Kankakee Times

Robin Kelly, a member of the U.S. Congress representing Illinois' 2nd district since 2013, has expressed her concerns through a series of tweets about gun control and Medicaid policy. Her statements reflect her ongoing engagement with issues related to public safety and healthcare accessibility.

On May 16, 2025, Robin Kelly highlighted the ease of acquiring forced reset triggers without undergoing background checks. She questioned the necessity for individuals to possess firearms with capacities akin to machine guns. In her words, "Anyone can buy a forced reset trigger without a background check — and without question as to why someone needs a gun with the same firing capacity as a machine gun."

The following day, on May 17, 2025, Kelly addressed Georgia's implementation of work requirements for Medicaid recipients. She pointed out that thousands lost their coverage not due to lack of employment but because they struggled with navigating bureaucratic systems to report their work hours. As she stated, "Georgia implemented work requirements for Medicaid, and thousands of people lost coverage...because they couldn't navigate the bureaucratic system to submit their work hours." She further criticized Republicans by saying they have no interest in addressing these issues.

On May 18, 2025, Kelly critiqued Republican actions concerning Medicaid oversight. She claimed that if there was genuine concern about reducing fraud and waste within Medicaid programs, an amendment she proposed—mandating an audit on coverage loss—would have been passed. However, it was not supported. According to her tweet: "If Republicans truly cared about reducing fraud and waste...they only want to cut Medicaid to give a tax break to the wealthy few."

Kelly has served in Congress since succeeding Jesse Jackson Jr. in 2013 and previously served in the Illinois House of Representatives from 2003-2007. Born in New York City in 1956 and currently residing in Matteson at age 66, she is an alumna of Bradley University.