Inflation and Cost of Living

Virginians are facing rising costs across the board—from rent and electric bills to groceries. While some challenges are beyond our control, there are meaningful actions we can take at the state level to ease this burden.

I’ve supported the Youngkin Administration’s efforts to deliver record tax cuts for middle- and lower-income Virginians, allowing you to keep more of your hard-earned dollars. This includes eliminating the state portion of the grocery tax, increasing the standard deduction, providing tax rebates, and exempting a portion of military retirement pay for our well-deserving veterans. Despite record revenues, further efforts to provide relief, such as reducing or eliminating the much-despised car tax, have been blocked by Democratic opposition. If re-elected, I will continue to support meaningful relief for working families.

Beyond tax policy, one of the most impactful ways to lower costs is through smart energy policy. I was proud to support bipartisan legislation in 2023 that returned utility oversight to the State Corporation Commission (SCC), helping to apply downward pressure on rates. Unfortunately, the “Clean Economy Act,” passed by Democrats, imposes rigid renewable energy mandates that will drive up costs by billions in the coming decades if left unchecked. I’ve led efforts to reform or repeal this law to relieve that burden—and will continue to make it a top priority.

I also carried legislation to break Virginia’s link to California’s electric vehicle mandate, which would have banned the sale of new gas-powered vehicles and forced Virginians to purchase expensive electric alternatives. Thanks to executive action, this mandate is not in effect currently, but I stand ready to push hard against any effort to bring it back.