10th NEWS: ANOTHER CHAOTIC WEEK
As I write this newsletter, global markets are roiling from the chaos caused by President Trump’s idiotic and capricious tariff policies.
On what the President for some reason dubbed “Liberation Day”, he announced a dramatic escalation of his trade war, imposing sweeping tariffs on 90 countries, including a set of islands only inhabited by penguins! And while his plans to tariff the penguins may be entirely unserious, the consequences of this trade war are truly dire. Tariffs are effectively a tax on YOU, the consumer. The President has imposed what is effectively the largest sales tax on American consumers in U.S. history. This trade war will raise the price of your groceries, your home appliances, your cars, your shoes, your cleaning supplies – it will even raise the price of your insurance. That means consumers will pause purchases, big and small, which will be a drain on our economy.
Either Trump doesn’t understand, or, more likely, doesn’t care about the economic devastation he is causing to working families. How do we know he doesn’t care? He has told us! Last week, he said on NBC News: “I couldn’t care less. I hope they raise their prices, because if they do, people are gonna buy American-made cars. We have plenty.” And this weekend on Air Force One he implied the $6 trillion drop in the value of American companies and the extra costs for American consumers were for our own good: “Sometimes you have to take medicine to fix something.”
But his actions speak just as loudly as his words. As the world watched the markets tumble, as American businesses scrambled to respond to the chaos, as American families braced for higher prices at the grocery store and lower values in their retirement accounts, the President played golf—just like Nero once fiddled while Rome burned.
I am calling on Speaker Johnson and my Republican colleagues to bring bipartisan legislation to the floor to restore Congress’s power to oversee trade policy, in order to protect our nation from a Trump recession.
Bipartisan Congressional Exchange
Despite the hyperpartisanship coming from the Trump Administration and folks like Speaker Mike Johnson, Jim Jordan, and Marjorie Taylor Greene, I still believe it’s important to cultivate relationships with Republican colleagues willing to find common ground and work to develop policies that lift up all Americans. It’s going to take bipartisan collaboration to address issues like providing relief from the punitive SALT cap deduction or addressing Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) reform to lower the costs of prescription drugs.
That's why I was pleased to participate in the American Congressional Exchange program, sponsored by the Bipartisan Policy Center. Two weeks ago, I visited fellow Ways & Means Committee member Rep. Mike Carey in his home district around Columbus, Ohio, and he visited our district this past week. The Ohio portion was focused on infrastructure and manufacturing, including visits to American Electric Power, Intel’s new $20 billion chip fabrication facility under construction, and a tour of a new battery manufacturing plant being built through a joint venture of LG and Honda. Everywhere we went, we heard about the importance and positive impact of President Biden’s key legislative accomplishments: the Inflation Reduction Act, the Infrastructure and Jobs Act, and the CHIPS and Science Act.
Here in Illinois, we focused on health care issues and had the chance to visit Walgreens, AbbVie, and the Lake County Health Department. We also stopped by Zebra Technologies to learn about their innovative work in the health care space. (By the way, did you know that Zebra’s technology is also responsible for helping collect all the field data used by the NFL?). At all these stops, much of the conversation, as you might expect, was on the impact Trump’s tariffs would likely have on each company’s operations.
Our trip also included a tour of Naval Station Great Lakes, sit-down conversations with teachers and high school students at Neal Math and Science Academy in North Chicago, and a visit to Ravinia Park. Mike said he loved all the stops during his visit to our district, but as the co-chair of the House Humanities Caucus, Ravinia was a top highlight.
Speaker Johnson Acts Like a Baby
Rep. Brittany Pettersen from Colorado holds her now 10-week-old son on the House Floor.
It was not just the President who had a bad time last week. House Speaker Mike Johnson failed in his effort to block a rare and important bipartisan initiative, only to then retreat to his office and effectively close up shop.
The issue is an effort to allow new parents to spend time at home with their newborns while still effectively representing the people they serve. The idea is to allow these new parents to vote by proxy while on parental leave. Speaker Johnson opposed the idea and was refusing to allow the House to vote on the issue. And though the Speaker has almost complete control over every bill that comes to the floor for a vote, if 218 members of the House sign what is called a “discharge petition,” the specified bill must be brought forward.
That is what happened with a bipartisan bill introduced by Reps. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida and Brittany Pettersen of Colorado. But last Tuesday afternoon Speaker Johnson hoped to override the discharge petition with an underhanded procedural move. That is until nine House Republicans broke from their party to vote alongside every Democrat and stop his ploy. Rather than accepting his defeat and moving forward, however, Speaker Johnson canceled votes for the remainder of the week and sent his Republican colleagues home early!
I talk a bit more about Speaker Johnson's meltdown in my latest episode of "Mailbag" -- click here to watch it. I also talked about DOGE’s attempts to bring down the Social Security Administration and Pete Hegseth’s failure to protect highly classified military operations against our adversaries.
CHECKS AND BALANCES
Updates on efforts to push back on the Trump Administration’s chaotic, harmful policies.
I’m continuing our new section, “Checks and Balances”, to share with you what we are currently doing to spread awareness and stop what the Trump Administration is doing:
- DEMANDING ANSWERS FOR TAXPAYER SERVICES: I led a letter, joined by more than 20 colleagues, calling on Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to immediately provide answers to Congress about IRS changes and layoffs, the consequences staff cuts will have on taxpayers and their plan to ensure prompt, attentive service to taxpayers amid tax season.
- SEEKING SIGNALGATE ANSWERS: I joined my Democrat colleagues on the House Foreign Affairs Committee to request documents and transparency into the Signal chat scandal and called for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz to be relieved of their duties for their failure to protect sensitive information that could have cost American lives.
- PROTECTING WORKERS: I joined nearly every House Democrat to demand President Trump rescind his executive order stripping collective bargaining rights from over 1 million federal employees.
- PROBATIONARY WORKERS REINSTATED: A federal judge blocked the Trump Administration from firing probationary workers in 19 states and D.C., directing 18 agencies to undo the terminations of thousands of workers.
- PUBLIC HEALTH CUTS BLOCKED: A federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump Administration from cutting $11 billion in public health funding, following a lawsuit by 23 states.
Keep reading for more about my week in the district as well as an update on what’s happening in Washington.
OUT AND ABOUT IN THE TENTH
Joining the American Federation of Government Employees Protest
I was proud to stand with my friends at AFGE, with nurses, and with federal employees at the Lovell Federal Health Care Center in North Chicago in support of our veterans and the services they depend on.
To the workers who’ve dedicated themselves to ensuring our veterans and service members receive the highest quality care: you are heroes in your own right. Many of you are veterans yourselves, continuing your service by caring for fellow servicemembers. Elon Musk and Donald Trump are trying to gut veteran care, but we will not let them. These workers are not just numbers on a spreadsheet. They are people.
41st Annual Kiwanis' Breakfast in Zion
I always enjoy the delicious pancakes and catching up with friends at the Annual Kiwanis breakfast in Zion! This year was no different.
WHAT’S HAPPENING IN WASHINGTON
Meeting with McHenry County Conservation District
I appreciated the chance to visit with Elizabeth Kessler, the Executive Director of McHenry County Conservation District, and her team in Washington after touring the Silver Creek Restoration project at home last month. The project aims to restore ecological and diverse wetlands along the floodplain of Silver Creek, and support Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge by funding the Land and Water Conservation Fund.
Meeting with Armenian National Committee of America
I had a great discussion with the Armenian National Committee of America about Armenia’s important role in establishing regional peace and discussing ways to strengthen our diplomatic ties. I am proud to be leading HR 1890, which will counter Turkey and administratively reassign its responsibility within the Department of State.
Countering Iran in Foreign Affairs Committee
I spoke at the House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing on strategies to counter the Iranian regime’s malign activities. A renewed maximum pressure approach must be grounded in facts and inter-agency coordination, not rash decision-making. Serious policy means aligning sanctions, intelligence, and diplomacy, not catering to the headlines. You can watch my remarks here: Countering Iran in Foreign Affairs Commitee.
Democrats Highlight Impacts of Cuts to Medicaid, Social Security
On Tuesday, I joined the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee in addressing issues of importance to the American people. At the top of that list are Medicaid, SNAP, and Social Security. We hosted hearings — both in Washington and across the country — to let everyday people affected by the changes to these programs speak on their experiences and how we should fight to protect them.
COMING UP IN IL-10
Service Academy Night
If you or your student are interested in military academy service, please join me on Tuesday, April 22nd, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. for Service Academy Night. We will discuss how to apply for military academies and what you need to know throughout the nomination process.
Click here to learn more & RSVP.
IN CLOSING:
Congressional Art Competition
Steve Fajardo, of Waukegan High School, Winner 2024 Congressional Art Competition
The Congressional Art Competition decorates the halls of Congress each year with representation from every corner of the United States. This year, more than ever, students’ work will serve to cleanse our workplace and our politics.
Submissions for this year's competition are due Monday, April 14th, by 5 pm. Check out my website for the application and more information.
Stay strong, stay safe, stay healthy.
Sincerely,
Bradley S. Schneider
Member of Congress