'Not great for us': GOP senators say they’re paying price for Trump policies

The Republican lawmakers are now in the last phase of their midterm campaign and are worried that voters might retaliate against the party for not having done enough to alleviate the pressures caused by the cost of living, even though they did pass a major tax measure the previous year.

When members of the GOP Senate are leaving Washington and going back to their homes to campaign, several of them have told Semafor that affordability is still the main issue they receive from their constituents.

“If you’re not worried, you’re living in a cave,” Sen. Jim Justice, R-W.Va., told the outlet, pointing to voters who are still struggling financially. Justice also warned that economic frustration could keep some Republican voters home rather than drive them toward Democrats.

Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, a member of the Republican Party, gave just as direct an evaluation of the party's record.

“If we had done enough, our constituents wouldn’t be continuing to raise it, and it wouldn’t be the No. 1 thing that everyone’s campaign is talking about,” Murkowski said.

Last year, Republicans passed a broad tax law which extended the previous tax reductions and introduced new exemptions relating to overtime pay, wages earned as tips and some of the interest on car loans. However, a number of lawmakers state that these measures have not resulted in sufficient relief for voters who are suffering from high fuel prices, inflation and high borrowing costs.

Senator Jon Husted of Ohio stated that voters "always want us to do all we can to make their lives more affordable and that's exactly what we should do."

The political anxiety arises because the Republicans are working to hold on to their congressional majorities, and several Senate races have become more closely contested. Senator John Cornyn of Texas, a Republican, stated that "the national mood is not good for us", on the basis that overseas conflicts are not likely to affect voters as much as their household finances.

“Foreign wars don’t typically motivate people to want to go vote,” Cornyn said. “And kitchen table issues do.”

The Conference Board reported that consumer confidence dropped in September to its lowest point since 2014, the high prices of oil and gasoline outweighing the positive economic indicators.

President Donald Trump has also acknowledged difficulty selling his economic record. “I’ve done a very bad job of explaining how good the country is doing,” Trump said Wednesday.

Some Republicans still claim that the party took on the problem from the previous president, Joe Biden. Senator Roger Marshall of Kansas stated that voters realize "that we inherited a house that was on fire," at the same time asserting that Republicans are working to reduce the prices of gas and groceries.

Some people believe that the economy is starting to improve; Senator Rick Scott of Florida told Semafor that conditions are expected to keep getting better.

But with affordability still dominating campaign conversations, the disagreement inside the party is increasingly about whether voters will feel enough improvement before they cast their ballots.