New Kristen Crowell op-ed and videos capture what families are experiencing — and what Washington should understand heading into the midterms
Chicago, IL (October 1, 2026) — President Donald Trump has spent recent weeks declaring that America has “the greatest economy in history,” and recently hosted his multi-millionaire donors at the White House, showcasing who his administration has truly prioritized.
What Families Over Billionaires encountered on the road these past few months is that people know they have been abandoned by Washington. We heard from families struggling with rising costs, health care providers bracing for cuts, food banks facing growing demand, and communities preparing to absorb the consequences of Washington cutting programs people rely on while delivering another round of tax breaks benefiting the wealthy and corporations.
“People know something is deeply out of balance,” said Families Over Billionaires executive director Kristen Crowell. “Because of decisions made in Washington, it’s clearer than ever that the ultra rich are hoarding America’s wealth and convincing policymakers to abandon the public services everyday people rely on. Anyone trying to understand midterm politics should start there.”
Today, Families Over Billionaires released two new videos featuring people the organization met during its national “Who Pays?” bus tour, alongside a new op-ed from Crowell reflecting on what she has heard across the country.
WATCH VIDEO: What Washington’s Choices Look Like at Home
This summer, Families Over Billionaires traveled to 18 communities in 13 states to hear directly from parents, nurses, farmers, educators, health care workers, food bank volunteers, small business owners, local officials, and families affected by high costs and significant federal budget cuts. Watch a recap of these conversations here.
WATCH VIDEO: People Are Asking for Basic Shit, But Washington Has Abandoned Them
Our second video features a popular set of remarks Crowell gave during this summer’s bus tour. She laid it out plainly: People expect “basic shit” from their government – public goods and services that help them get by. Yet because Washington has been bought and paid for by the billionaire class, those basic supports are being ripped away.
OP-ED: Washington Is Misreading the Politics of This Moment
In a new OtherWords op-ed, Crowell draws a broader lesson from more than a year on the road.
“Washington is misreading the politics of this moment. People aren’t asking Washington to make their decline a little more manageable. They want to take their kid to the doctor and put food on the table…They want billionaires and corporations to play by the same rules they do. And they want their government to fight for them, too.”
Crowell describes schools opening food pantries, health care providers stretching dwindling resources, neighbors delivering groceries, and parents worried about caring for sick children.
But she also describes something else: people increasingly connecting those struggles to political choices — and organizing in response.
