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Steve Forbes has done the country a service by laying out a blunt, common-sense economic program the White House should adopt to crush the high cost of living and save the Republican majority next year. His prescription is not about ideology; it is about results — faster growth, cheaper goods, and breathing room for American families who are stretched to the breaking point. The nation needs a plan that speaks plainly to working Americans and gets prices down now rather than more Washington lectures about fairness.
The stakes are simple: voters care about affordability, and when Americans can’t fill their carts or pay their mortgage they punish the party in power. Recent coverage shows affordability has become the decisive issue driving elections, and parties that ignore it do so at their peril. The White House can’t paper over price pain with soundbites — it must deliver policies that put money back in people’s pockets.
First, Washington must stop treating taxes and regulation as rites of political penance and start treating them as levers to restore prosperity. Immediate, targeted tax relief for workers and small businesses, coupled with a ruthless rollback of needless red tape, will unleash investment, increase supply, and bring down prices over time. Conservatives know growth is the most humane way to help the poor and middle class — prosperity creates opportunities, jobs, and lower prices far better than another spending spree.
Second, the administration must confront self-inflicted price drivers, notably trade policy that has pushed up costs across the economy. Economists have warned that aggressive, unpredictable tariffs are already feeding higher inflation expectations and harming business confidence, which means higher prices for Americans and a weaker economy. If the goal is lower costs, policymakers should calibrate trade measures so they protect vital industries without turning every supermarket trip into a political tax.
Energy policy is another battlefield where results matter. We can and must increase domestic energy production, free pipelines and terminals from partisan permitting fights, and reject policies that substitute ideology for affordability. Cheap, reliable energy powers manufacturing, transportation, and agriculture; when energy is expensive, everything else becomes more costly. A patriotic energy plan that prioritizes American jobs and lower utility bills will resonate with voters across the map.
Housing and supply-side reforms deserve urgent attention too. Washington should use federal leverage to encourage local zoning reform, cut approval delays, and incentivize private construction that increases housing stock without surrendering local control. Republicans who champion property rights and opportunity should lead a practical, pro-growth agenda that delivers more homes, more workers, and reduced rents — not empty cultural battles that leave grocery bills unchanged.
Finally, leaders must speak plainly to voters: we understand the pain, we have a plan, and we will act. Blame and fury are easy; governing is hard, but it’s what wins elections. If the White House adopts real pro-growth fixes — lower taxes where they matter, less red tape, smarter trade, and an American-first energy and housing strategy — conservatives can turn the narrative from complaint to competence and keep the country prosperous and free.
