Dear John,
I want to update you on an urgent issue that directly affects children, families, seniors, people with disabilities, and community organizations across Illinois.
Along with Senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth and my Illinois colleagues in the House of Representatives, I have formally demanded that the Trump Administration immediately comply with federal law and release $1 billion in frozen funding that Congress appropriated for Illinois. These funds support essential programs through the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), and the Social Services Block Grant (SSBG).
As the senior Democrat on the House Subcommittee with jurisdiction over child care, welfare, and social services funding, I know this clearly: the Department of Health and Human Services has no statutory or constitutional authority to withhold these funds from Illinois. Federal law spells out exactly how concerns about compliance must be raised and addressed.
The Administration ignored every one of those requirements.
Instead, Illinois families are being punished without cause.
If this funding continues to be withheld, the consequences will be immediate and destructive. Child care for low-income families will be crippled. Child protection and welfare services will be threatened. Hundreds of nonprofit organizations and small businesses that provide vital services in our communities will be devastated. The economic stability of working families will suffer.
That is why I strongly support the State of Illinois’ lawsuit against HHS and the Administration for Children and Families. This action is necessary to prevent real harm and to uphold the rule of law. Government has a responsibility to ensure accountability, but it also has a duty to protect the people it serves. Withholding these funds does neither.
Congress appropriated this funding for Illinois children and families, and it must be released immediately. I will continue to fight to ensure that our state receives the resources it is entitled to, and that no political maneuvering comes at the expense of our most vulnerable neighbors.
Thank you for staying engaged and informed. I will keep you updated as this matter moves forward.
