Rep. Andy Ogles has backed policies that raise everyday costs for families. He supported Trump’s new global tariffs, which economists say act like a tax on consumers by making imported goods more expensive and fueling inflation. Research from the Federal Reserve and Congressional Budget Office shows the tariffs have already lifted prices and cut household buying power. At the same time, Ogles has pushed to keep or increase “junk fees” like credit-card late charges and bank overdraft fees, sponsoring measures to overturn rules that would have capped them. Regulators said those rules could have saved Americans billions each year, but Ogles’ actions protect higher costs for banks and card companies instead.
¶ Ogles supports broad tariffs that raise consumer prices and inflation
- Rep. Andy Ogles publicly backed President Trump’s global “Liberation Day” tariffs, attacking a federal court ruling that curtailed them and saying he wants to “reset” the courts so the tariffs can proceed; he praised Trump for “pushing back and fighting back.” (newsweek.com)
- Empirical research on the 2018–2019 tariff waves finds near-complete pass‑through of tariffs to U.S. import prices, with the burden falling on domestic consumers and real income reduced by about $1.4 billion per month. (nber.org)
- Federal Reserve Board economists show tariffs significantly and quickly raised consumer goods prices in 2018–2019 and, in early 2025, had already lifted core goods PCE prices by 0.33 percentage point (about 0.08pp on core PCE overall). (federalreserve.gov)
- The Congressional Budget Office’s analysis (as reported by AP) projects the new, sweeping tariff program would raise inflation by roughly 0.4 percentage points in 2025–2026 and reduce growth, diminishing households’ purchasing power. (apnews.com)
- Federal Reserve officials have warned that elevated tariffs risk “persistent” inflation if price hikes propagate beyond directly taxed goods. (reuters.com)
- Additional evidence shows tariff announcements and implementation harmed U.S. firms’ profits, sales, and jobs—pressure that tends to pass through to prices paid by households. (reuters.com)
¶ He pushes to keep or raise “junk fees” that directly hit household budgets
- In March 2024, Rep. Andy Ogles introduced H.J.Res. 121 to nullify the CFPB’s Credit Card Penalty Fees final rule that capped most credit‑card late fees at $8 for large issuers. (congress.gov)
- The CFPB estimated its $8 late‑fee cap would save more than 45 million cardholders about $220 per year on average; undoing it preserves higher fees. (cnbc.com)
- On April 9, 2025, the House passed S.J.Res. 18 to overturn the CFPB’s overdraft rule for very large banks, which would have limited fees to $5 or a cost‑based amount; nullifying it prevented billions in consumer savings. (reuters.com)
- The CFPB said its overdraft rule was expected to save consumers up to $5 billion per year; Congress’ disapproval blocks the agency from issuing a substantially similar rule absent new legislation, entrenching higher fees. (consumerfinance.gov)
¶ SEE ALSO:
Trump’s Tariffs Are A Grocery Tax On Americans A universal import tariff and add-ons that flow straight into food prices.