[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 97 (Tuesday, June 9, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Page S2673]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      WORKING FAMILIES TAX CUT ACT

  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I listened to my colleague from Wyoming, 
my friend Senator Barrasso, talk about the benefits of the Trump 
policies when it comes to American families.
  I don't know the situation in his home State of Wyoming, but let me 
tell you the situation in most States in the Union, including my home 
State. American families are struggling. They don't believe the Trump 
policies are giving them any relief from what they face on a day-to-day 
basis.
  I wonder when the last time was that Members of the Senate filled up 
a tank of gasoline in their home States and realized that the dramatic 
increase in cost is working a real hardship, particularly on working 
families in lower and middle-income jobs. They are struggling to get by 
paycheck to paycheck, and now they have gasoline bills they never 
anticipated. There is no end in sight. And to talk about relief for 
American families and ignore the cost of gasoline is really to ignore 
the obvious.
  The same thing is true when it comes to utility bills. In my State, 
utility bills are up 15 percent this year over last year. There are a 
lot of reasons for it, and they have been explained over and over on 
the floor. The bottom line is that there is no Trump policy addressing 
this issue--particularly no policy that really is moving us toward 
renewable and sustainable sources of energy for generations to come.
  How about the price of groceries? The tariff policies of this 
administration have led to a protest by farmers across the United 
States. These tariff policies hurt their ability to compete in the 
world market. That is why the President recently went to the Midwest in 
the hopes of salvaging his reputation with farmers in rural 
communities.
  For the Senator from Wyoming to come to the floor and talk about the 
benefits to American families is to ignore the increased costs of 
groceries that people put up with every day.
  What the Senator didn't mention as well is that the big beautiful 
Trump budget bill also made some dramatic changes when it came to the 
cost of healthcare for American citizens. The idea of cutting $1 
trillion out of the Medicaid Program over the next several years is not 
only going to create a hardship on people with illness, but it is also 
going to create a hardship on providers.
  Already in my State, where many rural hospitals and inner-city 
hospitals struggle to keep their doors open, the notion of these 
cutbacks in Medicaid means not only fewer treatments for those who are 
sick and need medical care, but it also means, when it comes to these 
hospitals and clinics that are really a life-and-death proposition, 
their survival is in doubt.
  Talking about the future for American families--the future starts 
with healthcare that is quality healthcare that you can afford.
  Do you recall when the Republicans, in their big beautiful budget 
bill, decided that they were going to cut back the tax benefits for 
people to help pay for their health insurance premiums? How can that be 
of any lasting, positive value for families across America? It creates 
a real hardship that they have to deal with.
  So I think coming to the floor and talking about tax policies in 
decades to come is interesting and worthy of note, but it certainly 
doesn't address the reality of what American families are facing in 
Illinois, Wyoming, and across the United States. That is the reality.

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