HAWLEY WATCH
Tracking what he says vs. what he does

How Does This Impact You?

Hawley Watch tracks what he says and what he does. This page connects both to what Missouri residents experience — using real data on costs, healthcare, housing, and democracy.

$
25.4% ▲
Cost of Living
Grocery Price Increase (2020-2025)
⌂
$259,000 ▲
Housing
Median Home Price (MO)
♥
10.2% ▲
Healthcare
Uninsured Rate (MO)
⚖
$26.6M ▲
Rights & Democracy
Outside Money in Hawley's 2018 Race

$ Cost of Living

Missouri families are paying more for everyday essentials. While Hawley talks about fighting for working families, his votes tell a different story.

Grocery Price Increase (2020-2025)

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, CPI
25.4% ▲
Missouri
25.4%
National
23.5%
Hawley Connection

Voted NO on the debt ceiling deal, risking a federal default that would have spiked interest rates and further increased costs for Missouri families.

What this means: A default would have triggered higher borrowing costs across the economy, driving up prices on everything from groceries to gas. Missouri's agricultural sector, which relies heavily on credit, would have been hit especially hard.
Related Vote: Fiscal Responsibility Act (Debt Ceiling) NO — Missouri's agricultural sector relies heavily on credit markets. A federal default would have spiked interest rates, threatening farms and agribusinesses statewide.

Avg. Household Credit Card Debt

Source: Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Q3 2025
$7,930 ▲
Missouri
$7,930
National
$8,480
Hawley Connection

Co-sponsored a bipartisan credit card rate cap with Bernie Sanders, then used Trump's identical proposal as a partisan talking point to attack 'The Left.'

What this means: Missouri families carry nearly $8,000 in credit card debt on average. Hawley's rate cap bill could have saved them hundreds per year in interest — but he turned it into a partisan weapon instead of pushing it to a vote.
Related Vote: Credit Card Rate Cap Act (Sanders-Hawley) CO-SPONSOR — Missouri households carry an average of $7,930 in credit card debt. A 10% rate cap could save the typical family hundreds of dollars per year in interest.

⌂ Housing

Housing costs are squeezing Missouri renters and would-be homeowners. Hawley has introduced no housing affordability legislation while collecting hundreds of thousands from real estate donors.

Median Home Price (MO)

Source: National Association of Realtors, 2025
$259,000 ▲
Missouri
$259,000
National
$412,000
Hawley Connection

Received $738K from real estate industry donors while introducing zero legislation to address housing affordability.

What this means: While Missouri homes are cheaper than the national median, prices have risen 38% since 2020. First-time buyers in Kansas City and St. Louis metro areas are increasingly priced out, and Hawley has done nothing to help.

Renters Spending 30%+ on Housing

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024
46% ▲
Missouri
46%
National
50%
Hawley Connection

Has introduced no housing affordability legislation during his Senate tenure despite nearly half of Missouri renters being cost-burdened.

What this means: Nearly half of Missouri renters spend more than 30% of their income on housing — the threshold where housing costs are considered a burden. That's money not going to food, healthcare, or savings.

♥ Healthcare

Missouri's healthcare gaps — from uninsured residents to closing rural hospitals — directly affect families across the state. Hawley's record shows a senator more aligned with health industry donors than patient needs.

Uninsured Rate (MO)

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2024
10.2% ▲
Missouri
10.2%
National
8.0%
Hawley Connection

Did not support Missouri's Medicaid expansion (passed by voters in 2020) and has not sponsored legislation to close the coverage gap.

What this means: Over 600,000 Missourians lack health insurance. Missouri's uninsured rate is 28% higher than the national average. Medicaid expansion, which Hawley did not support, has helped but coverage gaps remain.

Rural Hospitals At Risk of Closing

Source: Chartis Center for Rural Health, 2025
14 ▲
Missouri
14 at risk
National
700+ nationally
Hawley Connection

Received $434K from health industry donors while 14 rural Missouri hospitals face closure risk.

What this means: When a rural hospital closes, residents must travel 30+ miles for emergency care. Missouri has 14 hospitals at risk — and the senator who receives hundreds of thousands from health industry donors hasn't made rural hospital preservation a priority.

⚖ Rights & Democracy

Dark money and voter participation are democracy issues that directly affect whose voice gets heard in Missouri. Hawley's record reveals a troubling gap between his reform rhetoric and his actions.

Outside Money in Hawley's 2018 Race

Source: OpenSecrets.org, 2018 Missouri Senate Race
$26.6M ▲
Missouri
$26.6M
National
N/A
Hawley Connection

Introduced a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United — the very ruling that allowed $26.6M in outside money to flow into his own 2018 Senate race.

What this means: Hawley won his seat with massive outside spending help, then introduced a bill to ban that same type of spending. The bill went nowhere. Missouri voters deserve to know whose money is shaping their elections.
Related Vote: Constitutional Amendment to Overturn Citizens United INTRODUCED — $26.6M in outside money flooded Missouri's 2018 Senate race — more than the candidates raised themselves. Missouri voters' voices were drowned out by national dark money groups.

Voter Turnout (MO, 2024)

Source: Missouri Secretary of State, 2024 General Election
62.1% ▼
Missouri
62.1%
National
65.5%
Hawley Connection

Objected to certifying the 2020 Electoral College results on January 6, 2021 — undermining confidence in the democratic process Missourians participate in.

What this means: Missouri voter turnout trails the national average. When a senator questions the legitimacy of elections, it can discourage civic participation — the opposite of what a representative should do.

Data Sources:

Last updated: 2026-02-26