The 2026 midterm elections clearly showed how deeply the affordability crisis is affecting people all over the country. The increased cost of living, stagnated wages, and rising prices for everything from groceries to health care have left families struggling to pay for essentials or unable to cover them at all.

As newly elected Members of Congress prepare to take office in January 2027, CLASP urges the incoming Congress to focus on policies that address the affordability crisis and lift people out of poverty. “A Stronger Foundation” provides a roadmap of policies to expand access to critical basic needs and rights for children, workers, students, immigrants, and families. This document centers the bold solutions we know will have the greatest and most long-lasting positive impact.

Congress was handed a mandate to address the needs of families and workers across the country and should work to build a foundation for a stronger and brighter future.

CLASP is a national, nonpartisan anti-poverty organization advancing policy solutions that work for people with low incomes.

Download A Stronger Foundation