Voters angry about high prices may get little relief from the next Congress

If voters expect a new Democratic Congress to bring down prices, they will probably be disappointed.

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (New York) promises the party’s “affordability agenda” will “drive down the high cost of living in every possible area.” But the main forces driving inflation are the Iran war’s impact on energy prices, fallout from the artificial intelligence boom and President Donald Trump’s trade policies. Even if they win control of the House and Senate on Nov. 3, there’s little chance Democrats could terminate the war and end Trump’s tariffs over his opposition — or would want to derail the AI boom.