House GOP Working on Trump’s Affordability Agenda, Johnson Says

House Republicans to Prioritize Affordability in Remaining Legislative Agenda

House Speaker Mike Johnson announced that making life more affordable for Americans will be a central focus of Republicans’ remaining legislative agenda for this Congress, despite the limited time lawmakers have left in Washington this year.

In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, Johnson acknowledged the narrow window for action but expressed determination to advance President Donald Trump’s “affordability” initiatives before year’s end.

“We have a lot of executive orders that we want to continue to codify through the end of the year. We’re still doing regulatory reform to end the Biden-era regulations. We did some of that this week,” Johnson said. “There’s a lot of initiatives left on the table, things for us to do and a short amount of time to do it in.”

The Speaker described affordability as “the buzzword of the day” and outlined a broad approach to tackling high costs across various sectors. “We have an affordability agenda, as the president has been touting, and we have to do that in earnest. Healthcare is part of that. But it’s just the costs across the board,” Johnson explained.

Johnson placed blame for current economic pressures on the previous administration, arguing that former President Joe Biden implemented policies that fueled inflation. Throughout Biden’s term, consumer prices outpaced average wage growth according to analysis from Texas A&M University, though inflation did moderate somewhat as pandemic effects subsided.

“We the people rightfully revolted against that, and gave us the power again in January. But the economy is a very complex thing, you don’t flip a switch and just change it all in one week. It takes a while,” Johnson noted.

A centerpiece of the Republican economic strategy is the legislation originally dubbed the “One Big, Beautiful Bill Act,” which has since been rebranded as the “working families’ tax cut.” The package includes several tax reduction measures, including eliminating taxes on tips and overtime, as well as lowering tax burdens for seniors.

The Speaker projected confidence that these measures would stimulate economic growth by early next year. “By the time we get into the first and second quarter of next year, as Treasury Secretary Bessent has said, we should have an economic boom because all of these pieces will be coming into play,” Johnson said.

He added that the tax reforms would encourage greater investment by creating pro-growth conditions that benefit “job creators, entrepreneurs, risk-takers, innovators.”

Healthcare reform will also feature prominently in the upcoming legislative push. Republicans are expected to advance a package aimed at addressing high insurance premiums while reforming aspects of the Affordable Care Act that they view as flawed.

Energy costs represent another target for Republican legislation. Several House committees are preparing to advance bills focused on reducing energy expenses, with particular attention to modernizing the permitting process for new energy projects—an area where regulatory hurdles have long been criticized for delaying development and increasing costs.

The affordability focus comes as Republicans seek to deliver on campaign promises made earlier this year when they gained control in Washington. While Democrats have also emphasized cost-of-living issues in their messaging, Republicans aim to distinguish their approach through tax reductions and regulatory reforms rather than expanded government programs.

With only weeks remaining in the congressional calendar, the ambitious agenda will require focused effort to achieve meaningful results before the end of the year. However, Johnson expressed optimism about the initiatives, concluding, “Everything I just described will happen in due time, and it will. So we’re very bullish about it.”