ICYMI: Davids Pens Essay on Lowering Costs, Fighting Extremism to Put Kansans First

This morning, Representative Sharice Davids (KS-03) published an opinion piece in the Kansas City Star highlighting the challenges Kansas families face with rising costs and the harmful impact of extreme politicians’ priorities in Washington. Davids also underscored her recent work across the aisle to deliver solutions that lower costs and strengthen Kansas communities.

Key Excerpts:

• “Everywhere I go in our community, I hear the same thing: families are stretched thin. From groceries to health care to housing, the cost of living has gone up, and people are working harder than ever just to make ends meet.”
• “Unfortunately, instead of tackling rising costs, extreme politicians in Washington, including President Trump, are making things worse. Their latest budget raises health care costs and threatens emergency food assistance for our kids — all to funnel tax breaks to billionaires and special interests.”
• “That’s why I’ve worked with both Democrats and Republicans to pass laws that actually help Kansans. I fought to cap the cost of insulin at $35 a month for seniors. I passed bipartisan legislation to rebuild our roads, bridges, and water systems.”
• “The challenges we face are real, but so is our ability to overcome them — if we have leaders who put people first. Kansans deserve nothing less.”

In the piece, Davids shares her personal story, her mom’s service as an Army veteran and postal worker, and her commitment to ensuring hardworking Kansans get a fair shot. She has consistently focused on working with both parties to lower health care costs, protect Social Security, support Kansas farmers and workers, invest in local infrastructure, and more. She has also passed multiple bipartisan bills this year, even under Republican control of Washington.

Read the full essay in the Kansas City Star here or below:

Everywhere I go in our community, I hear the same thing: families are stretched thin. From groceries to health care to housing, the cost of living has gone up, and people are working harder than ever just to make ends meet.

I know what that feels like. I was raised by a single mom — a proud Army veteran who went on to work at the U.S. Postal Service. She worked long hours, sometimes juggling more than one job, to keep our family afloat. 

That experience shaped me. I later worked multiple jobs to get through college, and I'm still paying off my student loans. Now, I wake up every day determined to fight for Kansans who feel like the deck is stacked against them.

Unfortunately, instead of tackling rising costs, extreme politicians in Washington, including President Trump, are making things worse. Their latest budget raises health care costs and threatens emergency food assistance for our kids — all to funnel tax breaks to billionaires and special interests.

Here in Kansas, we’re already seeing the consequences: rural hospitals on the brink of closing, family farms squeezed by reckless trade policies, and parents worried about affording child care. That’s not leadership — it’s politics at the expense of hardworking Kansans.

Each August, Members of Congress spend an extended time back home, and for me, it’s the best part of this job because I get to spend most of my time listening. These conversations show me what’s working, what isn’t, and what more I can do to help hardworking Kansans.

Last month, I saw how the big debates in Washington translate into real impacts here at home. 

Families of children with disabilities and rural health leaders alike reminded me that Medicaid cuts aren’t abstract — they’re life-and-death decisions that put patients and entire communities at risk.

Seniors I joined at a Social Security 90th anniversary celebration spoke about how essential that program is to their retirement security — and how anxious they are about constant threats to cut it.

I also heard from workers at a local manufacturer about how reckless tariffs continue to raise their costs and strain operations, while Kansas farmers worry about unstable markets that threaten their livelihoods.

At a Head Start program, I sat with kids and teachers who reminded me how crucial affordable early childhood education is for parents’ ability to keep working and put food on the table.

And on a supply chain tour, from family farms to local grocery stores, I saw the power of investing in our local food system to lower grocery prices and strengthen our communities.

All of these conversations brought home one point: Kansans need leaders who are focused on solving problems, not creating them.

That means lowering prescription drug costs, expanding access to affordable health care, investing in good-paying jobs, protecting Social Security, and making child care more affordable — not raising costs through shortsighted budgets and political power plays.

That’s why I’ve worked with both Democrats and Republicans to pass laws that actually help Kansans. I fought to cap the cost of insulin at $35 a month for seniors. I passed bipartisan legislation to rebuild our roads, bridges, and water systems.

And I’ll keep working across the aisle whenever I can. Even in a Republican-controlled Washington, I’ve passed multiple bipartisan bills this year. Kansans can’t afford inaction or political gamesmanship.

I don’t pretend to have all the answers. But I know this: all Kansans deserves a fair shot, no matter where they live or what challenges they face. That’s the promise my mom fought for in the Army and lives out every day. And it’s the promise I’ll keep fighting for in Congress.

The challenges we face are real, but so is our ability to overcome them — if we have leaders who put people first. Kansans deserve nothing less.