Legislators, Illinois Governor, Respond To President Trump's March 4 Address To Congress

Bost Issues Statement On President Trump's Join Address To Congress

U.S. Rep. Mike Bost (R-IL) issued the following statement in response to President Trump's Joint Address to Congress:

“President Trump’s address tonight sent a powerful message to the American people – and to every friend and foe across the globe – that ‘America First’ wasn’t just a campaign slogan; it forms the governing philosophy of his second term. It’s a vision I look forward to working with President Trump to make a reality.

“We must secure the border, shrink government, extend tax relief, unleash America’s energy potential, and protect our national security in a dangerous world. We have a president who won’t rest until we’ve achieved all of those objectives and more. He sounded strong and confident; and that’s the type of leadership this country desperately needed.”

Budzinski Statement on President Trump’s Joint Address to Congress

Today, Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (IL-13)released the following statement on President Donald Trump’s Joint Address to Congress:

“Tonight, President Trump failed to present concrete solutions to address rising costs for working families. With egg prices soaring and tariffs threatening our farmers, the President should be focused on making life easier, not harder. While I agree that government spending must be carefully examined and efficiency must be prioritized, the policies he’s backing will increase our deficit by trillions and deliver massive tax cuts to billionaires and corporations — rather than provide relief to hardworking families.

“I remain focused on standing up for the people of Central and Southern Illinois — for Medicaid recipients worried about losing care, for teachers and parents terrified of cuts to public education, for farmers concerned about the President disrupting their markets, and for families across the country who want a better tomorrow for the next generation.”

For tonight’s address, Congresswoman Budzinski invited Lisa Quandt, a special education teacher in Belleville, Illinois for over 30 years. In light of President Trump’s recent threats to dismantle the Department of Education, Budzinski hoped Lisa’s attendance would remind the President of the real people who will suffer because of his actions, including thousands of special education students in IL-13 who rely on federal funds for school programming. To watch the Congresswoman and Lisa discuss tonight’s address, click HERE.

Durbin Statement On President Trump's Joint Address To Congress

U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement on President Trump’s Joint Address to Congress:

“What we witnessed tonight was hubris in its highest form. President Trump has claimed that he alone can ‘make America great.’ Unfortunately, grandstanding does not lower the price of groceries or cut prescription drug costs.

“While President Trump delivered empty platitudes about the success of his presidency, Elon Musk and his Administration have gutted the federal government, indiscriminately firing civil servants who are critical to our national security, who protect us from disease outbreaks, and who ensure it’s safe to fly. Under the guise of ‘efficiency,’ President Trump has frozen NIH funding, preventing medical researchers from finding the cure for cancer, Alzheimer’s, or heart disease.

“And not a week after calling President Zelenskyy ‘a dictator’ and blaming him for invading his own country, President Trump declared that he has worked tirelessly to end the violence in Ukraine. Our allies, especially Ukraine, deserve more than President Trump’s feeble support. I unequivocally stand with Ukraine and President Zelenskyy as they continue to push off Russian aggression.”

Durbin’s guest for tonight’s Joint Address to Congress is Dr. Elizabeth Sokol, a practicing oncologist and medical researcher at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. Dr. Sokol specializes in treating children with neuroblastoma, the leading cause of cancer death for children aged one to five. Dr. Sokol is in the midst of conducting federally-supported clinical trials that are now being endangered by the Trump Administration’s devastating, and illegal, cuts to funding and resources at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Niemerg Issues Trump Speech Reaction: His Vision Is What Country Needs To Move Forward

State Representative Adam Niemerg (R-Dieterich) says the vision President Donald Trump outlined in his address to a joint session of Congress is exactly what the country needs to move forward.

“President Trump is making tremendous strides in securing our border, ending bad trade deals, bringing new businesses and investments to the country and improving the health of US citizens,” Niemerg said. “The President is also making significant progress in ending the barbaric mutilation of children in the name of gender ideology. America is back thanks to the courage of our 47th President.”

Niemerg said he strongly supports making the Trump tax cuts permanent, ending taxes on tips, making interest payments on American made cars tax deductible and reciprocal tariff policies.

“At the core of President Trump’s policies is love of country and putting the interests of our nation and our citizens first,” Niemerg said. “This vision should not be a Republican or Democratic vision. It should transcend party lines. The Democrats even sat on their hands when President Trump announced that the terrorist responsible for the Abbey Gate bombing was in custody. This should have been a moment of bipartisan applause, but the Democrats hatred of President Trump is greater than their love of country. The Democrats with their shameful gimmicks and stunts not only failed to upstage President Trump but they showed themselves to be complete fools who hate this country and hate the people who make our nation great. The contrast could not be clearer.”

Illinois Democrats’ Statement on Donald Trump’s Joint Address

As Donald Trump prepares to deliver his budget address to Congress this evening, Democratic Party of Illinois Chair Lisa Hernandez released the following statement:

“A month into his second term, Trump has been a disaster for Illinois. Instead of fulfilling his promise to lower costs, Trump’s policies, like the tariffs that take effect today, are raising prices on everyday essentials like food and gas, electronics, cars and appliances. Now, he and House Republicans are pushing a budget that could rip health care away from the 700,000 Illinoisans who rely on Medicaid–all to give massive tax breaks to billionaires like Elon Musk. Trump is already the least popular president in modern American history and there’s no question why: Trump continues to leave working Illinoisans in the dust, while carrying water for corrupt billionaires. Democrats are fighting tooth and nail to beat back against Trump’s billionaire agenda and make life more affordable for working families.”

Under Trump’s leadership, prices continue to climb as consumer confidence plummets.

As his first and only legislative priority, Trump is trying to rig the economy for the ultra-rich and giant corporations by ripping away Illinoisans’ health care and food assistance while raising costs on working families.

Voters are fed up with Donald Trump and his shadow president Elon Musk. Democrats are standing up to their dangerous agenda.

Gov. Pritzker’s Statement on President Trump’s Address to a Joint Session of Congress

Republican Cuts to Healthcare, Childcare, and Retirement Programs Designed to Pay for Billionaire Tax Cuts

CHICAGO- Tonight, Governor JB Pritzker released the following statement after President Donald Trump’s Address to a Joint Session of Congress:

“Once again, Donald Trump showed us he cares more about giving tax cuts to the biggest corporations and wealthiest people more than he cares about making life more affordable for America’s working families. To line the pockets of billionaires, Republicans plan to make working people in Illinois pay the price by gutting healthcare, childcare, and retirement programs. Going after our most vulnerable children, seniors, and neighbors is just plain cruel.

“Trump and Congressional Republicans are out-of-touch with the realities facing working families. People of all backgrounds – and political parties – rely on affordable healthcare through Medicaid or putting food on their family’s table through nutrition programs. As the Republican budget cuts and tariffs move forward, Illinoisans and all Americans have to pay more at the grocery store and the gas pump.

“Trump, Elon Musk, and Congressional Republicans don’t give a damn about working people. Here in Illinois, I will continue fighting for what working families need most right now: affordability.”

Duckworth Reacts to Trump’s Joint Address to Congress

Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) issued the following statement in reaction to President Donald Trump’s Joint Address to Congress, in which he outlined his harmful agenda that would benefit already-wealthy billionaires at the expense of middle-class Americans:

“Donald Trump promised he’d lower costs for middle-class Americans, but clearly that was a lie he sold to get elected. In reality, we’re continuing to watch Trump and Elon Musk take a chainsaw to programs and services that middle-class families rely on—the same families Trump swore he’d protect—all while doing nothing to address the rising cost of eggs and groceries. Since day one, Trump has already damaged lifelines like Head Start, gutted cancer research, fired more Veterans than any President in our nation’s history and is making our country less safe by surrendering to Putin while abandoning our democratic partners and allies. Make no mistake: Trump and Musk will continue to ram through cuts to health care and critical programs that middle-class Americans depend on so they can fund tax breaks for already-wealthy billionaires. They don’t care about making government work better for families, they only want to make government work better for themselves. If Republicans won’t stick up for the middle class, Democrats will.”

As part of her ongoing efforts to push back against Trump’s illegal funding freeze that continues to inflict needless chaos, confusion and financial pain on Head Start programs and the middle-class families they serve throughout Illinois, Senator Duckworth invited Lauri Morrison-Frichtl, Executive Director of the Illinois Head Start Association, as her guest to Trump's Joint Address to Congress.

“Leaders like Lauri Morrison-Frichtl are on the frontlines of Trump’s needless chaos—which is continuing to cause irreversible damage and jeopardize Illinois Head Start’s ability to serve thousands of children and families,” said Duckworth. “I was proud to invite Lauri Morrison-Frichtl to the Joint Address to remind middle-class Americans and this Administration just how critical Head Start services are—not only for working parents trying to make ends meet, but also for the next generation of students. We cannot let Trump and Republicans tear down this lifeline for families in order to fund tax cuts for billionaires—full stop.”

With over 37 years of experience with Head Start, Executive Director Morrison-Frichtl is a steadfast leader and advocate for the wellbeing of the thousands of children and families in our state who face the most significant barriers to achieving success in school and in life. Additionally, nearly 70% of Illinois Head Start and Early Head Start parents are in the workforce and rely on Head Start’s programs in order to go to their jobs—allowing them to support their families and contribute to our economy. An official portrait photo of Illinois Head Start Executive Director Lauri Morrison-Frichtl can be found on the Senator’s website.

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