Michiganders Are Paying More for Food, Gas, and Health Care — And They Have James, Barrett, and Huizenga to Thank

Michigan families are paying more for food, gas, and health care — and Reps. Bill Huizenga (MI-04), Tom Barrett (MI-07), and John James (MI-10) supported the policies driving those increases. Tariffs, backed repeatedly over the past year by all three Congressmen, have driven up grocery prices, with coffee up 32.7% since January 2025.

“As a small business owner, I work to provide great coffee that my community can enjoy, but tariffs have passed on extra costs to me and my customers,” said Brian, a coffee shop owner in MI-04. “My Congressman Bill Huizenga voted for these tariffs. He should focus on lowering prices instead of backing damaging tariffs that are hurting my shop and so many other Michigan small businesses.”

It’s not just coffee that’s costing families more. Reps. Huizenga, Barrett, and James voted for the Iran War in March, and since then, the price of gas has increased by over a dollar nationally. Gas prices in Michigan have gone up 12 cents in the last week alone. And after the three Congressmen let the health care tax credits expire in December and voted against restoring them in January, premiums soared 29.5% in Michigan.

Michiganders are struggling to afford basic necessities, and instead of working to lower costs, Congressmen James, Huizenga, and Barrett gave a tax cut to billionaires. Michigan Families for Fair Care will continue to call on them to prioritize the needs of working families and work to lower the cost of health care, food, and gas.