Budzinski Stands Up for Illinois Families During Rules Committee Hearing, Demands Republicans Abandon Tax Package for Billionaires

<p><strong>WASHINGTON, D.C. —</strong>&nbsp;Today,<strong>&nbsp;Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (IL-13)</strong>&nbsp;joined her Democratic colleagues in a last-ditch effort to address rising costs for American families. Beginning at 1 a.m., and despite Republicans’ attempts to keep the reconciliation process out of public view, Budzinski and House Democrats participated in a marathon Rules Committee meeting, introducing more than 500 amendments to the Republican tax package.</p>

<p>During the meeting, Budzinski focused her remarks on ways to lower costs for American families and offered an amendment to reinstate a broadband affordability initiative modeled after the Affordable Connectivity Program, which provided low-income families with discounted internet access.</p>

<figure class="wp-block-image"><img alt="" class="wp-image-2184" height="677" src="https://d12t4t5x3vyizu.cloudfront.net/budzinski.house.gov/uploads/2025/05/Screenshot-2025-05-21-at-3.19.14 PM.png" width="1299" /></figure>

<p class="has-text-align-center"><strong><em>To watch Budzinski’s testimony, click&nbsp;</em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdQs_egGeSY"><em>HERE</em></a></strong></p>

<p>“My amendment introduces a measure of fairness into this otherwise harmful bill,”&nbsp;<strong>said Congresswoman Budzinski</strong>. “This simple amendment puts working families&nbsp;<em>first</em>—making sure they have access to the internet for school, work, health care, and staying connected with loved ones. At a time when everything from applying for jobs to attending virtual doctor visits requires a stable internet connection, this is not a luxury—it’s a necessity.”</p>

<p>Last year, Budzinski led the bipartisan Secure and Affordable Broadband Extension Act, which would have restored the program and provided eligible households with a monthly discount of up to $30 per month off the cost of their internet service.&nbsp;</p>

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<p>The post <a href="https://budzinski.house.gov/posts/budzinski-stands-up-for-illinois-families-during-rules-committee-hearing-demands-republicans-abandon-tax-package-for-billionaires">Budzinski Stands Up for Illinois Families During Rules Committee Hearing, Demands Republicans Abandon Tax Package for Billionaires</a> appeared first on <a href="https://budzinski.house.gov">Nikki Budzinski</a>.</p>