10th DISTRICT NEWS — February 15, 2023
The State of the Union is Strong
Last week, in his State of the Union address, President Biden used his annual time in front of a joint session of Congress to share his vision for a bright future for America. He called on all of us to come together to ”finish the job” we started in the 117th Congress. I am deeply proud of Congress’s recent bipartisan accomplishments—the Bipartisan Infrastructure and Jobs Act, the CHIPS and Science Act, the PACT Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act among them.
These historic bills are making tangible investments in our economy that are already benefiting working families, veterans, students, and seniors. Here at home, we are seeing real results with investments in our communities, our roads, a cleaner Waukegan Harbor, and flood-prevention systems across the district.
After two years of record job growth, the lowest unemployment rate in 50 years, and historic bipartisan legislating, we can’t stop now. More work remains to bring costs down for people across the country, to build up our communities, to make sure America will continue to outpace our competitors across the globe, and to protect our planet for generations to come.
Bipartisan SALT Caucus
Also last week, I was proud to again join with my colleagues in the Bipartisan SALT Caucus to call for repeal of the 2017 law that penalizes Illinois taxpayers by capping the state and local tax (SALT) deduction at $10,000 per family. Illinois, along with states like California, New Jersey, and New York, are among the few states that pay more into the federal government than we receive back in return. Yet, the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) took away the deduction from our annual gross income of the taxes we pay to our local and state governments. This new law effectively imposes double taxation for Illinois taxpayers.
No one likes paying taxes. When we do pay taxes, we want to know that the system into which we’re paying is fair and the money is being responsibly spent. It isn’t fair that Illinois working families are paying taxes on our taxes.
Valentines for Veterans
Finally, I hope you had a nice Valentine's Day!
As we have in past years, we again invited local schools and neighbors to create valentines cards for district veterans. Over the years, we’ve collected and distributed more than 10,000 valentines cards to veterans at Lovell Federal Health Care Center and other locations. This year, we collected more than 2,500 valentines cards. Thanks to everyone who pitched in to help make our veterans feel special on this special day.
Keep reading for more information about happenings here at home and in Washington.
AROUND THE DISTRICT
Holiday Card Design Contest Winner
It was a great pleasure to meet Anvi Gupta, the winner of our holiday card design contest. Anvi is from Libertyville and in the first grade at Oak Grove Elementary. I enjoyed meeting the entire Gupta family and congratulations again to Anvi!
Talking Shop with the Boy Scouts
I had a wonderful evening with Boy Scouts Troop 72 talking about some of my life’s lessons in communicating with others. I shared my experiences from business, in politics, and even, and perhaps most importantly, as a dad. I was incredibly impressed by the insightful questions and intelligent conversation with these young people.
Among the exceptional scouts I got to meet was Lizzie Hamilton, the first female Eagle Scout from Libertyville High School.
WHAT’S HAPPENING IN WASHINGTON
Freight RAILCAR Act
On Monday, I reintroduced legislation with my colleague, Rep. LaHood, to protect jobs in the rail sector and help build a more fuel-efficient and safer rail fleet. As we’ve seen over the last three years, it is critical we strengthen every part of our supply chain – including all components of rail infrastructure – to be more resilient, especially as our economy emerges from the pandemic.
To read more about this legislation, click here.
Capitol Meetings
Now that the Capitol is again open to visitors, we are having many more in person meetings with friends from home. Last week, I visited with, among others, folks from the Lake County Veterans Assistance Commission; leaders from the Chicago chapter of the American Jewish Committee; Bisi Ola Buraimo (our local Tax Advocate Specialist); and Shahin Milani, Executive Director of the Iran Human Rights Documentation Center (IHRDC) who gave an update on the Iranian citizens bravely protesting against the Khamenei regime. I also had the honor of speaking at the American Leadership Institute’s Global Leadership Conference about concerning trends in global democracy.
Meeting with the Iran Human Rights Documentation Center
Meeting with the Armenian and Hellenic Community
Meeting with the Lake County Veterans Assistance Commission
IRS Guidance on Special Payments from States
In other tax news, following an outcry from Democrats in Congress, the IRS has now issued guidance that payments from the state of Illinois will NOT be taxed. If you received a payment from Illinois in 2022, you will likely be able to exclude that from your income for federal tax purposes. To learn the exact details of this announcement, click 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 how to 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 our casework team in Lincolnshire is always ready to help. If you need assistance 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
In addition to Lizzie Hamilton from Libertyville High School, Natalie Flemenbaum, a senior at Stevenson High School, is seeking to become the first female Eagle Scout in her school’s history. Natalie was profiled in the Daily Herald here.
Way to go Natalie and Lizzie!
As always, wishing you and yours a good week.
Sincerely,
Bradley S. Schneider
Member of Congress