April 5, 2025
Dear Friends,
Over the past several years, families across the nation have felt squeezed by inflation and the rising cost of living. Millions of Americans are still struggling to afford groceries, rent, home energy bills, and other necessities — and the problem has only grown worse since Donald Trump took office.
Trump secured a second term in part by promising to lower costs for families and rein in inflation. But so far, his administration’s policies have done exactly the opposite. This week, Trump pushed prices even higher by imposing sweeping tariffs on dozens of trading partners — one of the largest government-driven cost increases in American history.
On Wednesday, President Trump announced drastic price hikes on imported goods from nearly every country — except Russia and North Korea. These tariffs amount to a massive sales tax of at least 10% on almost everything you buy, from clothing and cars to fruits and vegetables, and the consequences are already severe. Markets plunged in response to the President’s announcement, putting millions of Americans’ retirement savings at risk, while companies like the automaker Stellantis wasted no time announcing mass layoffs of hundreds of American workers at U.S. manufacturing plants. Trump is deliberately tanking the economy — and it’s working families, not his billionaire friends, who will pay the price.
When deployed strategically alongside a robust pro-worker agenda, tariffs can be an effective tool to protect American jobs. But there is no strategy here — pro-worker or otherwise. Trump claims these tariffs are “reciprocal,” matching what other countries charge on American imports dollar-for-dollar. But even a cursory look at the numbers shows this isn’t true at all. Instead, the Trump administration appears to have calculated its tariff rates using a bizarre, arbitrary formula conjured from thin air, ignoring existing trade policies entirely.
Nothing illustrates the absurdity of this policy better than the 10% tariff Trump slapped on Heard Island and McDonald Islands in the sub-Antarctic Indian Ocean — tiny Australian territories with a population of zero people and thousands of penguins. The American people deserve better than this slapdash approach to economic policy.
While he uses every opportunity to drive up costs for working Americans, Trump is also teaming up with Elon Musk to dismantle the safety net programs that help families stay afloat in tough times. Just this week, as part of mass layoffs at the Department of Health and Human Services, Trump fired every single employee at the Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) — a lifeline that provides relief for millions of American families who struggle to afford their utility bills. These cuts will leave millions of households across the Capital Region, New York, and the nation struggling to choose between keeping the lights on or paying for food, medicine, and other essentials.
But Trump and Musk aren’t stopping there. They’ve also slashed over a billion dollars from vital food assistance programs like the Local Food Purchase Assistance programs, TEFAP, and many more. These cuts are already taking a devastating toll on families, seniors, children, and the food banks that serve them, especially as Trump’s tariffs drive food prices even higher.
Yesterday, I met with local anti-hunger leaders who shared firsthand how these cuts are making it harder for Capital Region families to put food on the table. No one in the richest country on Earth should have to send their children to bed hungry. Yet, this administration is pushing extreme policies that take from those in need just to line the pockets of the ultra-wealthy. Trump and Musk are hell-bent on funneling trillions in tax breaks to their billionaire friends, and they don’t care how many American kids go hungry in the process. That’s not leadership — it’s cruelty, plain and simple.
Trump isn’t just driving up costs — he’s gutting the very programs that help families make ends meet. His reckless tariffs, combined with devastating cuts to essential services, seem designed to wreck our economy while stripping away the support systems Americans rely on. We need real solutions that lower costs for working families while protecting the vital programs that support our communities. I will continue to speak out forcefully against Trump’s destructive policies — because the American people deserve a government that fights for them, not against them.
As always, thank you for reading
Your friend,
DID YOU KNOW?
My office and I are working to make sure you remain informed with the latest updates, announcements, and recommendations from governments and agencies. With that in mind, here is some information that may be of interest to you:
- In the midst of attacks by Trump and Musk against Social Security, I’m using every tool at my disposal to defend this benefit the American people have earned. As I do so, I want to update you on recent changes that may affect you.
- Changes to Identity Verification for Some Individuals
- The Social Security Administration (SSA) has announced new, in-person identity verification procedures that go into effect on April 14th.
- As of that date, individuals applying for Retirement, Survivors, or Auxiliary (Spouse or Child) benefits and who are unable to use their online account will have to prove their identity in person.
- NOTE: Individuals applying for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), Medicare, or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) can still complete their claims over the phone.
- You can locate the nearest SSA office here or call 800-772-1213 to schedule an appointment.
- Online Accounts
- With proposals to shutter Social Security field offices around the country and reduce staff, I recommend that you set up online accounts for the Social Security Administration and IRS as soon as possible.
- If you created a Social Security username more than 3 years ago, you need to transition to a new or existing Login.gov account or use an ID.me account to have continuous access to Social Security online services. For step-by-step instructions on how to make the transition, watch this video.
- If you created your personal my Social Security account on or after September 18, 2021, no action is necessary.
- While this guidance is up to date as of today April 5, 2025, please know that these policies may change again.
