Bringing down grocery prices will become an early test for new and returning democrats during the upcoming 120th Congress after they swept the House and the Senate during mid-term elections Nov. 3 following aggressive campaigns that promised, in part, to improve affordability.
The victories give democrats greater influence over legislation and congressional oversight, but major policy changes will still require navigating a Republican White House and the possibility of a presidential veto.
To address grocery prices, legislators will likely need to make policy changes addressing Trump’s multiple rounds of high tariffs and fallout from the war with Iran that restricted essential shipping routes and access to key agricultural inputs.
Top democrats promise not to waste time addressing Americans’ affordability concerns, including House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries who told supporters at the group’s election-night headquarters that “beginning on day one” his party “will deliver” on its promise to fight for an affordable America.
“We will fight hard to lower the high cost of housing and groceries and gas,” added Jeffries, who in the run up to the election established five affordability working groups, including a Groceries and Goods group to help establish a concrete policy agenda.
The morning after the elections, Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., said he recognized that “the American people who are struggling to afford gas, health care and groceries overwhelmingly voted for change,” and under his leadership, “the top priorities of the Finance Committee will be affordability.”
Grocery squeeze reaches beyond lowest-income households
For a growing group of Americans who suffer food insecurity the relief cannot come fast enough.
According to data from the dunnhumby Consumer Trends Tracker released Nov. 4, one in three US consumers reported skipping or reducing the size of meals in the past year for financial reasons – a 7 percentage point increase since December.
In addition, it found, 31% of middle-income households reported not having enough to eat, up from 19%. In the same period, food insecurity among shoppers 65 years and older nearly doubled to 17%.
The findings come as participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) has also declined. The Food Research & Action Center, citing USDA data, estimates that participation has fallen by approximately 5.2 million people since the 2025 federal budget law took effect.
The law made changes to SNAP eligibility and benefit administration, while the Trump administration has also encouraged states to seek waivers restricting purchases of certain foods and beverages.
In response, “more and more, shoppers want a low price they can trust every day, not just one they have to hunt for,” added dunnhumby CEO Jamie Samaha. “The retailers and brands that deliver it will earn their loyalty.”
This is reflected in changing attitudes about grocery loyalty programs and increased preference for everyday low prices. According to CTT, shoppers willing to identify themselves to earn rewards fell 4 percentage points to 48%, and consumers shopping in stores with low base prices rose 3 percentage points to 63%.
The shift is also reflected in where consumers shop. Forty-five percent said they had shopped at dollar stores, up 5 percentage points from December, while 29% reported shopping at convenience stores, up 6 points.
Can democrats turn the tide?
There is no single policy lever that can quickly reverse years of higher food prices. Democrats will need to find ways to ease costs across the food supply chain, support households struggling to afford groceries and increase competition among food retailers.
One of the more detailed public proposals comes from the New Democrat Coalition, which released an affordability agenda ahead of the election.
It includes plans to lower food prices by “supporting more competition, less consolidation in the grocery industry,” NDC Vice Chair Nikki Budzinski said in February.
The group’s agenda for groceries and household essentials includes rolling back Trump tariffs and “advancing smarter, durable trade policies” by restoring Congress’ power to oversee international trade and securing global markets for US products.
It also called for supporting family farms, small and medium-sized producers, manufacturers and retailers and “holding corporations accountable for unwarranted price hikes” to increase competition and lower food prices.
NDC also stressed the importance of investing in federal nutrition programs, like SNAP.
While the NDC is only one group within the Democratic party, its agenda reflects the challenge incoming and returning legislators face in translating promises into policies that deliver measurable relief.
