August 12, 2025

Duckworth, Durbin Discuss Disastrous Impacts of Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ on Health Care in Central Illinois

 

[SPRINGFIELD, IL] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today convened health care leaders to discuss how Trump and Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill will harm Central Illinois and rip health care from as well as increase costs for Illinoisans. Duckworth and Durbin met with leaders from Memorial Health, Springfield Clinic, Hospital Sisters Health System and SIU Medicine to discuss the looming crisis of more than half a million Illinoisans losing health coverage and loss in funding for rural health providers. Photos from today’s event are available on the Senator’s website.

 

“Access to quality health care is already too difficult in this country—especially in rural areas—and thanks to Republicans’ Big Beautiful Betrayal things are only going to get worse,” Duckworth said. “Trump and Republicans succeeded in making the largest cuts to Medicaid in history and because of them, we’re going to see rural hospitals shut down, nursing homes close and thousands of folks in this state lose their health coverage. Health care is going to suffer in our country, all so Donald Trump and Republicans could give their billionaire friends a tax break. Republicans would rather hurt middle class Americans that than simply ask the wealthy pay their fair share.”

 

“Hospitals in downstate Illinois are a lifeline to their communities and the patients they serve,” said Durbin. “President Trump’s cuts to Medicaid that put more money in the pockets of billionaires will cause hundreds of thousands to lose health care coverage and force these hospitals to the brink of closure. I will continue fighting alongside Senator Duckworth to prevent this doomsday scenario and ensure everyone across our state can get the quality care they need.”

 

Trump and Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill makes 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 have disastrous effects on our state with more than 500,000 Illinoisans estimated to lose health coverage. 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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