Energy prices rose by 5.2% in September and are up 20.4% for the entire year. The Trump administration and GOP Congress have taken several actions in the past two years to keep the cheapest, cleanest forms of energy off the grid, including rolling back tax credits for wind and solar, and conducting an unending assault on the offshore wind industry.  

Gas prices surged 9.1% last month—and are up 34% since last year. Just last month the Trump administration announced a rollback of vehicle fuel economy standards, permitting automakers to sell less fuel-efficient cars and trucks even as consumers seek relief from volatile gas prices. 

Following the CPI release, the BlueGreen Alliance issued a statement from Executive Director Jason Walsh: 

“The CPI is a report card for the U.S. economy and Republicans got a big fat ‘F.’ Energy prices are ballooning, and GOP actions are keeping the cheapest forms of energy off the grid. Trump and his friends in Congress have gone to great lengths to pad the pockets of billionaires while increasing the cost of living for working people every step of the way. And as working people fight to meet basic needs, employment and wages stagnate. Trump and the GOP have driven the economy into the ground and clearly have no plan or desire to correct course as they continue to advance priorities that are only going to increase costs even more.”