Stratton Criticizes Senate Funding Deal, Says Democrats “Let the GOP Off the Hook” (Chicago, IL) – U.S. Senate candidate Juliana Stratton sharply criticized a government funding compromise approved in the Senate this week, arguing that the deal benefits Republicans while leaving key Democratic priorities at risk.
In a statement released Monday, Stratton said the agreement, supported by a group of Senate Democrats, amounts to “a compromise that bails out Donald Trump and Republicans instead” and fails to adequately protect healthcare programs.
“Last week, the American people put their trust in Democrats to stand up and fight for them. Today, eight Senate Democrats chose a compromise that bails out Donald Trump and Republicans instead,” Stratton said.
The temporary funding measure is intended to avert further disruption caused by a federal government shutdown, which has led to furloughs and stalled services across the country, including in Illinois. Stratton acknowledged the need to keep food assistance running and federal workers paid but said those priorities should not come at the expense of healthcare access.
“The Republican shutdown has caused immense suffering for Illinois families, and that pain will be compounded exponentially because Democrats let the GOP off the hook,” she said. “While we all want to see food assistance fully funded and federal workers paid and protected, healthcare for millions of Americans cannot be the tradeoff.”
Stratton, the former Illinois lieutenant governor who is currently running for the U.S. Senate, has made protecting federal healthcare programs a centerpiece of her campaign. She has repeatedly argued that Republicans cannot be trusted to negotiate on social safety net funding.
“As I’ve said since the spring, Republicans do not negotiate in good faith,” Stratton said. “We need fighters in D.C. — not folders.”
The funding measure now moves to the House, where its fate remains uncertain amid continued partisan division over federal spending.
Stratton Criticizes Senate Funding Deal, Says Democrats “Let the GOP Off the Hook”
