01/21/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 01/21/2026 17:29
SPRINGFIELD - Today, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) shared data from the Joint Economic Committee (JEC) showing that the average Illinois household has paid $1,781 in higher costs since President Trump took office one year ago. Despite numerous claims that the second Trump Administration will lower the cost of living for Americans, President Trump has instead focused his energy on slashing $1 trillion in Medicaid funds, pricing out Americans of their health insurance coverage by allowing the Affordable Care Act's enhanced premium tax credits to lapse, unleashing chaotic tariffs and instituting haphazard trade wars, and threatening to overtake Greenland in a move that would irreparably harm the United States' relationship with NATO. Blatantly ignoring the facts, President Trump has falsely claimed that "inflation is stopped" and that prices are coming down.
Since President Trump took office on January 20, 2025, Illinoisans have seen their overall average cost of living increase by $1,781, and housing costs in the state have risen by more than $420 for Illinoisans. Further, Illinoisans have seen their grocery prices rise. On average, Americans are paying $76 more a year for their coffee because of President Trump's chaotic tariff policy.
"Empty promises - that's what the first year of President Trump's second term boils down to. On the campaign trail, he promised, again and again, to address inflation and provide a helping hand to Americans who are facing higher costs. But a year after his inauguration, President Trump has cost Illinoisans an extra $1,781 because of his unnecessary trade wars and petty grudges that dictate both his foreign and domestic priorities," said Durbin.
"Despite his promises, Donald Trump has made nearly every aspect of our lives more expensive," Duckworth said. "From reckless tariffs to rising health care costs, middle-class Americans continue to foot the bill while Trump makes his billionaire buddies richer and prices skyrocket. While Trump is more focused on trying to run foreign countries than helping the middle-class families he's neglecting here at home, Senator Durbin and I will keep fighting on behalf of hardworking Illinoisans."
Read more about the rising cost of living under the second Trump Administration here.
Read more about the rising cost of groceries under the second Trump Administration here.
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