Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-Pa.), the ranking member of the House Budget Committee, said Friday that President Donald Trump cut health care, gave tax breaks to billionaires and started a “forever war” instead of lowering costs. He said Americans are right to feel terrible about the economy. His post responded to new University of Michigan data showing consumer sentiment near the lowest level ever recorded, just weeks before the midterm elections.
Boyle posted the statement on X at 1:02 p.m. on Oct. 23, 2026.
Boyle’s full post read:
“Instead of lowering costs, Trump cut health care, gave tax breaks to billionaires, and started another forever war.
It’s no wonder the American people are feeling terrible about this economy — and they are right.”
What the Linked Report Says
The ABC News article Boyle linked reports that consumer sentiment stands near the lowest level in the 74-year history of the University of Michigan survey. The final October reading was 48.0, the second-lowest final reading ever recorded, against 48.1 in September. The record low of 44.8 came in May, months after the Iran war began.
The report ties the mood to prices. Global oil prices crossed $116 a barrel Friday, a six-month high, and the national average for gasoline is $4.29 a gallon, roughly 43% higher than when the war began in late February. Prices rose at an annual rate of 3.7% in September, more than a point above the Federal Reserve’s 2% target.
Long-term Treasury yields have jumped in recent months, pushing up borrowing costs for credit cards and mortgages. Survey director Joanne Hsu said sentiment improved among Democrats and Republicans in October but fell among independents. The report describes affordability as a top concern for voters ahead of the midterms.
The report also notes areas of strength. Gross domestic product grew over the three months ending in June, and consumer spending rose 0.9% in August. Hiring slowed sharply in September, however, with employers adding 29,000 jobs after 162,000 in August, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Boyle on Health Care Cuts
Boyle has led Democrats’ opposition to the 2025 reconciliation law on the Budget Committee. At the May 16, 2025, markup he said the bill would cut taxes for billionaires while “throwing 13.7 million Americans off their health care coverage,” citing the Congressional Budget Office.
At a later hearing on health care costs, Boyle said the law cuts roughly $1 trillion from health care and will cause more than 15 million Americans to lose coverage. He said the law carries $5.3 trillion in tax cuts mostly going to the richest Americans.
On the one-year anniversary of the law, Boyle announced the Protecting Americans’ Health Care Act to reverse its Medicaid cuts. He said more than 8 million Americans had already lost coverage.
Boyle on Tax Breaks
During the Ways and Means markup of the bill, Boyle said almost all of its tax cuts go to the top 1 percent. He added that the spending cuts to Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act and nutrition assistance pay for only about 25 percent of those tax cuts.
Boyle on the Iran War
Boyle voted for the War Powers Resolution on March 5, 2026. He said Trump was pursuing a costly war “without an exit strategy” and added that the Iranian regime is evil and poses a threat. He said Americans want lower costs and affordable health care.
The same day, he asked the Congressional Budget Office to estimate the cost of the war under several scenarios, including a longer conflict and ground troops. He also asked it to assess effects on U.S. prices. The letter describes the war as “another endless war.”
On June 24, 2026, responding to the administration’s supplemental funding request, Boyle said tens of billions in military spending could instead protect health care and feed hungry children. He said the war had sent the cost of gas and everyday goods skyrocketing, and noted his request to the CBO for an official estimate.
Boyle was also among the Philadelphia-area Democrats who voted to limit Trump’s Iran war powers in a later House vote that did not pass.