Homes, college fees and medical costs today all have imported materials that are part of the reason they have increased.
Example, most of the hardware in a new home is imported, as is the hardware in a hospital. Beds, chairs, desks, x-ray machines, metal doors, etc. The same goes for colleges. Heck, they even buy some books that are published overseas.
The next time you are in you local hardware store ask for a screwdriver that is fully made in the US. We are the proud manufacturer of lots of plastics. Hurray! for the US.
Ask your Senator if he thinks NAFTA did our ecomony any good or if it was harmful. Then ask why he hasn't written a Bill to cancel it.
It's only barely related to a discussion of the strength of the US dollar versus foreign currencies.