Blue-State Energy Mandates and Deficit Spending Undermine Democrats’ Affordability Claims

Originally published by The Washington Times.

Democrats have a new buzzword: “affordability.” Democratic strategists say “moderates” will lead the way to a more affordable cost of living for Americans, but those promises collapse into the same tax-and-regulate agenda wherever Democrats gain full control of the state government.

Virginia is the latest test case. Divided government was a reality in the Old Dominion until Gov. Abigail Spanberger won by selling herself as a “passionate pragmatist.” What Virginians got instead is the same out-of-control tax policies and Green New Deal-style energy that will exacerbate rising costs.

Pennsylvania offers a useful contrast. Here, another Democratic executive, Gov. Josh Shapiro, parades himself as a moderate while pushing extreme, costly policies. The only reason Pennsylvanians haven’t experienced the full cost of his agenda is that a Republican-controlled Pennsylvania Senate—Mr. Shapiro’s “Achilles’ heel,” according to Politico—has safeguarded the commonwealth from the governor’s liberal impulses.

Read more at The Washington Times.