Rep. Jackson opposes EXTREME MAGA Budget

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Jonathan L. Jackson (D-IL) voted No on H.Con.Res. 14, a Republican budget plan that threatens the health and well-being of working families, seniors, and children—all while handing out tax breaks to billionaires and big corporations.

“This budget isn’t about fiscal responsibility—it’s about priorities. And once again, Republicans are showing us exactly where theirs lie: protecting the wealthiest while cutting support for those who actually need it,” said Congressman Jackson. “This proposal puts health care and food assistance on the chopping block, making life harder for working people in my district and across the country. That’s unacceptable.”

The Republican budget would gut Medicaid, putting 268,901 people in Illinois' First Congressional District at risk. That’s nearly one in four residents. These aren’t just numbers—these are our neighbors, families, and friends. Among them:

• 112,293 children who rely on Medicaid for doctor visits, checkups, and lifesaving treatments.
• 27,000 seniors who depend on it for long-term care and medications.
• Thousands of working-class families would be left with nowhere to turn for health care.

“Imagine being a mother of a sick child, showing up at the doctor’s office, only to be told your Medicaid no longer covers the visit,” said Jackson. “That’s the reality we’re facing if this budget passes.”

The proposal also takes aim at the 206,000 people in IL-01 who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to put food on the table. That includes:

• Families are already struggling with rising grocery costs, like eggs, which have gone up nearly 30% in the past two years.
• Nearly one in five children in the district don’t always know where their next meal is coming from.

“We’re talking about real families, real children, and real seniors who would go hungry,” Jackson emphasized. “When the price of food is skyrocketing, cutting SNAP is not just heartless—it’s reckless.”

While taking food and health care away from vulnerable Americans, this budget hands out massive tax breaks to the richest 1% and big corporations—the same failed trickle-down economics that has never worked for ordinary people.

“We’ve seen this movie before, and we know how it ends,” Jackson said. “The rich get richer, while the rest of us pay the price. I refuse to stand by while billionaires get handouts and working families get left behind.”

“This is about priorities—do we invest in our people, or do we give more to those who already have the most?” Jackson asked. “I know where I stand. I stand with the families in my district who deserve health care, food security, and a government that works for them—not just the wealthy few.”

Congressman Jackson is calling on his colleagues in Congress to reject this harmful budget and work toward a plan that puts people first.

“The fight isn’t over. I will continue to push for a budget that values fairness, opportunity, and dignity for all Americans,” he said.