Black business leaders urge new Congress to look beyond affordability
A group of Black business leaders argues that the new Congress should tackle economic mobility, not just rising costs, citing a July 2026 poll that found voters prioritize both lower medical costs and higher wages.
A group of Black business leaders is urging the incoming Congress not to stop at the language of "affordability," arguing that rising costs are only part of a deeper problem with economic mobility. In a Fortune commentary, the authors contend that voters want more than relief from prices. They want control over their own economic futures and the removal of the barriers that keep them from getting ahead.
The argument rests on polling by Workbench Strategies conducted in July 2026, which surveyed 1,400 voters and included an oversample of 400 Black voters. The authors also drew on focus groups run by HIT Strategies and on two-way texting conversations. Among all voters, 45 percent ranked caps on medical and prescription costs among their top three economic priorities, while 43 percent ranked wage increases in their top three. Among Black voters, the emphasis on pay was sharper, with 56 percent placing higher wages in their top three.
The authors outline an agenda that goes beyond cost-cutting. They call for lowering costs, expanding homeownership, supporting small businesses and encouraging worker profit-sharing. They also press for greater transparency in concentrated markets and for fair tax rules. Their broader warning is that low trust in the economy could erode trust in democracy itself. They say the incoming Congress has roughly 18 months to deliver meaningful results on these fronts.
The commentary lands as Washington prepares for a shift in control. Rep. Tom Emmer has been elected House minority whip and Rep. Jim Jordan minority leader, while Hakeem Jeffries is expected to become Speaker under a Democratic majority. Emmer has said Republicans will hold Democrats accountable through hearings and floor votes, using amendments and motions to recommit to press their case. He has also said bipartisanship is unlikely and that the GOP aims to retake the House in 2028.
Procedural tactics are already part of that strategy. Rep. Thomas Massie used privileged resolutions to force a vote on the impeachment of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and that effort was defeated after Republicans referred it to committee. Some Republicans have signaled reluctance to continue relying on privileged resolutions, suggesting the tool may not be a fixture of the coming session. For the business leaders behind the Fortune commentary, the test will be whether lawmakers move beyond the political fight over costs and address the mobility concerns they say voters are raising.
Source: fortune.com
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