(The Center Square) – The Trump administration’s tax and spending bill is prompting reaction from both sides of the aisle, including in Illinois.
Last month, the U.S. House narrowly passed the so-called “big beautiful bill” that would cut taxes and increase border and military spending, while scaling back spending on Medicaid by eliminating fraud.
Illinois Treasurer Michael Frerichs said Illinoisans will feel the effects of Medicaid cuts.
“With Trump’s big bombshell of a bill, 490,000 Illinoisans will lose health care coverage,” Frerirchs said during an Americans for Responsible Growth news conference. “Those folks don’t just live only in Chicago, they live in all of our 102 counties.”
Elon Musk called the bill a “disgusting abomination” for increasing the country’s debt. U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, said Musk doesn’t get it.
“We don’t take it personal, policy differences are not personal,” said Johnson. “I think he’s flat wrong. I think he’s way off on this.”
According to an analysis of the bill’s tax provisions by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, the package’s tax changes would raise the deficit by an estimated $3.8 trillion over the next 10 years, a number that has been disputed by the White House.
Illinois U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood, R-Peoria, is a fan of the legislation.
“These are provisions that help working people that President Trump wanted to prioritize, and I think are important,” said LaHood. “So when people say these are benefits for the rich, that’s in fact not true. It benefits working people throughout my district.”
The measure is awaiting action in the U.S. Senate.
