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Big Beautiful Bill roundup: Pritzker says special session may not be needed, warns 330,000 Illinoisans could lose Medicaid; Planned Parenthood of Illinois pledges to continue care despite cuts (Updated)

Monday, Jul 7, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Click here for reactions to the budget reconciliation bill’s passage. AP…

President Donald Trump’s big bill to cut taxes and reduce federal spending on some social safety net programs could have large implications for states, but for many it’s too late to do much about it this year.

Tuesday marks the start of a new budget year in 46 states. Though some legislatures are still working, most already have adjourned and finalized their spending plans without knowing whether federal funding will be cut and, if so, by how much. […]

Several states have taken preemptive steps, setting aside money in reserves or tasking committees to monitor the impact of federal funding reductions. Others are tentatively planning to return in special sessions this year to account for potential funding cuts to joint federal-state programs such as Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. Others will have to wait until their legislatures are back in session next year.

The Tribune’s Olivia Olander wrote a nice explainer last month on the $100 million ’safety valve’ Pritzker can use to fill budget holes.

* Center Square…

Asked during a campaign stop in Chicago Wednesday about the bill Congress was advancing, and whether Illinois legislators should come back to Springfield to react, [Governor JB Pritzker] said that may not be necessary.

“Just to be clear, many of the provisions that are in the big terrible bill, are provisions that don’t go into effect until perhaps a year plus from now,” Pritzker told reporters.

One area Pritzker anticipates action is if there are fewer federal tax funds for things like the Affordable Care Act.

“We might need to take the funds that are matching funds because they’re going to take away their federal funds, take our matching funds, and figure out how we’re going to distribute those among the critical access and safety net hospitals that are threatened to close as a result of what they’re doing in Washington, D.C.,” Pritzker said.

* WTTW…

In Illinois, 1.9 million residents receive SNAP benefits, including more than 891,000 people in Cook County. Approximately 3.4 million Illinoisans are covered by Medicaid.

The legislation would slash $287 billion from SNAP and more than $1 trillion from Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act over the next decade.

Gov. JB Pritzker’s office said the loss in federal funding could cost the state $1.2 billion annually.

“The food pantries are going to feel it,” said Danielle Perry, vice president of policy and advocacy at the Greater Chicago Food Depository. “The lines are already long. We’re at the numbers we were during COVID. Can you imagine what will happen when people lose their SNAP benefits?”

* Capitol News Illinois…

The U.S. House gave final passage Thursday to a budget bill that will cut federal Medicaid spending by an estimated $1 trillion over 10 years.

All three Republican members of the Illinois congressional delegation voted in favor of the bill, despite a last-minute plea from Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker who warned the bill will result more than 330,000 Illinoisans losing Medicaid coverage and have a devastating effect on some rural hospitals.[…]

Today, according to the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services, the [Medicaid] covers about 3.4 million people in Illinois, or a fourth of the state’s population. At a total cost of $33.7 billion a year, it is one of the largest single categories of expenditures in the state’s budget. It pays for about 40% of all childbirths in the state, according to KFF, as well as 69% of all nursing home care. […]

Those include imposing a work requirement on adults enrolled in Medicaid through the Affordable Care Act, also known as “Obamacare.” That law expanded eligibility for Medicaid to working-age adults with incomes up to 138% of the federal poverty level. About 772,000 people in Illinois are enrolled under that program.

The bill also calls for requiring people enrolled through the ACA expansion to verify their continued eligibility for Medicaid twice a year instead of annually. That is expected to filter out enrollees whose incomes rise above the eligibility limit as well as those who simply fail to complete the verification process.

Another provision would limit the ability of states to finance their share of the cost of Medicaid by levying taxes on health care providers. Illinois imposes such taxes on hospitals, nursing facilities and managed care organizations that administer the program. Revenue from those taxes is used to draw down federal matching funds that are then used to fund higher reimbursement rates to health care providers.

The final version of the bill does not, however, include a provision penalizing states like Illinois that also provide state-funded health care to noncitizens who do not have lawful status to be in the United States. That provision, which was included in the earlier House version, was not included in the Senate bill, according to KFF.

* Sun-Times…

The $4.5 trillion in tax cuts that Trump sought would make the current tax rates and brackets permanent, eliminate taxes on tips and overtime pay, and add a $6,000 deduction for older Americans who make $75,000 or less. It also raises the child tax credit to $2,200.

Workers will be able to deduct $25,000 in tips a year from their income. After that, tips will be federally taxed.

A Congressional Budget Office analysis last month found the wealthiest households would see an average income increase of $12,000 annually, while it will cause low-income Americans to lose $1,600 a year. Middle-income households should see a tax break of between $500 and $1,200.

Consumer watchdogs at the Citizens Utility Board said the measure will mean higher power bills for consumers in Illinois and across the country. […]

The bill ends these tax credits by Dec. 31, 2025. The Joint Economic Committee estimated those tax cuts had helped a typical family save up to $1,080 every year.

* WTTW…

Sarah Garza Resnick, president and CEO of Chicago-based pro-choice advocacy group Personal PAC, said both the judicial decision and Trump’s spending bill will cut access to reproductive care for Medicaid patients, providing them few alternatives. […]

In a statement Thursday, Planned Parenthood of Illinois said it will keep providing all types of sexual health and reproductive services that the organization says patients can’t go without.

“We refuse to stop providing care to our patients even though it’s clear the Republicans in Congress are trying to force us to do so,” Tonya Tucker, interim president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Illinois, said in a statement. “Over 40% of PPIL patients use Medicaid to cover the cost of their health care and we will not allow people to forgo essential health care!”

…Adding… Gov. JB Pritzker…

Following the signing of Trump and Republicans’ ‘Big Beautiful Bill,’ Illinois is raising awareness about the devastating impacts on our working families. This includes draconian cuts and alterations to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which threatens food benefits for an estimated 360,000 Illinoisans, jeopardizes jobs, grocery stores, and harms local economies.

“SNAP has been a crucial federal resource for families trying to put food on the table for more than 60 years, but Trump and Republicans would rather children go hungry so their friends can receive tax cuts,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Here in Illinois, we have been working to combat food insecurity for years, and while no state can backfill these costs, the State of Illinois will continue to fight against these harmful impacts and stand up for working families.” 

SNAP has been a permanent, 100% federally-funded food benefit for more than 60 years. The bill threatens SNAP benefits for Illinoisans in three fundamental ways:

- Shifts cost on food benefits to states for the first time since the program’s inception and further threatens benefits if states can’t meet these new funding expectations;
- Strips eligibility from our most vulnerable populations leaving hundreds of thousands of Illinoisans hungry and putting thousands of jobs at risk; and
- Creates new, costly bureaucratic hurdles the state must implement in order to make the cuts.

These changes from the federal government will harm hundreds of thousands of working families across Illinois and drastically impact how SNAP functions across the state, leaving veterans, children, unhoused populations, and older adults vulnerable. In FY25, $4.7 billion in SNAP benefits were issued to Illinoisans, supporting over one million households (1.8 million individuals total).

Data from the Food Research and Action Center on SNAP issuance in Illinois indicates that:

- 44,217 veterans are participating in SNAP
- 37% SNAP households have older adults
- 45% SNAP households have children
- 44% SNAP households have a person with a disability

Trump’s spending bill endangers families that rely on SNAP, stripping their eligibility for assistance and making it harder to put food on the table. The State of Illinois also expects substantial economic harm to reverberate from these cuts, as SNAP supports more than 18,000 jobs in Illinois, across both the grocery and other supporting industries, including agriculture, manufacturing, transportation, and municipal services.

An overview of the expected impacts in Illinois can be found below.

- Stripping Benefits from Vulnerable Illinoisans: This bill changes eligibility requirements, putting an estimated 360,000 Illinoisans at risk of losing SNAP eligibility, removing work requirement exemptions for 23,000 unhoused, veterans, or youth aged out of foster care in Illinois, and costing Illinois tens of millions to support the additional administrative burden of policy implementation.
- Damaging Local Economies: SNAP supports more than 18,000 jobs in Illinois, across both the grocery and other supporting industries, including agriculture, manufacturing, transportation, and municipal services. According to the National Grocer’s Association, SNAP supports nearly $1 billion in Illinois wages. The extreme cuts will have far reaching consequences for grocery stores and jobs as fewer SNAP dollars circulate in local economies.
- Destabilizing the Current Funding Framework: This bill would implement a state cost share of food benefits (which have historically been 100% federally funded). Calculated based on the State’s Payment Error Rate (PER), Illinois’ required contribution to SNAP will go from $0 (currently) to $705 million annually.

* More…

WGLT | LaHood votes yes, Sorensen votes no on Republican spending and tax cut bill:

* NPR Illinois | Miller, Budzinski vote along party lines on Trump’s megabill: Rep. Miller, a Republican from Oakland in east central Illinois, went along with Trump. “The One Big, Beautiful Bill is a once-in-a-generation victory for the American people,” said Congresswoman Mary Miller. “It delivers on President Trump’s America First agenda with bold, decisive, and immediate action. This is the most pro-worker, pro-family, pro-America legislation I have voted for during my time in Congress, and I was proud to help get it across the finish line for the hardworking Americans across my district.” Miller, in a news release, called it an historic victory for American workers, families, and farmers. It eliminates taxes on tips and overtime, delivers permanent tax relief for small businesses and working families, and expands critical support for American agriculture.

* AP | Rural hospitals brace for financial hits or even closure under Republicans’ $1 trillion Medicaid cut: “Our budget is pretty heavily reliant on the Medicaid reimbursement, so if we do see a cut of that, it’ll be difficult to keep the doors open,” said Sherman, who works at Webster County Community Hospital in the small Nebraska town of Red Cloud just north of the Kansas border. If those facilities close, many locals would see their five-minute trip to Webster County hospital turn into a nearly hour-long ride to the nearest hospital offering the same services.

* Talking Points Memo | Congress Throws More Money at Removing Immigrants than Most Countries Spend on Their Armies: It’s hard to convey just how big the new budget makes the country’s immigration enforcement infrastructure. The Bureau of Prisons? Bigger than that. The FBI? Bigger. The Marine Corps? Bigger even than that, by some estimates. All in all, the bill directs around $170 billion through 2029 to various forms of immigration enforcement, according to an analysis by the American Immigration Council and TPM’s own read of the legislation. ICE, responsible for enforcement, detentions, and removals, will oversee much of the spending.

* KFF Health News | GOP governors stay silent amid plans to slash Medicaid spending in their states: KFF Health News contacted all 19 governors for comment on the legislation’s Medicaid cuts. Only six responded. Most said they backed imposing a work requirement on adult Medicaid enrollees. “Implementing work requirements for able-bodied adults is a good and necessary reform so that Medicaid is being used for temporary assistance and not a permanent entitlement,” said Drew Galang, a spokesperson for Gov. Patrick Morrisey of West Virginia.

* Disability Scoop | Congress Approves Nearly $1 Trillion In Cuts To Medicaid Threatening Disability Services: The Medicaid cuts will take effect at the end of 2026 and roll out over 10 years, according to the American Association of People with Disabilities. “This is a devastating day for disabled Americans,” said Maria Town, the group’s president and CEO. “The catastrophic effects of this bill will reverberate for generations to come.” While the measure does not explicitly include changes to disability services, advocates have been warning for months that there is no way to insulate people with disabilities if the federal government chops its investment in Medicaid.

* Chalkbeat | How Trump’s sweeping tax and domestic policy bill will affect children and schools: “When you take it all together it’s kind of like an assault on children and families policy-wise,” said Megan Curran, the director of policy at the Center on Poverty and Social Policy at Columbia University. “We’re going to see that the effects reverberate well beyond what we’re even understanding” right now, she said, “and schools are going to be on the front lines.” The nearly 900-page bill also creates a new voucher-like program that will pay for private school scholarships — a major victory for school choice advocates who have successfully expanded similar programs in several states, but have previously failed to enact a nationwide version. States will be allowed to opt out.

* IPM | Illinois environmental advocates aim to strengthen ties with lawmakers, increase outreach amid federal policy changes: With recent federal rollbacks on environmental protections during the Trump administration, IEC has stated that it has had to rethink its advocacy strategies. Caldwell said a key focus of the organization is to strengthen its relationships with Republican and Democratic government officials. “Something new that we’re bringing in and beefing up is our federal presence in our state-to-federal work,” [Cate Caldwell, the senior policy manager for the Illinois Environmental Council, said.]“You know, [we are] continuing to relationship-build, continuing to advocate for the policies, continuing to listen to the residents and the people and the constituents that are actually being affected.”

* The Hill | Social Security no taxes message on Trump bill raises eyebrows: President Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” is sending mixed messages about whether most Americans are required to pay federal income taxes on their Social Security benefits. “It’s a mixed bag for seniors, because some seniors will get some tax relief; the cost of that, though, is borne by the entire Social Security system,” Alex Lawson, executive director of left-leaning advocacy organization Social Security Works, told USA Today.

* AP | What’s in the tax and spending bill that Trump has signed into law: It temporarily would add new tax deductions on tip, overtime and auto loans. There’s also a $6,000 deduction for older adults who earn no more than $75,000 a year, a nod to his pledge to end taxes on Social Security benefits. It would boost the $2,000 child tax credit to $2,200. Millions of families at lower income levels would not get the full credit.

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Selected react to budget reconciliation bill passage (Updated x3 - Comments open)

Thursday, Jul 3, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Lots of stuff here, but I’ve tried to mostly focus on press releases with actual budget numbers/projections. From the Illinois Health and Hospital Association…

IHA Statement on Passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1)

SPRINGFIELD – The following statement can be attributed to A.J. Wilhelmi, President and CEO of the Illinois Health and Hospital Association (IHA), in response to the signing of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1).

“The severe Medicaid cuts contained in this legislation will force hospitals to make painful decisions—including eliminating services and jobs in their communities. And make no mistake, some hospitals will be forced to close their doors.

“Communities that already face barriers to care will be hit the hardest. This legislation doesn’t just threaten hospitals—it threatens the health, stability, and future of the communities they serve. The most regrettable outcome of this legislation is the loss of healthcare for hundreds of thousands of our state’s residents. While the vast majority of the proposed Medicaid cuts will fall on hospitals, they will continue to provide care for the uninsured, consistent with their moral and legal obligations. But this will come at the cost of service and staff reductions, and higher healthcare costs for all.

“Important work lays ahead for our state and its employers to ensure working people can keep their healthcare. And while most assume that hospitals will always be there to care for their communities, the financial challenges that will unfold as this plan moves forward will require important conversations between hospital leaders and policymakers.”

* Excerpt from Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle’s statement…

Nationally, experts estimate that as many as 12 million people could lose their Medicaid coverage if this bill becomes law. Here in Cook County, we estimate our health system stands to lose at least $88 million each year in Medicaid reimbursement as patients lose insurance, threatening critical services and stability for those who rely on them most.

* From Gov. JB Pritzker earlier today…

As the House moves towards a final vote on the Republican budget reconciliation bill, Governor Pritzker sent the attached letter to Reps. Bost, LaHood, and Miller urging them to go against the bill and protect the healthcare and rural hospitals of the people they represent.

The letter details for the Representatives key impacts in their districts –

• The Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) estimates that more than 330,000 Illinoisians would lose Medicaid coverage.

o Illinois’s 12th Congressional District, represented by Congressman Mike Bost, will see more than 22,000 Illinoisans lose Medicaid coverage.
o Illinois 15th Congressional District, represented by Congresswoman Mary Miller, will see more than 19,000 Illinoisans lose Medicaid coverage.
o Illinois 16th Congressional District, represented by Congressman Darin LaHood, will see more than 15,000 Illinoisans lose Medicaid coverage.

• The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is also warning that the Medicaid cuts could force the closure or severe service reductions at nine rural hospitals.

o This would affect over 500 inpatient beds and jeopardizing care for 54,000 rural Illinoisans.
o These hospitals directly employ over 2,500 FTEs, contributing hundreds of millions annually to local economies.
o These hospitals serve over 9,400 patients and generate $557 million in net patient revenue annually.

* Excerpt from Planned Parenthood of Illinois’ statement…

Planned Parenthood of Illinois (PPIL) pledges to continue providing ALL sexual and reproductive services despite the bill “defunding” Planned Parenthood, which slashes Medicaid funding. Almost 30,000 PPIL patients use Medicaid to access essential health care services at our health centers.

“We refuse to stop providing care to our patients even though it’s clear the Republicans in Congress are trying to force us to do so,” said Tonya Tucker, Interim President and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Illinois. “Over 40% of PPIL patients use Medicaid to cover the cost of their health care and we will not allow people to forgo essential health care!

“Fortunately, Illinois remains a haven state. We are grateful our state government and supporters understand that health care is a human right. We’ve been working with them on contingency plans, so our Medicaid patients are supported. Our doors remain open, and we are doing everything in our power to ensure our patients continue to receive the care they need and deserve for as long as we can.”

The bill is expected to be signed into law by President Trump on July 4. In the immediate future, PPIL will continue to provide care to Medicaid recipients and is accepting private insurances and self-pay options.

* US Rep. Mary Miller…

Today, Congresswoman Mary Miller (IL-15) issued the following statement after voting in favor of H.R. 1, the One Big, Beautiful Bill Act:

“The One Big, Beautiful Bill is a once-in-a-generation victory for the American people,” said Congresswoman Mary Miller. “It delivers on President Trump’s America First agenda with bold, decisive, and immediate action. This is the most pro-worker, pro-family, pro-America legislation I have voted for during my time in Congress, and I was proud to help get it across the finish line for the hardworking Americans across my district.”

The One Big, Beautiful Bill Act is a historic victory for American workers, families, and farmers. It eliminates taxes on tips and overtime, delivers permanent tax relief for small businesses and working families, and expands critical support for American agriculture.

This bill fulfills President Trump’s America First agenda by securing the border, funding mass deportations, and ending radical “Green” New Scam tax subsidies. It unleashes American energy, strengthens our military, and protects federal benefits like SNAP and Medicaid, ensuring these vital programs serve American citizens, not illegal aliens. Every single Democrat in the House of Representatives voted against this bill.

As a member of the House Committee on Agriculture, Congresswoman Miller successfully fought to include her provision in the bill to strip illegal immigrants from receiving taxpayer-funded SNAP benefits. This common-sense reform passed the House and is headed to the President’s desk to become law. Click here to read more.

Additionally, Congresswoman Miller led the charge to defend life, securing a major pro-life victory by defunding Planned Parenthood and cutting off federal funding to the abusive, profit-driven abortion giant. Click here to read more.

* US Rep. Darin LaHood…

Today, Congressman Darin LaHood (IL-16) voted to pass the One Big Beautiful Bill Act to deliver much-needed economic relief, secure our southern border, and bolster the United States’ national security.

“Today, House Republicans voted to give rocket-fuel to the United States’ economy, provide predictability and certainty for small businesses, and deliver historic tax relief for the American people,” said Rep. LaHood. “The One Big Beautiful Bill Act is a generational piece of legislation that creates more opportunities to live the American Dream. The Republican bill eliminates taxes on tips, overtime, and auto loans for hardworking Americans. This legislation invests in the future of Illinois agriculture and protects high-paying manufacturing jobs in Illinois’ 16th Congressional District while boosting local economies across central and northwest Illinois. This is a win for the 16th District and the American People. I look forward to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act being sent to President Trump’s desk to be signed into law on our nation’s Independence Day.”

Impact on Illinois’ 16th Congressional District:

• Prevents a 22% tax increase set to begin next year;
• Prevents the Child Tax Credit for 69,000 families from being cut in half;
• Supports 11,000 family-owned farms from the Death tax;
• Delivers up to a $13,500 increase in year take-home pay for a typical family of four; and
• Preserves 10,000 manufacturing jobs while generating $1.6 billion in economic growth.

Rep. LaHood’s Priorities Included in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act:

Expanding and improving the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit

• This bill would renew the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, expand the reimbursement rate, increase the number of projects that can be built using private activity bonds, and accelerate the construction of much-needed low-income housing development in rural communities. These provisions were originally included as part of the Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act, which Rep. LaHood introduced with over 100 bipartisan cosponsors in April 2025.
• Since he was elected to Congress, Rep. LaHood has been a strong advocate for addressing the shortage of affordable housing for the growing workforce throughout Illinois’ 16th Congressional District and across the country. Read the press release on his bill HERE.
Supporting farmers and the biofuels industry
• Rural communities across the Midwest have seen the benefits of the 45Z Clean Fuel Production Credit through new job opportunities and increased markets. The bill extends this key tax credit through 2029, supporting broader industry growth and directly supporting farmers and the biofuels economy in Illinois’ 16th District.

Improving access to health savings

• Rep. LaHood has been a strong advocate for creating health savings plans. Included in the legislation is language that would give American families increased choices to save and afford healthcare costs through a health savings account. This would make these accounts more accessible for patients and families.

Tax fairness and relief for employees in the beauty and salon industry

• Rep. LaHood has long championed creating parity and extending the Federal Insurance Contribution Act (FICA) tip tax to salon and beauty service establishments and their employees. In April 2025, Rep. LaHood introduced the Small Business Tax Fairness and Compliance Simplification Act to level the playing field for beauty salons whose employees rely on tips for a large portion of their income, similar to the law already applied to the restaurant industry.
• The One Big Beautiful Bill Act includes this legislation and will provide immediate tax relief to these small businesses and their employees. Read his press release HERE.

Key Pieces of Tax Legislation:
• Makes President Trump’s historic tax cuts permanent;
• Delivers on President Trump’s priorities of no tax on tips, overtime pay, or car loan interest, and provides additional tax relief for seniors;
• Boosts the doubled Child Tax Credit for more than 40 million families;
• Supports working families by expanding access to childcare and making permanent the paid leave tax credit;
• Expands and makes permanent the 199A small business deduction to 23%, creating over one million new Main Street small businesses and generating $750 billion in economic growth;
• Makes permanent and increases the doubled Death Tax Exemption for family-owned farms;
• Generates $284 billion in new economic growth from American manufacturers; and
• Secures six million jobs for American workers.

Other Key Pieces of Legislation:

• Keeps the southern border secure

o Makes the largest investment in border security in American history;
o Provides resources to finish the border wall; and
o Gives our border patrol agents and immigration enforcement agencies the resources they need to detain and deport illegal aliens.

• Promotes government efficiency and efficacy

o Reduces the size and scope of government;
o Roots out waste, fraud, and abuse;
o Brings bloated and inefficient programs back to their original intent; and
o Puts the United States on a sound fiscal trajectory.

• Bolsters our national security

o Provides the military with the resources it needs to counter our foreign adversaries like China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea.

* Latino Policy Forum excerpt…

The budget bill passed will have dramatic impacts on people who are low income, and many Latino and immigrant families, either through deep cuts to critical social programs that families rely on or via more aggressive immigration enforcement:

• Nearly $1 trillion in cuts to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act nationally over the next ten years.

o An estimated 680,000 Latino residents in Illinois could lose healthcare coverage.
o Most Latino children in Illinois are on Medicaid.
o Latino children with foreign-born parents are more than twice as likely to live without health insurance.

• Nearly $300 billion in cuts to SNAP nationally over the next ten years.

o The bill will make it harder for nearly 2 million low-income families to qualify for food aid through SNAP. Millions will lose benefits due to burdensome work requirements, and food banks will struggle to provide groceries for families with limited means.

• The bill excludes many currently eligible and lawfully present immigrants, including those with humanitarian protections (like refugees and asylees) from eligibility for medical and nutrition supports.
• An estimated 196,000 children in Illinois will become ineligible for the federal Child Tax Credit if they don’t have a parent who has a Social Security Number (even if they pay taxes using an individual tax identification number).
• Consolidation of 18 federal education grant programs and a 69 percent reduced budget across all programs.

o This will impact funding for the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, a federal program to support students experiencing homelessness.

• $45 billion for immigration detention through Fiscal Year 2029, a 265 percent annual budget increase to ICE’s current detention budget.
• Increased ICE budget to $30 billion, 3 times its current annual budget

Adding to the fallout, OMB withheld $6.9 billion in education funds that were expected to be distributed on July 1. Cuts include:

• $1.33 billion for after school and summer learning funding, this amounts to a loss of $55.6 million across the state that will force programs to close.

o Illinois also stands to lose an additional $56.6 M for academic enrichment programs and student supports.

• $376 million for migrant education; approximately $1.9 million loss for students in Illinois who are children of migrant workers.
• $2.19 billion for teacher effectiveness and professional development; $75.6 million loss for monies intended for efforts to ensure teacher quality and make progress towards alleviating the serious teacher shortage in Illinois
• $890 million for English Acquisition programming (Title III); $30 million loss for local school districts across the state providing services for English Learners. Overall, 332,000 English Learners will be impacted in 745 out of Illinois’ 851 school districts

* Citizens Utility Board…

CUB STATEMENT ON PASSAGE OF BUDGET BILL

The budget reconciliation bill that passed today represents higher power bills for consumers in Illinois and across the country. Tax credits that help everyday people use solar power or energy efficiency to cut costs at home are wildly popular and highly successful. These incentives are cost-effective ways to cut utility bills, reduce energy prices for everyone, make the grid more reliable, create jobs and spark the economy.

This federal legislation ramps up the importance of Illinois continuing to pass strong, pro-consumer energy legislation, such as the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability (CRGA) Act, to build off what we have achieved and better protect consumers from high utility bills.

These times call for strong consumer advocacy, and CUB is dedicated to working for consumer interests at the local, state, regional and federal levels as we fight for lower utility bills across Illinois.

Background:
• The House of Representatives passed the budget reconciliation bill on Thursday, July 3, by a vote of 218-214. The bill passed the U.S. Senate on Tuesday. The vote was 50-50, with the Vice President breaking the tie. The federal legislation now heads to the President for signing.
• Among other things, the bill ends these tax credits by Dec. 31, 2025:

o The “residential clean energy credit” helps consumers recoup up to 30 percent of the costs of energy-saving projects, like installing rooftop solar panels.
o The “energy efficient home improvement credit” helps people recoup up to 30 percent of the cost (up to $1,200/a year) for energy-saving projects, like a professional home energy audit; installing insulation; door, window and electric panel upgrades; and installing a high-efficiency air-conditioning unit. (There’s an additional credit of up to $2,000 available for buying an electric heat pump or heat pump water heater.)

• Multiple studies have shown that rolling back clean energy tax credits could increase the average family’s energy bill by hundreds of dollars within a decade. In Illinois, the League of Conservation Voters has estimated that the legislation could lead to a $168 a year increase in residential energy bills, and a 21 percent increase in commercial and industrial energy bills.

…Adding… Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition…

Today, U.S. Congressional Republicans passed the most extreme, expensive, and anti-environment budget reconciliation bill in history, wiping out good-paying clean energy jobs and raising energy costs for families by gutting the historic progress made in the bipartisan Inflation Reduction Act. The Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition released the following statement:

“For months, we’ve joined advocates and legislative leaders across the country in sounding the alarm that President Trump was gearing up to use his majorities in Congress to decimate the historic climate progress we’ve made at the federal level, cutting funding for climate programs, gutting clean energy manufacturing, killing good jobs, and driving up energy bills. Today, that threat is a reality.

“Although Illinois missed a chance to Trump-proof our state’s climate progress and consumers’ utility bills by passing the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability (CRGA) Act this spring, the legislature still has a critical opportunity to take action this fall and send a clear message that Illinois’ clean energy economy is open for business. Illinois ratepayers are facing soaring energy bills due to regional grid operators’ poor planning, which has delayed the connection of cheaper clean energy to meet growing demand. Grid challenges will only escalate as Illinois rushes to build energy-intensive data centers at the behest of Big Tech. Now, as President Trump’s Big Terrible Bill rolls back critical climate protections and clean energy tax incentives, Illinois consumers, our power grid, and our climate will pay the price. By passing the CRGA Act this fall, lawmakers in the General Assembly can provide the bold response Illinois needs right now to protect families from soaring utility bills, preserve and grow our clean energy workforce, and maintain our national leadership on climate action.”

In Illinois, the budget reconciliation bill will:

• Increase residential energy bills by $168 annually and increase commercial and industrial energy bills 21% due to the repeal of clean energy tax credits.
• Result in the loss of between 30,000 and 56,000 jobs by 2030.
• Increase air pollution by 3 million metric tons of carbon dioxide by 2030 and 6 million metric tons by 2035.
• Result in the loss of over $16.8 billion worth of investments from public and private sources, putting 105 facilities at risk of closure across the state.

…Adding… Speaker Welch…

House Speaker Emanuel ‘Chris’ Welch released the following statement Thursday:

“The true cost of Donald Trump’s big betrayal bill—whether in terms of dollars taken from working families, in jobs lost and opportunities denied, and in human lives—will take years to fully realize. What we do know is that on our most American of holidays, Trump and his Republican allies will tell millions of our neighbors that they have no right to healthcare, that their next meals are less important than tax breaks for billionaires, and that everything will become even more expensive. While no state can backfill the devastating cuts being forced on our communities, in Illinois we will continue to work toward decisions that are responsible and compassionate—because it’s clear the decisions made in Washington are neither.”

…Adding… Sun-Times…

The nine rural hospitals at risk of closure, according to the University of North Carolina’s Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, are OSF Sacred Heart Medical Center in Danville, Hoopeston Community Memorial Hospital, Crawford Memorial Hospital in Robinson, Richland Memorial Hospital in Olney, Harrisburg Medical Center, Franklin Hospital in Benton, Massac Memorial Hospital in Metropolis, Hardin County General Hospital in Rosiclare and Katherine Shaw Bethea Hospital in Dixon.