We are in a cost-of-living crisis—and it is not an accident. Across essential parts of our economy, prices are far higher than they should be, not because of true competition, but because the system is structured to prevent it. From prescription drugs to everyday goods, Americans are often paying far more than the actual cost of production. When a simple generic drug like clotrimazole can sell for a fraction of the price abroad but remains expensive and difficult to access here, that’s not a functioning market—it’s a failure of the system.
This problem shows up across sectors in different ways, but the result is the same: prices that don’t come down. In pharmaceuticals, regulatory and market barriers keep lower-cost alternatives out. In energy, global pricing, industry concentration, and limited refining capacity mean prices can rise quickly with little competitive pressure to bring them back down. You don’t need illegal price fixing to get these outcomes—you just need a system where competition is weak and incentives are aligned.
We need bold, immediate action to restore real competition. That means opening markets to safe, lower-cost alternatives, removing structural barriers to entry, enforcing antitrust laws where appropriate, and ensuring that when the public helps fund innovation, the public benefits from fair pricing. Americans don’t need more explanations—they need results. If we fix the structure of these markets, we can bring costs down and build an economy that works for families again—not just for those positioned to take advantage of it.