Let’s make it very simple for the Democrats in the 2026 midterm-elections. The issue is AFFORDABILTY.
And please Democrats, stay on message. Working- and middle-class Americans are feeling the economic pinch and need some immediate relief. The federal government can relieve many of these financial burdens with three new programs.
#1- Universal Daycare. The average cost of daycare in the US is close to $1,250 per month for a single child. This means a family with two young children will pay $2,500 per month or $30,000 per year! This is an outrageous expense for a young family. Our country guarantees free education for all kids from kindergarten through twelfth grade. Let’s just extend free education from birth through the twelfth grade. This will be a key voter issue for the young voters, and especially for those with young families.
#2 – Housing Affordability. Home prices and mortgage costs have been very high relative to incomes, meaning homes cost more relative to what people earn than in past decades. The typical first-time homebuyer age is unusually high (38–40yrs.) because younger buyers struggle to afford homes. A big shortage of homes for sale has kept prices high and afforded limited choices for buyers. Democrats need a plan to get more homes built within the USA and make these houses affordable for young families.
How do we get more homes built? We do NOT need a massive government program to build new homes, as some members of the Democratic Party have suggested. We need to make it easier for home builders to build new homes. The government can provide low-interest construction loans to make building less expensive, since interest on construction loans is a huge part of the finished cost. In addition, let’s lower the tax to these builders on the sale of the finished home. This will both encourage the builders to sell at lower prices and allow them to keep a larger share of the profits. A similar program can be implemented for the construction of apartment units. As for the buyer, the government should offer mortgage financing at a low rate, say 4%, that is interest-only for 10 years. This can save the homeowner close to $1,000 per month. The government can also provide down-payment assistance for workers in civically important jobs that do not have rewarding pay scales, such as teaching, nursing and social work.
#3 – Healthcare Insurance Costs. The costs of healthcare are through the roof and increasing rapidly. It will take many years and many commissions to tackle the rising costs of our healthcare delivery system. The high cost of medical care results in higher insurance premiums and higher deductibles.
We can address the higher costs of health insurance by offering a single-payer, Medicare-like program for anyone who wants it. As it is now, private insurers operate for a profit. They must cover the cost of the medical care to the patients and incur additional costs such as advertising, office space rental for employees, salaries for top executives as well as the 35% margin on top of these costs. Then profits are distributed to shareholders in the form of dividends. Medicare operates without many of these costs and only has a 10% overhead cost. They can offer lower-cost premiums, which can end up saving consumers hundreds of dollars per month. It is time to move to this single-payer system. It can even be voluntary, so anyone who wants to keep their private insurance or add a private insurance supplement program can do so. We are not taking anyone’s healthcare insurance away; we are just offering a less expensive alternative.
Democrats, here is a great gameplan for 2026. Take it and run with it! Please stay on script. Let’s get out there and talk about AFFORDABILTY and present a plan to take the financial stress off so many working- and middle-class families.
H O W A R D S B E N D 