Lake County Gazette

HIGHLAND PARK, Ill. – Representatives Brad Schneider (IL-10), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), and Jonathan Jackson (IL-01) are working to prevent a default on the debt that would cause devastating impacts on working families in Illinois while protecting vital investments that lower costs and create better paying jobs.

Last week, House Republicans passed a bill that inflicts cruel cuts on American families. In Illinois alone, House Republicans' extreme demands will:   

• Put 562,000 people at risk of losing Medicaid coverage in Illinois.
• Threaten access to food assistance for 54,000 people aged 50-55 in Illinois.
• Eliminate preschool and childcare for at least 10,800 children in Illinois.
• Increase housing costs for at least 28,300 people in Illinois.
• Make college more expensive for at least 229,500 students in Illinois.
• Eliminate at least 6 air traffic control towers in Illinois.
• Cut at least 470 rail safety inspection days in Illinois.
• Repeal investments in cleaner, cheaper energy — threatening clean energy and manufacturing jobs announced in Illinois since the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act.
• Reduce access to outpatient care at Veterans Affairs medical facilities by approximately 808,086 visits in Illinois.

 If they don’t get their way, House Republicans are threatening to default on our nation's bills, unleashing economic catastrophe and putting vital government services at risk. A default on our debt would:

• Kill about 7,400 jobs in IL-10 alone. Nationwide, a default could kill more than 7 million jobs.
• Jeopardize Social Security payments for 75,000 families in IL-10.
• Put health benefits at risk for 215,000 people in IL-10 who rely on Medicare, Medicaid, or Veterans Affairs health coverage.
• Increase lifetime mortgage costs for the typical homeowner in Illinois by $37,000
• Raise the costs of a new car loan for the typical American by $800.
• Threaten the retirement savings of 100,700 people near retirement in IL-10, eliminating $20,000 from the typical retirement portfolio.

House Democrats have a better plan. We have already reduced the deficit by historic levels while investing in America to lower costs for health care, prescription drugs and clean energy while creating better paying jobs by rebuilding our infrastructure and bringing clean drinking water and high-speed internet to more communities. We are laser focused on protecting these vital investments instead of inflicting cruel cuts or a devastating default.

“Last week, House Republicans barely passed an unserious, irresponsible bill that presents the American people with a terrible choice: either they inflict cruel cuts that hurt working families, veterans, and more or they force a devastating default on our debt. Our veterans deserve better than to see their benefits held hostage by the Republicans. Democrats are ready to work with responsible Republicans, ready and willing to pay our bills and prevent a default on our debt. But we will not agree to cruel cuts that make life harder for working families to make it in America. We will not give in to a ransom note” said Rep. Brad Schneider(IL-10).

“The Constitution makes it very clear that it is the duty of the United States of America to pay its debts. Nowhere in the Constitution does it justify sending our economy into a tailspin to avoid paying our bills,” said Rep. Jan Schakowsky (IL-10). “My Republican colleagues were content when Donald Trump raised the debt ceiling three times and gave the wealthiest Americans $2 trillion in tax cuts, but for some reason they have a problem with American families trying to put food on the table and veterans trying to access health care. We cannot let extremist Republicans hold our economy hostage. We must lift the debt ceiling and protect all Americans from an economic nightmare.”

Rep. Jonathan Jackson (IL-01) stated, "Extreme MAGA Republicans are forcing a dangerous choice on working families: harsh cuts that harm everyday Americans or a catastrophic debt default. In contrast, Democrats have a better plan that includes historic deficit reductions, investments in America to create better-paying jobs, and ensuring billionaires and big corporations pay their fair share. We are ready to work with Republicans to pay our bills and prevent a default, but we won't let communities be held hostage by extreme MAGA Republicans.”

Original source can be found here.