Rather than taking responsibility for the challenges facing Illinois, Governor Pritzker continues to point fingers and shift blame. Whether it's the state budget, affordability, immigration, or now the future of the Chicago Bears, the Governor's response is the same: blame someone else.

Throughout the spring legislative session, Democrats repeatedly claimed affordability was their top priority for Illinois families. But when it came time to deliver, they did what Illinois families have come to expect: said one thing and did another.

Instead of providing relief to working families struggling with rising costs, House Democrats passed the largest budget in Illinois history, a $55.9 billion spending plan propped up by $800 million in new tax hikes.

After spending months promising to focus on affordability, Speaker Welch and House Democrats abandoned that pledge and instead passed $800 million in tax hikes as part of the largest budget in Illinois history.

During a City Club of Chicago event in January, Speaker Welch declared, "Everything is about affordability and that's going to be our focus." But Illinois families struggling with rising costs may find that hard to believe after Democrats approved a record-setting $55.9 billion state budget packed with new taxes, spending, and political giveaways.

In a recent podcast interview, Governor JB Pritzker said, “I hate the word affordability. I don’t think people really understand the concept.”

Illinois families understand affordability because they feel every day how unaffordable Governor Pritzker has made life in Illinois. They feel it when they open a property tax bill, pay a utility bill, or watch more of their paycheck disappear.

As the final week of session gets underway, House Democrats are spending valuable floor time this afternoon bringing Senator Dick Durbin to Springfield for a joint address instead of focusing on legislation that would actually help Illinois families.

Rather than working to address the affordability crisis Democrats have created, lawmakers will sit through a speech from a career Washington politician whose policies have failed working families across Illinois.

During an appearance this week on the Mike Nellis podcast, Governor Pritzker attempted to paint himself as an opponent of gerrymandering and a champion for lowering costs. But Illinois families know better, and his record tells the real story.

In an interview with Politico, House Speaker Chris Welch once again tried to blame Washington for Illinois’ fiscal failures instead of taking responsibility for the Democrat policies that have made our state’s outlook worse.

If Speaker Welch wants to know why Illinois is facing budget trouble, he doesn’t need to look any further than his and his own party’s voting records in Springfield. Governor Pritzker has proposed yet another record-setting state budget at $56 billion, after signing a $55 billion budget last year that included more than $700 million in new taxes and fees.