Durbin Delivers Floor Speech Denouncing The Trump Administration’s Attacks On Americans’ Health Care

Durbin Delivers Floor Speech Denouncing The Trump Administration's Attacks On Americans' Health Care

Durbin's speech comes after the Administration implemented Medicaid work requirements-impacting patients with serious conditions like cancer

WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) slammed the Trump Administration for their continued attacks on Americans' health care through congressional Republicans' 'One Big Beautiful Bill Act' (OBBBA), which passed last year. Last week, the Administration announced, through the OBBBA, the implementation of Medicaid work requirements.

"In that law, they created a requirement for all Medicaid recipients between the ages of 18 and 64 to either work 80 hours each month or verify that they are too sick to do so, in order to remain covered. At first glance that might sound reasonable, but the reality is that this plan drowns eligible patients in paperwork-requiring those who are poor and sick to navigate a maze of government red tape to see a doctor… The Administration decided that documenting that you have a serious condition like cancer is not enough to avoid work requirements. Instead, they are further requiring patients to verify that these conditions impede their ability to work," said Durbin.

Congressional Republicans also refused to extend the Affordable Care Act's enhanced premium tax credits. Twenty-four million Americans rely on the tax credits to afford their health care and without them, insurance premiums have doubled or tripled. The Chicago Tribune reported that more than 92,000 Illinoisans lost or dropped their ACA health insurance this year, due to the skyrocketing premiums and loss of tax credits.

Durbin said, "Sharon Dunham, from Grand Rapids, Michigan, told The Wall Street Journal that she beat cancer twice and has multiple health challenges. But she had to drop her insurance altogether this year when her monthly premiums increased by more than $300… Sharon plans to go without insurance until she turns 65 [and qualifies for Medicare]. In the meantime, she is terrified that her cancer might return and knows that without health insurance she 'can't do anything if it shows up.' Countless other families are making similar heartbreaking decisions like Sharon. Without health insurance, they are just one accident or illness away from bankruptcy."

Durbin also condemned the 'One Big Beautiful Bill Act's' SNAP cuts-which enacted the most serve cut to the SNAP program in history. From July 2025 to February 2026, more than 3.5 million people have lost access to the program that puts groceries on the table. One SNAP recipient, Presley Nassise, told PBS that his benefits went from $200 to $0 after Republican cuts-after which, he could only afford one-and-a-half meals a day.

"As the 'Big, Beautiful Bill's' provisions take effect, Republicans can no longer hide behind the statement that they have only tried to target waste, fraud, and abuse. Americans are waking up to the reality that Republicans abandoned working families so they could provide tax breaks for the wealthiest people in this country. While Republicans are content to act like nothing is wrong, Democrats will continue to fight to restore these programs," Durbin concluded.

Video of Durbin's remarks on the Senate floor is available here.

Audio of Durbin's remarks on the Senate floor is available here.

Footage of Durbin's remarks on the Senate floor is available here for TV Stations.

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