Democratic U.S. Senate nominee James Talarico proposed a sweeping economic agenda on Wednesday that called for repealing recent GOP tax cuts for the wealthy and enacting universal childcare, among other policies meant to lower everyday costs.

"We have an affordability crisis because we have a corruption crisis," Talarico said during a nearly 30-minute speech to an audience of 1,300 people in Arlington.

"For too many of our neighbors - for too many Texans - the American dream has become an American nightmare." Throughout his campaign, Talarico has stuck to a populist economic message that links rising costs to billionaire political influence and an economy he says is tilted in favor of the ultrawealthy over working people.