May 23, 2025: Politics Roundup - House passes Trump’s Big Bill & Illinois General Assembly winds down
President Donald Trump and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., speak to reporters after departing a House Republican conference meeting, Tuesday, May 20, 2025, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington. AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson
WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans stayed up all night to pass their multitrillion-dollar tax breaks package. Speaker Mike Johnson defied the skeptics within his ranks and muscled President Donald Trump’s priority bill to approval Thursday. Last-minute concessions and a stern warning from Trump appeared to win over the hold outs to salvage what he calls the “big, beautiful bill.” The outcome caps an intense time on Capitol Hill, with days of private negotiations and public committee hearings. Democrats, without the votes to stop Trump’s package, tried to stall it. The Congressional Budget Office says the tax provisions would add $3.8 trillion to federal deficits.
SPRINGFIELD (Capitol News Illinois) — Lawmakers approved measures limiting AI instruction at community colleges, requiring seat belts on school buses, and mandating food handlers receive certain allergen training among dozens of bills Wednesday. The Illinois Senate gave its approval to a bill that would prohibit community colleges from using artificial intelligence programs instead of human instructors to teach their classes. Click here to read more.
Guests:
Linda Kenyon
Illinois Public Media Washington Reporter
Ben Szalinski
Statehouse Reporter, Capitol News Illinois