Conservative think tank proposes affordability reforms, clashes with Trump on tariffs and credit caps

A conservative organization founded by former Vice President Mike Pence published a ten-point proposal aimed at reducing living costs by cutting red tape and boosting production across the economy. The document, authored by Advancing American Freedom, labels affordability as the nation’s top concern and calls for measures such as loosening local zoning restrictions, increasing oil and gas leasing, and linking $50 billion of federal housing assistance to zoning reforms.

While echoing parts of Donald Trump’s second-term agenda, the plan departs from his stance on tariffs, asserting that the tariffs have raised prices, strained alliances and resulted in roughly 900,000 fewer jobs, and urging Congress to regain tariff authority. It also rejects Trump’s suggested 10% ceiling on credit-card interest rates, citing potential losses for lenders serving the majority of Americans. Richard Stern, vice president of the Plymouth Institute for Free Enterprise, framed the debate as a test of whether families can still achieve the American dream amid rising housing and energy costs. The report warns that economic frustration can fuel social division, emphasizing that the problem lies with government policy rather than businesses or entrepreneurs.