Statement from ICIRR executive director Lawrence Benito on the passage of the Republican budget bill: 

Overnight, House Republicans advanced their big, brutal billionaire bailout, and rammed it through on a final vote today. The Trump and MAGA plan is permanent tax cuts for the rich and a blank check for ICE, paid for by cuts to life-saving programs like Medicaid and SNAP. The bill contains nothing for working families who are trying to make ends meet. While Trump and his minions own the politics of what comes from this awful bill, our communities will suffer the consequences: healthcare will be more difficult to access, funding for essential programs will be zeroed out, and ICE will get even more resources to terrorize our families. 

We must continue to fight back against the Trump administration’s hateful and cruel agenda, including pushing for solutions at the state level. In Illinois we have a choice: we can double down on Trump’s horrible budget and cut vital programs even deeper, or we can pass progressive revenue that ensures those who benefit from Trump’s federal tax cuts pay their fair share in our state and help Illinois families stay afloat. ICIRR members, as well as our partners in the Illinois Revenue Alliance, are committed to engaging state leaders to make sure they choose Illinois families and preserve the programs that our communities have organized to win.