Quincy Reporter

Mary Miller, representative for Illinois' 15th Congressional District, has said that Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker has encouraged nationwide protests against President Donald Trump's policies, which she claims are aimed at weakening the nation's social safety net programs.

"Don't forget, just a few weeks ago, JB Pritzker called for "mass protests, for mobilization, for disruption," said Mary E. Miller, U.S. Representative of Illinois's 15th congressional district (R). "The chaos in California isn't an accident. It's the Democrats' blueprint for America."

The California protests referenced by Miller in her social media post began on June 6 in response to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in Los Angeles. According to NBC News, these protests are ongoing. National Guard troops have been deployed—a move criticized by California Governor Gavin Newsom, who also condemned the ICE raids that occurred at multiple locations across the city on June 6.

Screenshot of U.S. Rep. Mary MIller's June 9 post on X | X

According to a report from The Guardian, during an appearance at the New Hampshire Democratic Party’s annual McIntyre-Sheehan Dinner on April 27, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker called for nationwide protests and increased pressure on Republican lawmakers. "It’s time to fight everywhere and all at once. Never before in my life have I called for mass protests, for mobilization, for disruption. These Republicans cannot know a moment of peace. They must understand that we will fight their cruelty with every megaphone and microphone that we have," said Pritzker.

At a live town hall event hosted by the MeidasTouch podcast, Pritzker urged Americans to mobilize and pressure their legislators to stand up to what he described as a destructive Trump administration. He was joined by three other Democratic governors: Kathy Hochul of New York, Maura Healey of Massachusetts, and Tim Walz of Minnesota. "I believe that we all ought to be mobilizing. It’s the best way for us to get across what we really believe is that, you know, show up at your Republican congressman’s office and let them know: Quit shutting down veteran services, quit taking away Social Security and Medicaid," said Pritzker during the event.

Mary Miller is currently serving in the U.S. Congress representing Illinois’ 15th district after replacing former U.S Congress member John Shimkus in 2021. She graduated from Eastern Illinois University with a Bachelor of Arts degree. Born in Oak Park, Illinois in 1959, Miller currently resides in Oakland with her family; she has seven children and twenty grandchildren while managing a fourth-generation family farm with her husband.