Rep. Kelly: ‘The American People are Engaged, Demanding Answers from Trump Administration’
April 18, 2025
In week of action against President Trump’s actions, Rep. Kelly heard concerns about public education, Social Security, healthcare
WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly (IL-02) travelled throughout the Second District this week to hear from constituents concerning President Donald Trump’s agenda.
“Whether I was in Chicago, the south suburbs, or in rural Pontiac, I heard one clear message from my constituents: President Trump is taking our country down a dangerous, frightening path,” said Rep. Kelly. “Trump has engaged in an unending trade war as our farmers, small business owners and everyday consumers pay the price. As he’s playing a world-stage bully, Elon Musk is on a mission to privatize Social Security, eliminate public education, and terminate federal employees. Meanwhile, Trump’s followers in Republican leadership attack Medicaid and food assistance, making it harder to access healthcare and put food on the table.
“The American people are engaged and demanding answers from the Trump administration. I will continue to hear their concerns, answer their questions and bring their demands back to Washington, DC. My Republican colleagues need to hear that Trump’s agenda does not align with The People.”
On Public Education
Rep. Kelly held a roundtable discussion in Richton Park with public educators and superintendents who are concerned about President Trump’s executive order to dismantle the Department of Education. His plan to eliminate Title 1 grants would effectively fire 6,243 teachers in the Second District and stop $412 million in grants to the district.
On Social Security
Over 13,000 concerned constituents called into Rep. Kelly’s telephone town hall on Social Security. There are 151,140 Social Security recipients in the Second District, including widows, children, workers with disabilities and retired senior citizens. Elon Musk has called Social Security a “Ponzi scheme” and fired 7,000 workers at the Social Security Administration, causing chaos and instability.
On Food Assistance
On Wednesday, Rep. Kelly toured Free-N-Deed, a food pantry in Dolton, to hear how the facility and the community would be affected by cuts to food assistance. The House Republican budget slashes $230 billion from Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which would leave almost 190,000 people in the Second District without a reliable meal. For every meal that a food pantry provides, SNAP provides nine meals. Food pantries like Free-N-Deed would not be able to fill in the gaps if SNAP was cut.
On the Trump Administration
Rep. Kelly hosted her second in-person town hall of the year in Pontiac, Illinois, the most western part of the District. She also had a special guest, Ed Yohnka, Director of Communications and Public Policy at ACLU of Illinois, to help give updates on lawsuits against the Trump administration’s unconstitutional actions. About 150 people attended the town hall.
On Black Maternal Health
In recognition of Black Maternal Health Week, Rep. Kelly went live on Instagram with reproductive justice organization In Our Own Voice and U.S. Rep. Bonnie Watson-Coleman. They discussed the recent attacks by the Trump administration against healthcare and maternal health, including DOGE-led layoffs at the Department of Health and Human Services.
On Emergency Operators’ Mental Health
Rep. Kelly toured the SouthCom Combined Dispatch Center in Matteson, Illinois, to hear how she can best support 911 operators and dispatchers. In recognition of National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, she also introduced bipartisan legislation to support the mental health and wellbeing of emergency operators.