ICYMI: Representative Tran Joins Morning Joe to Discuss His Plan to Lower Prices for Working Families
Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Representative Derek Tran appeared on MSNBC’s Morning Joe to discuss the launch of the Congressional Lowering Costs Caucus, dedicated to tackling the cost-of-living crisis facing American families. Tran was joined by his caucus co-chair Representative Hillary Scholten (MI-03).
Watch the full Morning Joe segment HERE.
“When I go back to my district to get my hair cut, to go grocery shopping… the single issue and the main talking point is, we don't care if you're a Democrat or Republican. We want to know what you're doing to help us right now because we need relief at the grocery store. We need relief with childcare,” said Representative Tran.
The Lowering Costs Caucus will serve as a platform to unite around common-sense solutions that make life more affordable for American families. The caucus will also work to elevate stories directly from constituents to shine a light on the ways the Trump Administration and House Republicans are driving up costs and squeezing household budgets.
The caucus aims to support legislation that delivers meaningful economic relief for hard-working families, prioritizing kitchen table issues over tax giveaways for the ultra-wealthy. This effort underscores Representative Tran’s ongoing commitment to fighting for policies that help families get ahead, not just get by.
Representatives Tran, Scholten, and Greg Landsman (OH-01) serve as Co-Chairs of the caucus. Reps. Maggie Goodlander (NH-02), Maxine Dexter (OR-03), Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10), and Sarah Elfreth (MD-03) have also joined the Lowering Costs Caucus.
Since taking office, Representative Tran has remained committed to bringing down the prices of everyday goods and delivering for working families. He has consistently rejected legislation that would increase the cost of basic-needs resources like food and health care, including voting against the Republican budget proposal that would eliminate billions in funding for Medicaid and SNAP, and has cosponsored legislation to protect small businesses from President Trump’s reckless tariffs. Tran also serves on the New Democrat Coalition’s Economic Growth and Cost of Living Working Group and the Congressional Dads Caucus, which aims to ease the cost burden on working families by advocating for the expanded child tax credit, affordable childcare, and paid family leave.
A full transcript of Representative Tran’s Morning Joe remarks is below:
Host: But, Congressman, you are out of power. So, it's nice that you set up a caucus. But what can you actually do? I mean, people who are paying six times their income in rent that used to be paying two times their income in rent–what can you do about that?
Rep. Tran: Yeah, you're absolutely right. And I think, you know, just because we're out of power doesn't mean we can't tune out the noise of Washington, D.C, and focus on what matters to the American people. When I go back to my district to get my hair cut, to go grocery shopping… the single issue and the main talking point is, we don't care if you're a Democrat or Republican. We want to know what you're doing to help us right now because we need relief at the grocery store. We need relief with childcare.
Host: Congressman Tran, what are your ideas for affordability and how do you express them in a clear, understandable and motivating way? The way, frankly, Zohran Mamdani did in New York. Now you can say what you want about his ideas, but people got free buses. You freeze the rent. I mean, these are very simple, easy to understand policies that connect with a lot of people. What are the caucus’s policies?
Rep. Tran: Look, you can't get any further from New York than Southern California where I come from in my district, and I cannot speak for all Democrats, but I can speak for my constituents and my community. And what I'm hearing, and what I'm feeling as well, is when we get back to fall and it's time to shop for back to school, whether it's shoes for the kids, clothes, backpacks, school supplies, these products are coming from somewhere. It's not here. And these tariffs are going to kill us. So, they are worried about having enough money to be able to provide and get these essential products for their kids. These are the same worries that I have, and that's going to be my focus as I move forward in this caucus.
Congressman Derek Tran represents California’s 45th Congressional District. Serving his first term in Congress, Congressman Tran is a member of the House Armed Services Committee and House Small Business Committee, where he is Ranking Member of the Oversight, Investigations, and Regulations Subcommittee. Congressman Tran is the son of Vietnamese refugees, a Veteran, and fought for consumers as an attorney before entering Congress.