WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) today highlighted a new report from the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee showing that Illinois families are paying $3,800 more on average just to afford everyday essentials as the cost of gas, groceries, housing and health care skyrockets due to the Trump Administration’s disastrous policies. Despite Donald Trump’s repeated pledges to lower costs on day one, the President’s reckless tariffs and illegal war continue to inflict serious financial pain on Illinois families—with no relief in sight as the nation enters the sixth month of Trump’s illegal Iran War.
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“Since Trump took office, Illinoisans are paying $3,800 more for groceries, health care and gas while our farmers are struggling to afford diesel to keep their operations running,” said Duckworth. “Instead of doing anything to keep his promise to help the people who elected him, the President is more focused on cosmetic projects and dishing out tax breaks to his billionaire buddies. This is not what Americans asked for, and we’ll keep fighting tooth and nail to support Illinoisans who are being left behind.”
“Whether it is groceries, housing, health care, or energy, Illinoisans are paying for President Trump and congressional Republicans’ chaos in Washington. Illinoisans have spent $3,800 more on essential services over the past year and a half because Republicans would rather provide billionaires tax breaks than give working families the relief they need. Through his so-called One Big Beautiful Bill, haphazard tariffs, and disastrous war with Iran, President Trump has only made it harder for Americans to get by,” said Durbin.
By the Numbers: Rising Costs for Illinois Families
- Housing: Illinois families have spent $906 more on housing costs, including rent and mortgage payments, since President Trump took office.
- Groceries: Americans paid $310 more for groceries in President Trump’s first year than in 2024. Ground beef has reached a record high of more than $7 per pound, while coffee prices spiked and now costs nearly $10 per pound.
- Energy: Illinois families also paid $210 more for electricity in 2025 than in 2024 and are expected to spend another $162 more in the first half of 2026 compared to the first half of 2024.
- Fuel: Illinoisans have spent $2 billion more on gas since the start of President Trump’s Iran War, or $479 more per family on average. America’s farmers spent $1.4 billion more on diesel fuel during this year’s spring planting season than they did last year, a 63% increase. In Illinois, planting diesel costs have surged 79.2% from 2025 to 2026.
- Health Care: Premiums for Affordable Care Act (ACA) plans rose more than 50% on average in 2026 and deductibles increased by more than $1,000 on average. After President Trump and Republicans passed their One Big Beautiful Bill, which cut more than $1 trillion from Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act while refusing to extend tax credits that help families afford coverage, an estimated 400,000 people could lose coverage by 2034. Additionally, more than 90 nursing homes and hospitals are at risk of closing and 27,000 jobs could be lost across Illinois.
The full state-by-state diesel cost fact sheet can also be found on the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee website.
The full Illinois fact sheet outlining how Illinoisans are paying more for everyday essentials can be found on the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee website.
