What is Janelle Stelson’s plan to lower the cost of living?

Janelle Stelson’s affordability agenda includes repealing President Donald Trump’s tariffs, restoring Affordable Care Act subsidies, expanding prescription-drug price negotiations, and making federal income-tax deductions for tips and overtime permanent. She also supports measures to make homes easier to build and finance, according to her campaign’s policy platform.

The former television news anchor is challenging Republican Rep. Scott Perry in the Nov. 3 election to represent Pennsylvania’s 10th Congressional District, which includes Dauphin County and parts of Cumberland and York counties.

In an interview with The Keystone published in April, Stelson said she regularly hears from constituents struggling to afford gas, groceries, and housing. Her argument: Congress should spend less time on partisan fights and more time addressing those everyday expenses.

“Bickering is ridiculous. People want things to be done,” she said. “When things cost too much, let’s get to work. Let’s reach across the aisle and behave like Americans and take care of our problems.”

Here’s what she proposes.

What would Janelle Stelson do about tariffs and prices?

Stelson says she would work to repeal Trump’s tariffs, which are taxes on imported goods. She argues that the policies raise costs for families and make it harder for small businesses to operate, according to her campaign platform.

In her earlier Keystone interview, Stelson described a conversation with Angel Fox, the owner of Fox’s Laundromat in Harrisburg. According to Stelson, Fox had changed how she bought supplies, spending more time searching for deals instead of having everything delivered.

“Small businesses are our backbone,” Stelson said. “I’m all for making sure they not only survive, but thrive.”

Her current platform also calls for helping small businesses access capital, including Small Business Administration loans, and reducing bureaucratic hurdles.

Perry has defended Trump’s tariff policies. As Spotlight PA reported in its examination of the candidates’ economic positions, he has urged Americans to be patient for their promised long-term benefits.

What would Stelson do about health insurance and prescription costs?

Stelson supports restoring the enhanced Affordable Care Act tax credits that helped people pay for insurance purchased through health insurance marketplaces. She favors making those credits permanent, according to Spotlight PA. The enhanced credits expired at the end of 2025.

In her Keystone interview, Stelson said constituents were telling her they could not manage rising healthcare bills alongside other household expenses. She also said she wanted the federal government to negotiate prices for more prescription drugs.

Her current healthcare platform continues to support government drug-price negotiations. It also calls for stronger protections against surprise medical bills, including closing a loophole for ambulance trips, and removing medical debt from credit reports.

Perry opposed extending the enhanced ACA subsidies. His proposed alternatives include expanding health savings accounts and allowing people to purchase health insurance across state lines, according to Keystone reporting.

READ MORE: Where Janelle Stelson and Scott Perry stand on healthcare and insurance 

What is Stelson’s plan for housing costs?

Stelson’s housing agenda focuses on increasing home construction, expanding financing options, and limiting large investors’ purchases of homes. Her proposals include:

• Reducing red tape to make homebuilding faster and easier.
• Making homes less expensive to build.
• Expanding access to small-dollar home loans.
• Rewarding communities that build more housing.
• Stopping Wall Street investors from buying up homes.

She also connects housing costs to her opposition to tariffs, arguing that tariffs increase the price of construction materials such as lumber and drywall, Spotlight PA reported.

Does Stelson support no tax on tips and overtime?

Yes. Stelson says she would vote to make federal income-tax breaks for tips and overtime permanent, according to her campaign.

The 2025 federal tax-and-spending law, which Perry supported, created deductions for qualifying tips and overtime pay through 2028. Although campaigns often describe the policies as “no tax on tips” and “no tax on overtime,” they are federal income-tax deductions—not the elimination of every tax on those earnings.

Stelson has criticized the broader law while supporting the continuation of those provisions for workers. 

Could Janelle Stelson pass her cost-of-living plan on her own?

No. As a member of the US House, Stelson could introduce and vote on legislation, advocate for funding, and work with other lawmakers. She could not independently change federal tax law, restore insurance subsidies, or enact her housing agenda. Those changes would require action beyond a single congressional office.

In her earlier Keystone interview, Stelson said working across party lines would be part of her approach.

“Most people live in the middle somewhere,” she said, “and they don’t want us to be the paralyzing partisan.”

Editor’s note: This article draws on The Keystone’s April interview with Janelle Stelson and has been updated with her current policy proposals and information about the November election.