“This Isn’t Efficiency, It’s Cruelty!” JB Pritzker CONDEMNS Trump’s Healthcare Policies

Someone needs to tell Trump and Bailey, killing off your own citizens isn't efficient, it's just cruel. Allowing people to die of measles because you have some unscientific ideological opposition to life-saving vaccines isn't efficient. Well, thank you so much, Janine. It really is great to see all of you. Good afternoon. I want to also say about Janine that really the work that you do is so truly vital to advance black maternal health in Illinois. And I am forever grateful for your leadership. Thank you also to all the champions that are here behind me, including Dr. Tripti Kataria from the Illinois State Medical Society, Dr. Karen Pierce from Mental Health PAC, Snehal Bavsar from the Illinois Pharmacists Association, Dr. Katie Sisco from Planned Parenthood Illinois Action. I want you to know Christian and I are truly humbled to have your support in this endeavor. As governor, I fight every day to ensure that Illinois workers can earn a fair wage and have the right to join a union, that families can afford groceries, that kids can get a world-class public education, but here's the thing. None of those things matter if you're not in good health. None of those things matter if you can't afford the medical care that you need. Unfortunately, that's the reality for hundreds of thousands of Illinoisans and millions of Americans. There are too many people in public office or running for office who have easy access to good health care and who don't give a hoot about whether anyone else does. Let's start with the most obvious one, specifically the one occupying the White House right now. Just like the White House ballroom, Donald Trump has bulldozed the American health care system. He cut nearly $1 trillion from Medicaid, $1 trillion, taking health care coverage away from 8 million Americans. He's throwing 2.4 million people off the Affordable Care Act, and he has zeroed out grants for agencies doing crucial medical research. In sum, he has plunged our public health system into a true crisis. And by the way, guess who's been cheering him on and plans to bring Doge to Illinois? My opponent, Darren Bailey. Someone needs to tell Trump and Bailey, killing off your own citizens isn't efficient. It's just cruel. Allowing people to die of measles because you have some unscientific ideological opposition to life-saving vaccines isn't efficient. It's cruel. Letting women die of sepsis because routine medical procedures are now illegal isn't efficient. It is cruel. And then there are the health insurance companies and the corporate executives who look at a sick person and they pull out a calculator. They want to see how much money they can save to increase profitability. That is their process. And let's not forget the MAGA Republican members of Congress who, instead of acting on the basic human instinct to help people overcome illness, look instead to give tax cuts to the wealthiest people and the biggest corporations. They need to get out and listen to real people. They need to hear from the people at the heart of this issue, the people sitting in the exam rooms, the people who actually deserve a say here, the patients and the providers. I sought out their perspectives, not those of the greedy executives lining Trump's pockets. I have seen the ways that the system is failing working families and the most vulnerable. I heard from the middle-aged widow whose life-saving medication is so expensive that she now struggles to afford groceries for herself and her dog, her only companion. And the young mother whose type 1 diabetes medication is hard to come by in her rural town. And the parents who can't afford medical, excuse me, mental health treatment for their son who is suffering from bipolar disorder. They're just three of the millions of people who are, well, living with a health care system that is failing. Now, as much as I wish I could, I can't force Donald Trump to develop a conscience or a moral compass. What I can do, though, is make Illinois a place where providers can do their jobs and patients can afford their care. And I'm very proud to say that with the partnership of the extraordinary organizations here today, we are making enormous strides. In Illinois, we've banned prior authorization for mental health and psychiatric care so that patients needing emergency care don't have to wait for a corporate suit hundreds of miles away to sign off. We capped insulin at $35 a month, inhalers at $25 a month, and we eliminated more than $2 billion in medical debt in Illinois. We guaranteed paid leave for workers for any reason, not just if you're sick. We cracked down on predatory PBMs, bringing down the cost of prescription drugs. We enshrined the right to reproductive care into Illinois state law. We enacted the birth equity initiative to take on the unacceptable racial disparities in maternal mortality. Look, I'm really proud of what we've achieved together. And at the same time, I'm not under any illusions that we've fixed the system. There is a whole lot more work left to do, and I'm ready to do it. So I'm making a promise to you today. If Christian Mitchell and I have the privilege of serving you as your lieutenant governor and governor, we're going to keep up the fight. We're going to keep putting power where it belongs, in the hands of patients and providers. We won't let Darren Bailey or Donald Trump or the MAGA extremists win the battle against healthcare coverage for everyone. I am truly so grateful to have you in that fight with me. Your partnership is a true gift. Thank you all very, very much.