10th News: Celebrating Biden Achievements, A Ceasefire in the Middle East
Greetings from sunny Chicago. I am happy to be home this weekend before returning back to Washington, DC for the Presidential Inauguration.
I welcome any constituents heading to Washington, DC for inauguration—my office received more than 1,000 ticket requests. My office was able to offer around 150 tickets to constituents interested in attending the inauguration.
Meanwhile, President Biden has used his last few weeks in office to reflect on his career of public service and highlight some of his most significant accomplishments. I thought I would also take a moment to recollect some of the accomplishments of his Administration and how they will impact the US for decades (and perhaps generations) to come.
President Biden rebuilt America’s infrastructure. His Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which I was proud to vote for, is a once-in-a-generation investment that will quite literally help our communities for decades.
A deal between Hamas and Israel to pause fighting in Gaza and return 33 hostages, including two Americans, was at last announced and should be finalized today (January 17th). This deal, initially presented by President Biden last May and negotiated over many months, opens the door for an end to the war. There are several more things that must happened for the true end to the war to be reached—in particular the return of all the hostages still held in Gaza. We cannot rest until every hostage, living and dead, is reunited with their families—families in the US, Israel and around the world. We also cannot shrink from the challenges of seeking a new, secure, and peace-filled future for the Middle East.
I hosted my first telephone town hall of the year earlier this week. It was wonderful to hear from many of you about the issues that you are concerned about and the questions you have about what is happening here in Congress. I received and answered questions about immigration and plans to secure our southern border, the impact of the incoming administration on crucial benefits like Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, and how I will stand up for the LGBTQ+ community. You can listen to the telephone town hall, including my update on what’s happening here in Washington as well as questions from constituents, on my Facebook page.
Nothing is quite as good on a cold winter's day like a hearty bowl of chili, especially when it's shared with friends, neighbors, and our community's veterans. Gurnee's American Legion Post 771 hosted its 20th annual chili cook-off, a friendly competition of some of the community's best cooks.
I loved visiting the North Suburban YMCA in Northbrook for the first-ever Youth Explorer Expo. It was a fun break from the winter cold. I especially enjoyed learning about underwater research using floating cameras from several middle schoolers who are collaborating with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. THE LATEST IN WASHINGTON, DC SALT Caucus
The bipartisan SALT Caucus had our first meeting of the 119th Congress. The SALT Caucus is focused on repealing a harmful cap on the state and local tax deduction that was put in place by the 2017 Trump tax bill. This cap has effectively resulted in double taxation by forcing constituents in high tax states to pay federal tax on money they have already paid to state and local governments.
In my first official meeting as chair of the New Democrat Coalition, we were joined by House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Whip Katherine Clark, and Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar to talk about priorities for the 119th Congress. We had a robust discussion with a standing room only crowd, with almost all of the New Dems' 110 members (a majority of the 215 Democrats in Congress) in attendance. I look forward to sharing more about the New Dems in future newsletters
Congress is rewriting the tax code this year as the 2017 Trump tax bill expires. I spoke in the House Ways and Means Committee about the opportunity we have to imagine a tax code that both responsibly addresses our nation's debt and helps small businesses, parents, and hardworking Americans not only get by but get ahead—we can make the American dream more real for more Americans. I'm hopeful my Republicans will reach out to Democrats this Congress to work collaboratively to create a tax code that serves us better. You can watch my remarks on my Facebook page.
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I was pleased to learn while reading the Daily Herald this week that Gurnee native Curtis Szajkovics will serve as a flight controller with NASA contractor Firefly Aerospace, helping to guide spacecrafts out of our atmosphere. Szajkovics will be helping pilot the “Blue Ghost” Lunar lander this Wednesday as it launches from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Growing up in Lake County, Szajkovics has come a long way, from rocketry and astronomy clubs at school to working at launching sites. Szajkovics, keep making the 10th district proud! Stay strong, stay safe, stay healthy.
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