10th News: Honoring an American Hero, Captain Lovell
Monday marked the fifty-third anniversary of the safe return to Earth of the crew of the Apollo 13 mission, Commander James A. Lovell, Command Module Pilot John L. (Jack) Swigert, and Lunar Module Pilot Fred W. Haise. The world let out a long sigh of relief, a breath we had been holding in for days as we hopefully followed the crew’s perilous journey on TV and the news.
James Arthur Lovell, Jr. is a true American hero. But he is also a local hero here in Illinois’s Tenth District. And we are particularly proud to be home to the Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center (FHCC)—the first, and so far only, healthcare facility integrating the Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense services into a single center.
To further recognize his contributions to our nation and the advancement of space research, on Monday I introduced a long-overdue bill to recognize Captain Lovell with the Congressional Gold Medal.
Captain Lovell was assigned to NASA’s Gemini and Apollo space missions, and in 1968 was one of the first humans to reach the moon’s orbit with Apollo 8. During the Apollo 13 mission, an onboard explosion breached the command module’s air tanks and affected several essential functions, including water and fuel supplies. Lovell, Fred Haise, and Jack Swigert, with the help of NASA staff in Houston, safely redirected Apollo 13 around the Moon and back to Earth. In order to keep his team alive, Lovell handwrote calculations to keep the ship on the correct trajectory and reprogrammed its life support systems. Under his heroic leadership as Spacecraft Commander, they safely landed in the Pacific Ocean after four days of travel in freezing temperatures on April 17, 1970.
Upon their return, President Richard Nixon awarded the team of three with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Lovell retired from the Navy and NASA in 1973, then shifted his career towards business. He was the President of Fisk Telephone Systems, Inc. in 1977, then appointed to Group Vice President of Business Communication Systems at Centel Corporation in 1981. Lovell became an Executive Vice President and a member of the Board of Directors at Centel before retiring in 1991.
Captain Jim Lovell’s bravery remains an incredible inspiration to the world more than five decades after his harrowing journey. Lovell’s career as an astronaut and business leader reflects his character, determination, and personal strength. This Congressional Gold Medal would be worthy recognition for Captain Lovell, honoring his fearlessness and uniquely American ingenuity. I am proud to have Captain Lovell as a part of Illinois’s 10th district community and want to thank him for all he has done for the U.S. and our community. You can find a summary of the Apollo 13 mission and Captain Lovell’s work produced by NASA on the 50th Anniversary here.
Looking back to last week, I wrapped up a very productive district work period on Saturday with a Congress on Your Corner Town Hall at Hawthorne Middle School in Vernon Hills. During the week, I visited local businesses in Buffalo Grove, Wheeling, Northbrook, and Vernon Hills. I met with local Girl Scouts in Libertyville and Boy Scouts in Winnetka. I spoke to middle school students in Highland Park and joined my STEAM Scholars for a tour of UL Solutions in Northbrook. I joined the groundbreaking ceremony for the Glencoe Park District’s new Watts Recreation Center and spent time with the team at the Park District of Highland Park.
Please keep reading to learn more about happenings here at home and in Washington.
AROUND THE DISTRICT
Congress on Your Corner: Vernon Hills
Warm weather, sunny skies, and a welcoming atmosphere from the community were just some of the highlights of my Congress on Your Corner Town Hall in Vernon Hills. We touched on topics ranging from national security to supporting our postal service, fighting Alzheimer’s, and restoring the SALT deduction for Illinois taxpayers.
STEAM Scholars Visit UL Solutions
I joined my STEAM Scholars for a very informative tour of UL Solutions in Northbrook, and we had a blast. The UL team taught us all about Safety Science- the study of how to keep people safe from hazards like fires, chemicals, and other dangers. They also let us witness a live fire safety testing demo – which lit up our evening. Memorable experiences like this help encourage today's students to become tomorrow's innovators.
Libertyville-Area Girl Scouts
I was honored to join Mayor Donna Johnson and State Senator Mary Edly-Allen in presenting merit badges to members of several Girl Scout troops in Libertyville. I shared a bit about my work in Congress and then answered many insightful questions from the scouts. Izzy quickly grasped that to make a good government; sometimes we have to compromise like we do with family. She could teach many of my colleagues a thing or two.
Scout Troop 20 in Winnetka
I held a mini-town hall in Winnetka with 50+ Scouts from Troop 20. Like the Girl Scouts in Libertyville, I was challenged with many great questions about the economy, education, the environment, protecting Social Security, and defending our democracy. I was very impressed by the troop’s keen interest and active engagement.
Edgewood Middle School
Mr. Buss’s 7th-grade social studies class at Edgewood Middle School in Highland Park invited me to speak to them about how Congress works and my experiences as a Representative. We talked about dealing with climate change, reducing gun violence, and ways young people can communicate with their elected leaders.
Groundbreaking – The Watts Recreation Center
I was grateful to join the Glencoe Park District to help them break ground on the renovation of The Watts Recreation Center. The original center is 60 years old and a place of many community memories. I have no doubt the new facility will be a center of communal activity for generations to come.
Park District of Highland Park
I joined the team at the Park District of Highland Park for a conversation about the great things happening at the Park District and how the Federal government can best support their long-term plans. I also had the chance to tour the West Ridge Center, the newly renovated Sunset Woods playground, and the PDHP’s new nature park, The Preserve. This distinctive park opened to the community in June 2022 and has beautiful trails, woodlands, a native garden, and play areas.
Brad at Your Business
I had three good “Brad at Your Business” visits with local companies to learn about their operations and better understand the opportunities and challenges they see in the future. I love touring the facilities, talking with employees, and seeing firsthand the many innovative products and services emanating from our district.
Vapor Bus International
Wabtec is a global freight rail and transit technology and services leader, operating in more than 50 countries. I toured their Vapor Bus International facility in Buffalo Grove, learning about the division’s long history and diverse product line, including bus doors, windows, and lifts. Next time you step onto or off a bus, consider that it takes more than 750 individual parts to open and close those doors safely!
Netcom, Inc
At Netcom, Inc. in Wheeling, I was immediately presented with an intriguing question: “Do you want to start with the factory tour, or do you want to enjoy some of YiaYia’s baklava? (There was no real question here…we began with the baklava!) Netcom is a third-generation family business founded in 1977 by Evangelos Argoudelis, a Greek immigrant who started working at Motorola before leaving to start his own company. Netcom designs and manufactures tunable filters, RF amplifiers, LC filters, and integrated assemblies for the military, aerospace, wireless communications, and medical industries. Today, with more than 100 employees and under the leadership of the founder’s grandson, Johny Rounmanidakis, Netcom continues to grow with big plans for the future.
Schultes Precision Manufacturing
Schultes Precision Manufacturing in Buffalo Grove is an impressive company that machines precision parts for medical, aerospace, communication, and other industries worldwide. It was great to learn about their operations, and I was particularly impressed with their ability to train and develop highly skilled machine operators to meet the customers' demanding requirements. Thank you to Ryan, Tricia, and Josh for the warm welcome.
Constituent Meetings
One Person Can Change the World
Ally Bain and her mother, Lisa, visited my office to discuss federal legislation requiring retail businesses to allow customers with specific medical conditions access to their employee restrooms if needed. Many years ago, Ally, who deals with Crohn’s disease, was denied access to a restroom at a local store. The experience led the Bains to seek out former State Representative Kathy Ryg to introduce legislation in the Illinois House that passed and was signed into law in 2005. Today 18 states have versions of Ally’s Law, and The Restroom Access Act was recently introduced in Congress. I look forward to helping it become the law of the land.
You Are Never Too Young to Have a Great Idea
Akhil Rimidi came by the office to show me a mobile app he developed that helps users avoid noise-induced hearing loss. The idea alone is really impressive work, made even more so by the fact that Akhil is a senior at Stevenson High School! I can’t wait to see what innovative ideas he develops in the future.
My District Listening Tour Comes to the Office
I appreciated Spring Grove Village President Mark Eisenberg and Village Trustee Michael Lee stopping by the office to discuss some of their community's issues and explore ways we can work together.
Making Sure Everyone Knows They Make a Difference
Lynn Sanders stopped by to discuss the Blue Ribbons Worldwide program and her hope for expanding it through the community. The program is a global movement focused on uniting humanity, saving lives, eradicating bullying, and improving health and well-being.
WHAT’S HAPPENING IN WASHINGTON
EPA Proposes New Rules Limiting Ethylene Oxide (EtO) Emissions
The EPA finally released new rules for Ethylene Oxide (EtO) Emissions following calls for action from the community and the bipartisan Congressional EtO Task Force I formed in 2018.
I applaud the EPA’s work. These new proposed regulations will protect communities near facilities that use EtO for sterilization and the workers within them. This was a significant priority for the Task Force and something we directly asked Administrator Regan to do when we met with him in December 2021 and before that, his predecessor under President Trump, Andrew Wheeler. I also applaud and appreciate the tireless work of advocates in Lake County working to protect public health in our community and for their work in bringing this necessary regulation to fruition. I will continue to push the EPA to ramp up its engagement in Lake County and other EtO-impacted communities.
You can read my full press released on this here.
Bipartisan Introduction of Legislation to Support Israel’s Anti-Tunnel Efforts
I, along with Representatives Doug Lamborn (CO-5), Kathy Manning (NC-06), and August Pfluger (TX-11), introduced bipartisan legislation to extend efforts to bolster Israel's ability to detect, map, and eliminate tunnels used by terrorist organizations to support and launch terrorist attacks against Israel.
For too long, tunnel networks have been used by terrorist organizations to threaten the safety and security of our strongest regional ally Israel. This bill extends cooperation between the United States and Israel to develop anti-tunnel technology and strategies which can then be deployed to defend Israel, improve the United States border security, and hopefully someday help other allies who face similar threats. I am very pleased to work with my colleagues from both sides of the aisle on this legislation and continue the important tradition of bipartisan support for the U.S.-Israel relationship.
You can read my full announcement of this bill here.
RESOURCES TO HELP YOU AND YOUR COMMUNITY
Please visit my website to find resources available for everything from saving money on your internet bill to locating your local food bank, various help lines, and even help Ukrainians refugees fleeing the war.
CONSTITUENT SUCCESS STORIES
I want to share with you another constituent casework success story. Navigating the federal agency bureaucracy can be challenging, but my excellent casework team in Lincolnshire is ready to help you. If you need help with a federal agency, fill out a Privacy Release Form or call my Lincolnshire office at (847) 383-4870 so my casework team can assist you.
In Closing—
I want to close out this week’s newsletter by congratulating the Stevenson High School math team on advancing to the final round of The International Applied Math Challenge. As they prepare for the final, I encourage them to stay focused and positive and continue working as a great team. I have no doubts that they will put in their best effort and perform at their highest level.
You can read the full article on their achievement here.
Stay strong, stay safe, stay healthy.
Sincerely,
Bradley S. Schneider
Member of Congress