With prices on everyday goods still climbing, frustration among New Jersey residents is mounting.

And U.S.

Senator Cory Booker sat down with some in Newark today to hear it firsthand, hosting a roundtable to learn where they're feeling it the most and to talk about how he plans to tackle it in Washington, laying the blame on President Trump's recent policies involving tariffs and tax reforms that Booker argues favor the wealthy at the expense of the working poor.

Senior Correspondent Joanna Gagas has the details.

I feel like the services rendered that we used to get are being harder and harder to get.

So, say if you're getting Medicaid or you're getting SNAP, those things are being taken away.

New Jersey residents spoke directly to their senior U.S.

Senator Cory Booker today about the cost of living increases they've experienced in the last several months that are having a direct impact on their lives.

With the increase of rent, with the increase of groceries, with the increase of everything that the child needs, it's really, really hard.

Senator Booker says he's heard countless concerns just like this, and he lays the blame at the feet of the Trump administration's policies, like the one big beautiful bill that cut taxes for the highest earners, while cutting funding for many social supports.

Plus, those tariff policies.

We are seeing chaotic tariff policy that is raising the costs of household items, of food, and now as we're seeing a back to school moment for Americans all across the country, we're seeing families facing the extresing challenges of being able to afford the basics, whether it's school supplies or school lunches and more.

Bananas used to be what, 49 cents a pound?

Now you're paying what, about five and six dollars for bananas?

Because the tariffs are driving up the costs.

Because the tariffs are bringing up everything.

Chantal Rivers-Jaycee is a representative for the New Jersey Education Association, the state's largest teachers union, and an underwriter of NJ Spotlight News.

She's hearing from teachers who are feeling the pain just as much as the families they serve.

What a lot of educators tell me is, "Chantel, I'm out every day trying to figure out how I'm going to make it the next day in the classroom when I don't have adequate supplies."

They're facing food insecurity.

I find this all the time.

They don't have rent money.

Yes.

Their groceries are going up.

Their health care costs are going up.

Their energy costs are going up.

That teacher still in that environment are making extraordinary sacrifices out of their own pocket to buy supplies that should be for every child already provided.

Some residents spoke about the challenges of fighting for Medicaid coverage under the new rules that require more frequent applications and more stipulations to qualify.

I see over and over again they're making it harder and harder.

The applications are harder.

Just to talk to a representative is harder.

So it's like at a point in time you're just like, where can we get help from?

And the people that are being affected are the elderly and the children most of the time.

The increasing rent, before you used to pay probably $900 right here, now you have to pay $2,500.

And it's a lot.

I was on a Sunday news show yesterday and the Secretary of Treasury was on and said, "Oh, the economy is doing great.

Look at the stock market.

Look at corporate profits."

How does that make you feel as an American who's just trying to make a family's ends meet?

I'm gonna be completely honest, angry.

But reality is the pressure is on the people who have to work every day.

Some of the panelists work for nonprofits that help to fill the financial gaps for struggling families, but now they too are feeling the pain of federal funding cuts.

We are exhausting our funding between one and three months of receiving the funding, so the remainder of the community has nowhere to turn for support, for rental assistance, for LIHEAP many times.

And it's very frustrating because now providers are being stretched thin.

Now President Trump argues it'll take another one to two years before Americans see the positive impact of the tariffs as well as bringing jobs back to the U.S. Brianna.

Yeah, Joanne, I know the administration has really been harping on that, that it's going to take some time for this to play out, but what did Booker say today about how he'll use his levers of power in Washington, especially, you know, Democrats are in the minority?

Yeah, well, the point that he made today when he was speaking to the panelists is, look, they're entering another budget season right now.

They have until October 1st to pass another federal budget.

And so he says they're going to need Democrats' votes.

Look, Democrats don't have much power right now in Washington, but there is some divide within the Republican Party when it comes to certain budgeting issues.

And so he says they will need every one of those 60 Democratic votes.

He says that he will be fighting, he will use his leverage to restore much of these funding cuts that we heard folks saying are really impacting them today.

He says, if you want my vote, we need to restore these cuts and we need to reduce the pain that Americans are feeling.

And I know he has said, yes, that he's willing to withhold his vote unless he sees some of that.

Is that where he still stands today?

He does, yes.

And he did say that.

And by the way, he said, look, this is not a red state, blue state issue.

He said that folks in red states are feeling the pain.

Families are feeling the pain just as much as in blue states.

But yes, he did say that he would withhold his vote if it came to that, if he didn't see some major changes that he believes are causing these families pain.

Yeah, and of course, Senator Andy Kim has echoed the same sentiment.

All right, the power struggle plays out in Washington.

Joanna Gagas for us.

Joanna, thanks so much.

Thanks, Brie.

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