Durbin, Kelly join Citizen Action Illinois in fight against Trump budget cuts to Medicaid, SNAP

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — Illinois congressional leaders and advocates argue the country needs a federal budget that prioritizes people over profits. Citizen Action Illinois said Congress cannot allow budget cuts to strip away vital services in order to give tax breaks to billionaires and corporations.

Over 3 million Illinoisans rely on Medicaid for healthcare, but Republican plans to slash federal matching funds could force Illinois to generate an extra $3 billion to maintain current coverage.

"Half of the children born in this state are paid for by Medicaid," Sen. Dick Durbin said Monday. "Two-thirds of the money being spent on nursing homes comes from assistance by Medicaid. Half of the people receiving mental health counseling in our state are paid for by Medicaid."

Durbin and other congressional leaders said the Trump administration cuts could risk public health, viability of rural hospitals, and stability of local healthcare jobs. They also stressed that insurance premiums could skyrocket without the Affordable Care Act in place.

Rep. Robin Kelly said these cuts could drastically change life for people in her district.

"17,000 people covered by the Affordable Care Act will see their premiums go up by $1,290 per year," Kelly said. "Almost 200,000 on Medicaid will lose health insurance. Over 70,000 won't be able to put food on their tables without SNAP."

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program helps nearly 230,000 people stay above the poverty line in Illinois. However, Citizen Action Illinois said more than 12% of Illinois households already face food insecurity without cuts to benefits.

Federal rental assistance also helps over 420,500 Illinoisans afford housing, and experts believe any cuts could force people to pay more than half their income on rent or risk losing their homes.

"My father lost his income early on in the recession of 1973," said Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi. "But thanks to the generosity and goodness of the American people and its government, we were allowed to survive and thrive off of food stamps and public housing. I would not be here today if Elon Musk and Donald Trump had anything to do with those problems 50 years ago."

Still, Illinois Republicans have celebrated the proposed cuts as they believe it can make the federal government more efficient.

Citizen Action Illinois plans to have events across the state to spread awareness about the federal funding cuts over the coming weeks.