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Politics · North America

High prices leave voters looking to Congress for limited relief

Voters are looking to Congress for relief from high prices, but the next Congress may have little power to control them. Inflation has risen from 3% to 3.7% since Donald Trump took office in January 2025, and a recent New York Fed study estimated tariffs added 2.9 percentage points to annual goods-price inflation at their February peak.

AI-assisted synthesis · Based on 2 independent reports from 4 outlets · Article text read from 1 of 2 reportsHow it's made

View timeline · 9 entries
4 outletsLatest reporting 3 min read
Coverage: Too few ratedL 1 · C 1 · R 0 · 2 unrated
Updat3 graphic: North America
Updat3 graphic · Map data: Natural Earth Natural Earth (public domain)

What happened

Key facts

  • Voters are looking to Congress for relief from high prices, while the next Congress may have limited ability to provide it (per abc7amarillo.com, abcnews4.com, The Washington Post).
  • The Federal Reserve Bank of New York study estimated goods prices would have fallen without the tariffs (per coastalabc.com).

The brief

Voters looking for relief from high prices may find limited help from the next Congress, according to the account published by coastalabc.com. The article links that outlook to the constraints on congressional power and the prospect that the president could veto legislation.

The article reports that inflation climbed from 3% to 3.7% after Donald Trump took office in January 2025. It cites Ryan Young, a senior economist at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, who said the prices consumers paid before COVID-19 are unlikely to return. Young argued that pushing prices back down by deflating the currency would itself be disruptive.

Gasoline provides one measure of the price pressure described. AAA put the national average for regular gasoline at $4.29 per gallon as of Monday, compared with about $3 a year earlier. The article gives no date for that Monday, so the comparison is reported without assigning it a calendar date. The account also cites a recent study by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

The study estimated tariffs raised annual goods-price inflation by 2.9 percentage points at the February peak; it also estimated goods prices would have fallen without the tariffs. The article does not identify the tariffs or detail the study’s methods, so those findings are presented as the study’s estimates.

Young’s comments point to a political limit on any congressional effort to address prices: he said Democrats are almost certainly not going to secure a veto-proof majority. He also noted that the president does not have to sign legislation and can veto it. The article does not identify a particular bill or congressional vote.

The article’s central tension is between voters’ demand for relief and the tools available to lawmakers. Young’s view is that earlier price levels cannot simply be restored without disruption, while his comments on the likely vote count and presidential veto describe barriers to legislation.

The account does not name a specific measure that could change prices, or identify a decision currently before Congress.

Why it matters

  • U.S. consumers face higher prices across the economy: the article reports inflation rising from 3% to 3.7% since Trump took office.
  • Drivers bear a direct cost at the pump: AAA’s reported national average was $4.29 per gallon, versus around $3 a year earlier.
  • The cited New York Fed study estimated tariffs added 2.9 percentage points to annual goods-price inflation at their February peak, linking a trade-policy mechanism to the price pressures voters want Congress to address.
  • Congressional action may face political and institutional constraints: Young said Democrats are unlikely to win a veto-proof majority and the president can veto legislation.

What to watch next

  • Whether Congress considers legislation aimed at high prices; the article identifies no specific bill or vote.
  • Whether Democrats secure the veto-proof majority that Young said was almost certainly unlikely.
  • Whether the president signs or vetoes any legislation Congress passes, a power Young highlighted.
  • Whether the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s estimated tariff contribution to goods-price inflation changes in later analysis; the cited figure is 2.9 percentage points at the February peak.

How it's being covered

Coverage analysisShow details
4 source articles · 4 unique outlets · 2 distinct reports
Outlet political mix: Too few rated· 1 Left · 1 Center · 2 unrated
Where the outlets are based: US/Canada 50% · Unknown 50%
Outlet political mix
Too few rated
Left
Center
Right
1 outlet
1 outlet
0 outlets
The marker shows coverage balance: each unique outlet counts once. 2 unrated outlets are not included.
Geography
Where the outlets covering this story are based.
4 unique outletsDominant coverage: US/Canada
How we measure coverage

How outlets' accounts compare

Updat3 does not yet have enough full reports to compare how outlets framed this story.

Timeline

Developments from this story's sources, dated background we compiled and fact-checked, and our earlier coverage. Each row says which.
  1. The Constitution was ratified, giving Congress authority to levy duties.
    Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3
  2. In 1930, Congress had enacted the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act, a major tariff increase that later became a prominent reference point in debates over trade barriers.
    Background · from our historical context
  3. President Jimmy Carter signed the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.
    Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3
  4. The Trump administration imposed tariffs on steel and aluminum and levied duties on Chinese imports.
    Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3
  5. The Consumer Price Index rose 9.1 percent over the year ending June 2022, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
    Background · from our historical context
  6. Congress passed the Inflation Reduction Act on August 16, 2022, which included energy and health-care provisions; the Federal Reserve raised interest rates to curb inflation.
    Background · from our historical context
  7. Donald Trump won the presidency, and Republicans gained control of the Senate.
    Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3
  8. Donald Trump was inaugurated for a second, non-consecutive term as U.S. president.
    Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3
  9. On April 2, 2025, President Donald Trump announced a new set of tariffs, including a baseline duty on imports and higher rates for some trading partners.
    Background · from our historical context

How we got here

A Federal Reserve Bank of New York study reported that goods prices would have fallen without tariffs; its finding placed the tariff increases of 2025 within a broader debate over whether import duties raise costs for U.S. consumers.

On April 2, 2025, President Donald Trump announced a new set of tariffs, including a baseline duty on imports and higher rates for some trading partners. The Constitution, ratified in 1788, gives Congress authority to levy duties, while later statutes delegated some trade powers to the president.

Original sources

4 articles from 4 outlets

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