings For All Act, which would rein in Big Pharma’s current abuse of U.S. patent law making it easier to produce less-costly generic drug alternatives, bringing down costs for consumers. He supports landmark legislation which has already lowered the prices of ten of the most common high-cost pharmaceuticals, fought to lower premiums for 20 million Americans receiving healthcare through the Affordable Care Act, and secured more than $2 million to expand services at Sun River Health in Beacon.
Congressman Ryan has proudly fought for agricultural communities, especially NY-18 dairy and specialty crop farmers. A member of the House Dairy, Cheese, and Specialty Crop caucuses, he is a proud cosponsor of the Dairy Farm Resiliency Act and the Dairy Pricing Opportunity Act, which gives farmers a seat at the table in pricing their goods. In 2023, Congressman Ryan secured $1,000,000 for improvements and expansions at the 4-H Park, including helping the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Orange County (CCEOC) to construct a new livestock barn and expand seasonal operations.
In response to recent attacks on earned benefits like Social Security, Congressman Ryan has continued to stand with the senior community in the Hudson Valley, as well as impacted federal workers. He has hosted several community events surrounding the issue, and has continued to push for the passage of his Protecting Social Security Act, which would both safeguard payments and ensure that every county in NY-18 has a local Social Security office. Congressman Ryan has always stood against attempts to cut Social Security benefits, especially in the context of now-President Trump’s comment that there is “a lot you can do in terms of entitlements, in terms of cutting.” The authors of Project 2025, Trump’s policy playbook, are pushing to raise the retirement age for Social Security, cutting benefits for millions of Americans.
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