WASHINGTON, DC -- U.S. Senators Jacky Reed (D-RI) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) joined 30 of their Senate colleagues in urging President Donald Trump to reject Congressional Republicans’ legislative plans to increase the cost of living for Americans.

Last week, Congressional Republicans in both chambers approved for floor consideration their 2025 budget proposals, their blueprints for a large package that would raise costs for hardworking families and target critical services like Medicaid.

“But the Republican budget plans do not focus on lowering costs, and in fact will raise costs for American families by forcing them to pay more for groceries, health care, education, and caregiving,” wrote the 32 U.S. Senators.

Congressional Republicans’ budget plans will:

Raise food costs: The Republican budget plans tee up extensive cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Meals on Wheels. 

Raise health care costs: The Republican budget plans also pave the way for 15 Republican proposals to cut Medicare, Medicaid, and Affordable Care Act coverage. These Republican cuts would raise health care costs for over 160 million Americans.

Raise education costs: The Republican budget plans set up cuts to programs that help families afford college, including Pell Grants and income-driven repayment plans, and tax scholarships for hard-working students.

Raise caregiving costs: The Republican budget plans pave the way to cut programs that help families care for kids, people with disabilities, and aging loved ones. Cuts to these essential programs will make it impossible for many working families to live and work with dignity.

“If Congressional Republicans are successful at passing their proposals, it will mean that families will pay more for food, healthcare, education, and caregiving – while Republicans plot more tax cuts for billionaires,” the Senators wrote. “We urge you to stand by the promises you made to the American people about lowering costs, including by committing not to sign any legislation that raises their costs.”

In addition to Reed and Whitehouse, the letter is also signed by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Mark Warner (D-VA), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Ed Markey (D-MA), Gary Peters (D-MI), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Peter Welch (D-ME), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Patty Murray (D-WA), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), and Andy Kim (D-NJ).

Full text of the letter follows:

February 17, 2025

President Donald Trump

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Ave

Washington, DC 20500

Dear President Trump:

We write to you today to urge you to honor the promises you made on the campaign trail to lower costs for American families. You promised the American people that you would immediately lower costs, “starting on Day One.”

However, weeks into your Presidency, Congressional Republicans are moving forward with legislative plans to increase the cost of living for hardworking Americans. Congressional Republicans have released their 2025 budget proposals – their blueprints for a large legislative package that they hope to pass in the coming months.  Congressional Republicans have also circulated a “menu” of policies they want to include in that budget legislation.3But the Republican budget plans do not focus on lowering costs, and in fact will raise costs for American families by forcing them to pay more for groceries, health care, education, and caregiving.

1. Raising food costs. The Republican budget plans tee up extensive cuts to the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) and Meals on Wheels. Republican cuts to SNAP will make it harder for senior citizens, disabled individuals, and working families to afford groceries. Republicans also want to defund meals for poor schoolkids, forcing already-struggling families to shoulder additional costs while grocery prices are skyrocketing, and slash funding for meals for elderly people.

2. Raising health care costs. The Republican budget plans also pave the way for 15 Republican proposals to cut Medicare, Medicaid, and Affordable Care Act coverage. These Republican cuts would raise health care costs for over 160 million Americans who rely on these programs to make ends meet and stay healthy, and force the closures of community health centers, nursing homes, hospitals, and doctor’s offices across the country. The proposals especially target low-income seniors, children, and people with disabilities.

3. Raising education costs. The Republican budget plans set them up to pass cuts to programs that help families afford college, including Pell Grants and income-driven repayment plans. These Republican cuts would hike loan payments for millions of Americans, drive families deeper into debt, and in some cases make it impossible for students to pay for school and achieve the American Dream.

4. Raising caregiving costs. The Republican budget plans pave the way to cutting programs that help families care for kids, people with disabilities, and aging loved ones. Large cuts to Medicaid, Head Start, and other essential programs will make it impossible for many working families to live and work with dignity.

The Republican budget plans are deeply troubling. If Congressional Republicans are successful at passing their proposals, it will mean that families will pay more for food, healthcare, education, and caregiving – while Republicans plot more tax cuts for billionaires. We urge you to stand by the promises you made to the American people about lowering costs, including by committing not to sign any legislation that raises their costs.

Sincerely,