Senate Democrats face an uphill battle to recapture the chamber in November. But they hope an opening on affordability can help them pull off the upset. Democratic polling shop Blue Rose Research found that 61 percent of voters — and 66 percent of voters who switched from Joe Biden in 2020 to Donald Trump in 2024 — say their life is less affordable than it was a year ago, according to a memo prepared for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee shared first with POLITICO. Just 9 percent of voters said their lives are more affordable than a year ago, the poll found. Affordability — especially around health care costs — has emerged as Democrats’ top issue as candidates barrel toward midterm elections this fall. The DSCC is latching on to that messaging and is also rolling out a new website this morning targeting Republicans for their handling of now-expired Affordable Care Act subsidies. “Americans are fed up with Republicans’ failure to lower costs, and Democrats are going on offense,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement to POLITICO. “Costs will be our number one focus this year as we will stand up for hardworking Americans and fight back against Republicans’ price-spiking policies.” The website goes after battleground GOP Sens. Dan Sullivan (Alaska), Susan Collins (Maine), Jon Husted (Ohio) and John Cornyn (Texas), as well as candidates in Georgia, Iowa, Michigan, New Hampshire and North Carolina. Democrats’ focus on affordability isn’t new, but they are bolstered by this and other polls that they argue shows their message is landing with voters — particularly after Trump and Republicans leveraged economic concerns to across-the-board victories in 2024. The lengthy Blue Rose memo also takes stock of Democratic performances last year, arguing that the environment has shifted dramatically since that 2024 drubbing. “Overall, Democratic gains were particularly strong in areas that had swung away from the party in 2024,” the memo says, “suggesting genuine persuasion of swing voters in addition to an enthusiastic, motivated base. Counties where Democrats lost ground between 2020 and 2024 showed the largest rebounds in 2025.” Even with those performances last year, the Senate still favors Republicans, who are working to hold seats mostly in states President Donald Trump carried easily. And Trump and Republicans are increasingly focusing on affordability, an effort to neutralize Democrats’ attacks. The National Republican Senatorial Committee dismissed the attacks from the left, accusing Democrats of causing inflation while touting Republicans’ economic policies. “Inflation rose 20% under Joe Biden, and Senate Democrats responded by recklessly funneling taxpayer dollars to big insurance companies and Somali fraudsters instead of seniors and working families,” NRSC spokesperson Joanna Rodriguez said in a statement. “Republicans have already put an end to that, secured the largest tax cuts in American history, the lowest gas prices in five years, and more relief is coming.” The Blue Rose survey was conducted online from Dec. 8-9, surveying 6,265 likely voters nationwide. It had a margin of error of plus-or-minus 1.1 percentage points, with a larger error margin for subgroups. A version of this report first appeared in POLITICO Pro’s Morning Score. Want to receive the newsletter every weekday? Subscribe to POLITICO Pro. You’ll also receive daily policy news and other intelligence you need to act on the day’s biggest stories. Donald Trump’s grip on congressional Republicans is slipping. A series of rebukes on the Hill on Thursday highlighted how rank-and-file Republicans are starting to move with less regard for the president heading into the midterms. Here’s what comes next on three fronts: — Bringing back ACA credits: Seventeen House Republicans broke ranks to support a clean three-year restoration of enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies that expired last month. The bigger-than-anticipated revolt showed how politically dangerous skyrocketing insurance premiums could be. The bill is expected to die in the Senate, as Majority Leader John Thune has no plans to bring it up for a vote. But the Republican proponents hope the strong bipartisan support pushes the Senate to produce its own ACA solution. Senators are considering a plan that would reestablish the credits for two years with reforms. Text could come as soon as Tuesday, per Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio), as lawmakers race to get a deal over the finish line before open enrollment ends Jan. 15 in most states. — Limiting Trump’s war powers: The Senate gave one of its strongest admonishments of the president Thursday when five Republicans helped advance a measure to constrain Trump’s military action abroad. An outraged president took to social media to say they “should never be elected to office again.” The measure now heads to a final Senate vote next week. But it would still need to pass the House, which could prove more challenging. If Thursday’s failed veto override votes were any indication, House Republicans are less willing to break with the administration than their Senate counterparts. Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) told POLITICO he was “inclined” to support the war powers resolution after this week’s briefings on the Venezuela operation, but that Trump’s Thursday attack was a tipping point. “Reading the ugly response to those senators sort of convinced me to vote yes,” he said. The House may soon vote on its own war powers measure from Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.). — Installing the Jan. 6 plaque: The Senate voted Thursday to unanimously approve a measure, led by Sens. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), to install a plaque in the Capitol honoring the officers who protected it on Jan. 6, 2021. The stark moment of bipartisanship was a significant rebuke of Speaker Mike Johnson and the Trump DOJ, which argues the plaque — which has been made but not installed — does not comply with a 2022 law mandating its display because it lists the departments that responded, not individual officers. The resolution does not need House approval, but it does put pressure on Johnson. It’s unclear when the Senate will install the plaque, which will remain in the chamber until a permanent location is identified on the west front of the Capitol. What else we’re watching: — Thune’s border trip: Thune is leading a trip to the border in Texas on Friday with several GOP senators and Senate hopefuls to sell the “big, beautiful bill” Republicans passed last summer. — Funding progress: Appropriators hope to release bill text Sunday night of the next spending package they want to pass before the month-end funding cliff. It’s expected to include the State-Foreign Operations, Financial Services and Homeland Security bills, though the DHS portion is in flux after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent fatally shot a U.S. citizen in Minneapolis. Meredith Lee Hill, Jordain Carney, Nicholas Wu, Lisa Kashinsky, Simon J. Levien, Hailey Fuchs and Katherine Tully-McManus contributed to this report.

Mayor Keith Wilson decried the shooting, saying "Portland is not a 'training ground' for militarized agents."

Amidst all that is happening, why are Senate Democrats still supporting Trump’s judges?