These days, whether you’re just starting out on your own, settling down or preparing to retire, life has become simply too expensive. The cost of living has skyrocketed, upward mobility has stalled, and it’s affecting every Illinoisan — whether they’re 8 or 80 years old.

Instead of easing that burden, the Trump administration’s erratic and unpopular economic policies have only made things worse by driving prices higher and making it even harder for Illinoisans trying to get ahead, build stability or look ahead with confidence.

That reality is on full display here in central Illinois, where both the student body and staff of the University of Illinois have become the latest targets of President Donald Trump’s attacks.

As one of the premier public research institutions in the nation, the UI anchors the local economy as a major employer and trains the engineers, scientists and leaders who drive America forward. Yet brazen federal funding cuts have threatened cutting-edge research, state-of-the-art labs and the critical employees that make progress and innovation possible.

Meanwhile, Trump’s cuts to Pell Grants have made higher education even more expensive and inaccessible for the next generation.

It’s unacceptable — and entirely unnecessary. That’s why my “Plan to Restore the American Dream & Make Life More Affordable” aims to tackle these problems and others head-on, working to lower costs, expand opportunity and make everyday life more affordable so every Illinoisan has a fair shot at the American dream.

That includes helping first-time homebuyers buy their first home, increasing our energy supply to lower utility costs, eliminating taxes on Social Security benefits, creating a free school-lunch program to keep our children fed and more.

My plan not only reverses Trump’s eligibility restrictions for Pell Grants but also increases the maximum award, and builds on legislation I’ve introduced in Congress to give families and students the information they need to pursue degrees with the best return on investment, while also incentivizing colleges to up their game and help their graduates get ahead.

When I visited Cloud Mountain Kombucha brewery in Urbana last April, I heard firsthand from local entrepreneurs about how Trump’s blanket tariffs are cutting into already-thin margins, driving up import costs and destroying the supply chains their businesses depend on.

When I met with local pharmacists in Petersburg last July, I heard how middlemen are driving up the cost of life-saving prescription drugs. And in October in Springfield, I spoke with countless families who laid out what the Trump economy looks like in their households: prices for housing, health care, prescription drugs, groceries, electricity and car payments are all going through the roof.

These aren’t isolated stories. Everywhere I go in Illinois, I hear the same thing: hard-working people are struggling just to stay afloat while the promise of financial stability and opportunity slip further and further out of reach.

I’m no stranger to economic hard times. My family moved to this country when I was 3 months old. When my father lost his income, food stamps and public housing helped my family get back on our feet. We eventually settled in Peoria, where my family moved into the middle class.

My parents bought a home, sent their children to world-class Peoria District 150 public schools and gave my brother and me a golden ticket to a brighter future. Grants and loans got me through school, and decades later, I found my way to the halls of Congress.

Only in America is that possible. My story is proof of the power of the American Dream — a dream that is slipping away from far too many Illinoisans. It is a story of a legal immigration system that welcomed my family to this country with open arms. A story of food stamps and public housing that got my family back on our feet when we got knocked down. A story of the power of public education that gave me the tools to not just survive, but thrive.

I am fighting to protect the American dream because I have lived it.

We must address the economic insecurity that far too many central Illinois families are feeling — and that’s why I am laser-focused on ensuring that every family can realize the American dream, enter the middle class and find themselves on the pathway to success. My plan does just that — whether it’s supporting young children just starting out or delivering for seniors on the path to retirement.

The cost of living is just too darn high, which is why I am putting forth a menu of policy proposals to drive it down, make it possible for everyday folks to buy a home, send their children to quality public schools, start a business, continue their post-secondary education at a world-class institution like the UI, afford their life-saving prescription drugs and more.

This policy plan is both ambitious and non-exhaustive — we must continually strive to make life more affordable for working people, and that’s exactly what I’ll do as Illinois’ next U.S. senator.