Kankakee Times

Robin Kelly, a member of the U.S. Congress representing Illinois' 2nd district since 2013, has been vocal on social media about her opposition to recent legislative actions concerning Medicaid. On May 21, 2025, she expressed her concerns over a Republican-backed bill which she referred to as "Trump's Big, Ugly Bill." "Republicans are trying to pass Trump's Big, Ugly Bill — the one that cuts Medicaid by $880 billion." She highlighted that these cuts would affect optional policies such as postpartum coverage and mentioned her efforts since early morning to present an amendment aimed at making postpartum coverage permanent.

Later the same day, Kelly criticized the lack of support for her amendment. "If Republicans truly cared about mothers and babies, my amendment should've been a no-brainer," she stated in another tweet. She emphasized the importance of Medicaid covering a full year postpartum for women across all states and described it as a lifesaving policy threatened by potential Medicaid cuts.

On May 22, Kelly addressed the passage of what she described as the "Big, Ugly Bill" during nighttime proceedings. "In the dead of night, Republicans jammed through their Big, Ugly Bill to steal healthcare and food assistance from Americans as they slept," she wrote. Despite voting against it, she encouraged continued advocacy and pressure on the Senate.

Robin Kelly was born in New York City in 1956 and currently resides in Matteson. She graduated from Bradley University with a BA in 1977. Before serving in Congress, Kelly was part of the Illinois House of Representatives from 2003 to 2007.