Stratton: Medicaid Cuts in Budget Bill "Dangerous" to Illinois
Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton speaks at a union hall in Rockford in February. (Photo: Rockford Register Star)
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Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton, one of the top Democrats seeking a seat in the U.S. Sente next year, says she fears the “Big, Beautiful Bill” tax and spending legislation under consideration in the Senate is most “dangerous” for its potential cuts to Medicaid.
Speaking to The Illinoize from the campaign trail Thursday, Stratton was critical of cuts to Medicaid, that estimates show could remove over 700,000 people from Medicaid rolls in Illinois.
“These cuts aren't just unpopular but they're also dangerous, ripping away health care from millions of Americans,” Stratton said. “There are 3.4 million Illinoisans that are on Medicaid, including 1.5 million children. One part that I don't think we talk about enough is that there are more than 400,000 Illinoisans that are employed by hospitals or health care systems. These are jobs that are going to be cut, and that's going to have an impact on these communities as well. I'm going to keep pushing back and keep speaking out about these cuts, because health care is what led me to run for office. This is not just about a policy decision. It's about caring for our neighbors. And no matter where people live in our state, no matter what their ZIP code or what their town looks like.”
Stratton didn’t specifically advocate for or against U.S. involvement in the growing conflict between Israel and Iran, but called for a diplomatic solution first.
“I think it's important that Iran comes to the negotiating table,” Stratton said. “We know that Israel is one of our closest allies, the only democracy in the Middle East. I certainly hope that Iran can come to the negotiating table and that ultimately, that we can see peace.”
Our conversation took place before the weekend airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.
You can listen to our whole conversation on WMAY here.
