A conservative advocacy group founded by former Vice President Mike Pence has released a detailed policy blueprint urging Republican candidates to campaign on lowering everyday costs, offering more than 100 recommendations touching housing, energy, food and healthcare ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
The report, titled “Affordability 101,” comes from Advancing American Freedom and was rolled out on Capitol Hill Thursday. It was obtained first by Fox News Digital. The group argues Republicans need a proactive economic message rather than simply attacking Democrats, as affordability becomes a central issue in the fight for control of Congress.
“We want free market conservative candidates to go out there and not just put on the red jersey or not just fight against the blue jersey, but to go there and give people ideas that actually work,” said Tim Chapman, president of Advancing American Freedom.
The group’s approach centers on cutting regulation, expanding competition and boosting domestic production rather than creating new government subsidies. Chapman said the scale of federal spending itself is driving up costs for ordinary Americans.
“The size and scope of the government matters more than people understand in terms of its impact on the economy,” Chapman said. “If you look at interest rates right now and how much of the skyrocketing interest rates is fueled by the debt and deficit problem, that’s something we need to be concerned about as Americans.”
Where It Aligns With Trump — and Where It Doesn’t
Many of the report’s ideas track with Trump administration priorities, including ramping up domestic energy production, building more housing, cutting regulation and fostering innovation. But the blueprint also parts ways with the administration on several fronts.
One target is Vice President JD Vance’s proposal to broaden eligibility under the Child Care and Development Fund, which could give some married families with a stay-at-home parent up to roughly $9,000 per child each year. Richard Stern, vice president of the Plymouth Institute for Free Enterprise at Advancing American Freedom, was skeptical of the plan’s design.
“His proposal sounds great, right? But the truth is, in many cases, it’s a $9,000 divorce bonus,” Stern said.
On housing, the report contends that government regulation adds 26.4% to the cost of building a new single-family home, and it calls for reforming permitting, zoning and land-use rules to bring construction costs down.
“I think those memos that deal with construction regulations and land use are the core group that would help affordability the most,” Stern said.
The report also breaks with the administration over tariffs, arguing they push consumer prices higher.
“If you look at your grocery bill, how much of that is impacted by tariffs? That’s driving up the price of goods and it’s hurting people in their pocketbooks,” Chapman said.
Energy and Data Centers
The blueprint further argues that expanding domestic energy production and loosening regulations on artificial intelligence and data centers could help lower costs for consumers, even as the administration’s push for rapid data center growth has drawn concern over rising electricity demand and local impacts.
“The counties that have data centers are making money off of it,” Stern said. “They’re actually reducing energy prices for those homes.”
Chapman said the goal is to arm candidates with concrete proposals they can bring home to voters rather than relying on partisan messaging alone.
“We want people to have those solutions. When they go home and talk to their constituents about the future of the country, they can say, ‘I actually have an idea. Here’s an idea for getting interest rates down or here’s an idea for more small business growth,'” Chapman said.
