Duckworth, Durbin Hold Listening Session on the Costs of Trump’s Big, Ugly Betrayal on Our Health Care System in the Year Since It Became Law

Duckworth, Durbin Hold Listening Session on the Costs of Trump's Big, Ugly Betrayal on Our Health Care System in the Year Since It Became Law

[CHICAGO, IL] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) held a listening session with Illinois health care providers, leaders and advocates to discuss the devastating costs that Donald Trump and Republicans' "One Big Beautiful Bill" have had on our health care system in the year since this disastrous legislation was signed into law last July. The law enacted a $1 trillion cut to Medicaid-the largest Medicaid cut in our nation's history-in order to carve out tax cuts for billionaires, leading to hundreds of thousands of Illinoisans losing health care coverage and leaving hospitals across our state at risk of closing altogether. Photos from the listening session can be found on Senator Duckworth's website.

"The 'Big Beautiful Bill' is really anything but beautiful-it's a big, ugly betrayal of middle-class families, Veterans and communities across our country," said Senator Duckworth. "One year ago, Trump and Republicans betrayed their promises and gutted Medicaid by $1 trillion to pay for tax cuts for billionaires, while putting hundreds of thousands of Illinoisans at risk of losing their health coverage, threatening hospitals across our state and making it harder for families to put food on the table. And the pain felt by Illinoisans over the last year will only grow worse. While Republicans refuse to fight for families, Senator Durbin and I refuse to give up on those who are simply trying to provide for their loved ones and make ends meet."

"The stories we heard today are a reminder of the stakes in this debate, and of the consequences of President Trump's so-called 'Big, Beautiful Bill,'" said Senator Durbin. "This is true with respect to our health care system. Now, Illinois hospitals-especially safety-net and rural hospitals-are being forced to do more with less, shuttering entire services and gutting access to care for those who need it most. I will continue to work alongside Senator Duckworth and Democrats in Congress to reverse these shameful cuts and protect access to health care for all."

During the discussion, health care providers, advocates and other participants shared their personal stories with the Senators about how Trump's Big, Beautiful Bill has impacted them and highlight their concerns as these cuts continue to worsen over time.

Kim Jay, a training manager and senior community health worker at Sinai Urban Health Institute's Center for Community Health Worker Research, Outcomes and Workforce Development (CROWD), discussed how cuts to health care and food assistance will make it harder for community health workers to help families access the care and resources they need, emphasizing that "behind every policy is a person deserving of access, dignity, opportunity and hope."

Dr. Nancy Glick, the Medical Director of the Sinai Infectious Diseases Center and Director of Infectious Diseases for Access Community Health Network, spoke about how reduced access to health coverage could lead patients to delay care until their conditions become more severe, warning that "by keeping people away from care, it will just mean that when they do come in, their disease may have progressed and will need more care."

Keyala Hill, a program manager of the Flexible Housing Pool at the Center for Housing and Health, talked about how stable housing, food assistance and health care work can help people rebuild their lives, sharing stories of clients whose recovery depended on keeping those supports in place. She reminded attendees that "Housing is healthcare. Food is healthcare. Healthcare is healthcare."

Fred Tsao, Senior Policy Counsel at The Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR), spoke about how the new eligibility requirements will cut off healthcare coverage to thousands of vulnerable Illinoisans. He explained, "10,000 Illinois refugees and vulnerable people will be losing their health coverage as a result of H.R. 1 and we're doing our best to fix it at the state level."

Donald Trump and Republicans' One Big Beautiful Bill made the largest health care cuts in history, destabilizing the health care system with more than $1 trillion in cuts from Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act. These cuts will continue to have disastrous effects on our state with an estimated 400,000 Illinoisans estimated to lose health coverage by 2034. More than 100 nursing homes and hospitals, primarily in rural areas, are at risk of closing and Medicaid cuts are predicted to result in more than 27,000 jobs cut across the state.

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