Schakowsky Statement on Passage of Republicans’ Big Ugly Bill

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Co-Founder and Co-Chair of the House Democratic Caucus Task Force on Aging and Families, released the following statement after House Republicans voted to pass their reconciliation bill:

“The floor of the United States House of Representatives is now a crime scene. In the dead of night, House Republicans jammed through their big ugly bill to gut Medicaid and rip health care away from more than 16 million Americans. When enacted, this horrific law will lead to 51,000 deaths each year. On top of that, this shameful legislation will result in the closure of hospitals and clinics across the country, defund Planned Parenthood, cutting off millions from access to cancer screenings, birth control, and reproductive health services, slash food assistance programs for families and children, destroy the future of renewable energy, and raise energy bills by hundreds of dollars every year — all to give a massive tax cut to billionaires and big corporations, and to benefit polluters.

“The phones in my office have been ringing off the hook, and I have visited with countless constituents in Illinois’ 9th Congressional District. People are agonized and do not know how they will survive. I have seen firsthand the vital role Medicaid plays in our communities. Nearly 150,000 people in my district alone rely on Medicaid. It supports low-income families, provides essential care for children with complex medical needs, and funds rural hospitals. Slashing Medicaid is not just heartless, it is dangerous, puts lives at risk, and undermines our entire health care system.

“Instead of working to strengthen access to care, Republicans pushed forward with a reckless, partisan agenda that punishes seniors, poor people, and sick individuals. This bill will cause health care workers to lose jobs, hospitals to become overwhelmed and close and will impact care for all Americans —all in the name of tax cuts for the wealthy. 

“Many of my Republican colleagues in Congress were bullied into going against their own beliefs just to jam this bill through and get it to President Donald Trump’s desk by an arbitrary deadline. The American people will not forget, and these lawmakers will not be able to hide from the consequences. The fight goes on, and my top priority remains protecting the health and dignity of every American.”

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