America’s economy is gaining momentum again — but not everyone is traveling at the same speed.
What we are living through right now is what I call a two-lane economy. And until we’re honest about that divide, we can’t fully close it.
There’s no question that progress is returning. Energy production is booming. Private sector jobs are growing. Inflation is falling. After several difficult years, the American economy is finally showing signs of life.
In the fast lane are many Americans typically over the age of 50. They bought homes two or three decades ago when prices and interest rates were far lower. Today, about three-quarters of Americans in their late 50s and early 60s own their homes, while only about one-third of Americans under 35 do.
Their housing payments are locked in at manageable levels, and their home equity has strengthened dramatically. They’ve had the fiscal discipline to contribute monthly to retirement plans that have benefitted from a strong stock market, and they pay off their credit cards monthly — largely immune from the 28% interest rates Wall Street banks charge.
Due to their hard work and diligence, many have built a degree of financial stability that younger generations are still working toward.
In the slow lane are millions of Americans mostly under the age of 40 — younger families trying to buy their first home, start a family and fulfill the same American Dream their parents and grandparents achieved. Through no fault of their own, they are stuck.
Four years of unchecked government spending under the previous White House administration drove inflation to generational highs — housing up nearly 50%, health and property insurance along with childcare had similar dramatic increases, while groceries were up over 20%. Too many of these young adults are also saddled with six-figure student debt.
A final point, as inflation is cumulative, the sting of inflation lingers on.
For young families who did everything right — went to school, worked hard, saved their money — the American Dream suddenly feels farther away than it should. I see it firsthand — my own kids are at that stage of life, trying to buy homes, start families, build something of their own.
And I’ll tell you, it’s not for lack of trying. But there is hope.
2025 has brought a different story. Prices have stabilized, mortgage rates are easing, rent is down six months in a row, and real wages are up $1,500 a year. And thanks to the Working Families Tax Cuts being made retroactive, Americans will see an extra $1,500 refund from the IRS this spring.
For a typical Kansas family, that’s nearly $3,000 more this year than last — real money at the kitchen table. For the first time in years, the direction is right and the foundation for real recovery is being laid.
Congress is already acting on one of the biggest drivers of this divide. A bipartisan housing bill passed the Senate earlier this month that will cut regulations so more homes can be built more efficiently across the country — a meaningful step toward making homeownership achievable again for the next generation.
Our “Patients Deserve Price Tags” legislation, along with our efforts to break up PBM monopolies, will lower the cost of health care and prescription drugs by nearly a thousand dollars a month for Kansas families. Across the state, we are seeing innovative solutions to childcare taking root.
And I am also pushing for an above-the-line deduction for homeowners’ insurance — putting money back in the hands of families already stretched thin.
We started this conversation talking about two lanes. The goal was never to keep them separate — it was to merge them back into one. One America where hard work still pays off, where the next generation inherits opportunity rather than debt, and where the American Dream is not a memory but a roadmap.
We are not there yet. But we are moving. And I will not stop pushing until every Kansas family is in the fast lane.
Roger Marshall, M.D., is a U.S. senator who represents Kansas.
Alice J. Roden started working for Trending Insurance News at the end of 2021. Alice grew up in Salt Lake City, UT. A writer with a vast insurance industry background Alice has help with several of the biggest insurance companies. Before joining Trending Insurance News, Alice briefly worked as a freelance journalist for several radio stations. She covers home, renters and other property insurance stories.