How will Trump's 'Big Beautiful Bill' affect Illinois? Nonprofits are worried
How will Trump's Big Beautiful Bill affect Illinois? Nonprofits are worried
Some Illinois nonprofits are getting ready for major cuts due to President Donald Trump's so-called Big Beautiful Bill that he signed into law last week.
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Some Illinois non-profits are getting ready for major cuts due to the president's so-called "Big Beautiful Bill" that he signed into law on July 4.
There are 3.4 million Illinoisans that receive Medicaid benefits and nearly 2 million that receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance, also known as SNAP or food stamps.
What we know:
The Congressional Budget Office has predicted that 5 million Americans could lose Medicaid coverage in the coming years due to cuts in the "Big Beautiful Bill" - namely due to provisions that increase work requirements. The same goes for SNAP benefits.
Jim Conwell of the Greater Food Depository of Chicago said the cuts could reduce or eliminate food benefits for half a million Illinoisans.
"That's going to impact older adults in their early 60s as the age ranges change. It's going to impact families with school-age children. It could impact veterans, and other people who had significant barriers to full-time work," Conwell said.
In addition to cuts to Medicaid and SNAP, the bill provides $100 billion in new funding for ICE and immigration operations at the border.
It eliminates taxes on tips and overtime work, and expands child tax credits as well as deductions for local real estate taxes.
The bill also increases the federal debt limit to $5 billion and the Congressional Budget Office estimates it will add $3.4 trillion to the debt in the next 10 years.
What they're saying:
Gov. JB Pritzker has said the bill could cost the state of Illinois $1 billion to make up for the lost benefits.
But downstate Peoria Rep. Darin LaHood (R), who voted for the spending package, has a different view. He thinks it'll be a win-win for his downstate district.
In a statement released upon the bill's signing, LaHood said, "This legislation invests in the future of Illinois agriculture and protects high-paying manufacturing jobs in Illinois' 16th Congressional District while boosting local economies across central and northwest Illinois."