00:00For some people, it's really becoming less affordable. For other people, they are doing quite well.
00:05Do I think American life is affordable today? For the wider range of people, I feel it's getting harder and
00:12harder.
00:12I don't see how people can achieve that American dream.
00:16Affordability is shaping up to be the key issue in this year's midterm elections.
00:20American consumers need $126 to buy what $100 could have bought just six years ago before the pandemic.
00:26Those high prices have left many Americans struggling to keep up with everyday bills.
00:30The delivery charge for the gas has gone up quite a bit. It's more than double.
00:35Electricity has gone sky high.
00:38In the last year alone, home insurance costs have climbed nearly 7 percent,
00:42and natural gas prices are up close to 10 percent, while hourly wages have only risen less than 4 percent
00:46in that time.
00:47Electricity prices have also climbed in recent years,
00:50especially as more power-hungry data centers come online for artificial intelligence.
00:54I thought that I was at a point where I could just kick back,
00:58but no, I'm going back to work to help make up the difference.
01:01Egg prices surged in early 2025, but have come back down,
01:05while other staples like beef and coffee have been on the rise.
01:08Grocery prices, for me, started becoming a problem around the pandemic.
01:13The price of milk, chicken, bread, fruits, and vegetables have each risen around 20 percent or more in the past
01:19six years.
01:19Overall, grocery prices are up about 30 percent since January 2020,
01:23but in the years leading up to the pandemic,
01:26many Americans had gotten used to seeing roughly the same bill at the grocery store each week.
01:30We've got to make sacrifices when things get tough.
01:34My condition is a condition called inclusion body myositis.
01:37It requires me to use many different types of mobility devices just to continue with my quality of life.
01:43Two-thirds of Americans worry about affording health care for themselves and their families.
01:47According to a recent poll by the health policy organization KFF,
01:52that includes insurance and out-of-pocket costs for things like office visits and prescription drugs.
01:57More than 20 million people who rely on Affordable Care Act plans now face high premiums
02:01that doubled on average after certain tax credits expired at the end of 2025, KFF estimated.
02:07It's not easy to have more than $20,000 in medical expenses.
02:11The cost of living since before the pandemic, without a doubt, has risen substantially.
02:14Voters can't make it any clearer what they want out of this year's midterm elections.
02:19For the relief is going to be critical in the elections.
02:22I feel like I'm getting drowned out from opportunities.
02:25I wish only the best for those who are struggling.
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