10th News: Honoring Our Community’s Loved Ones
Tonight is Major League Baseball’s annual all-star game, which marks the halfway point of summer for many. I hope you are having a good summer season thus far.
Last week the nation celebrated the 247th anniversary of our declaring independence from England. The Fourth of July, beyond celebrating our country’s independence, reflects all the things that make summer special—baseball, barbecues, visits to our amazing national parks, beach days, and enjoying the company of family and friends.
Independence Day this year in Highland Park was very different as we marked the one-year anniversary of the tragic shooting that forever changed our community. Instead of the usual festivities, the city held a remembrance ceremony and community walk, joined by Senators Durbin and Duckworth, Governor Pritzker and his wife MK, State Comptroller Suzana Mendoza, and many other special guests. The community honored the memory of the seven murdered, prayed for the countless wounded or otherwise affected, and defiantly demonstrated that one year later, we stand united, resilient, and Highland Park strong.
I wish I could say that Highland Park’s tragedy was a rare moment for our country. Sadly, senseless gun violence continues to devastate lives and communities across the country. The 4th of July weekend marks a typical spike in shootings, as we saw in cities like Chicago, Philadelphia, and Baltimore. As of July 10th, 2023, this year alone, the nation has already experienced 371 mass shootings and 22,550 gun violence-related deaths. We cannot continue to accept this needless violence as the norm.
Last week I hosted a roundtable conversation with police chiefs from departments around our district. We covered a wide range of topics, but the growing gun violence in our communities was top on the list, particularly from ghost guns and illegal “switches” (simple devices that convert semi-automatic pistols into fully automatic machine guns).
In Congress, I will continue to fight for universal background checks, a ban on military assault weapons, and other common-sense gun violence prevention legislation. As a leader with the House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, we are seeking to bring these bills to the floor for a vote. And I've been working with Congressman Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) on The Ghost Guns Are Guns Act that would close the "ghost guns" loophole, which allows purchasers to avoid federal background checks by buying unassembled firearms.
Please keep reading to learn more about happenings in Washington and here at home.
A BUSY HOLIDAY WEEK AROUND THE DISTRICT
Honoring Army Ranger Joseph ‘Joey’ Dimock II
After almost a year of advancing legislation through Congress and working in concert with the United States Postal Service (USPS), I was proud to join with family and friends at a ceremony renaming the Grayslake Post Office in honor of Army Specialist Joseph ‘Joey’ Dimock II. Monday marked the 13th anniversary of the death of Army Specialist Joey Dimock, who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our great nation in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.
Joey's story is not just one of sacrifice and a life lost far too young, but an account of what it means to live and serve with honor and distinction. In the presence of Joey's parents, Joseph and Ellen, and the rest of his beloved family, friends, congregation, and community, we remembered Joey as a son, brother, friend, teammate, Eagle Scout, and US Army Ranger who wholly embodied the values of courage, selflessness, and service, and who this community knew and loved.
You can read my full remarks here.
Lake County Regional Operations and Communications Groundbreaking
I was proud to be at the groundbreaking of Lake County's Emergency Operations Center (EOC), also known as the Regional Operations and Communications (the ROC) Facility in Libertyville. My team successfully secured $1 million in federal funding to help kickstart this critically important project. When complete, the center will handle all 911 operations for Lake County and ensure redundancy of public safety operations.
You can read more about this new facility here.
Police Chief Roundtable
Also, last week, I hosted police chiefs and deputy chiefs from 16 communities and the Lake County Sheriff’s Department for an open and honest discussion about the challenges they and their departments are facing. We touched on issues ranging from recruiting and retaining officers to tackling gun violence and the fentanyl crisis. I appreciated them taking time from their busy schedules to help me better understand how Congress can best support the people who work every day to keep our communities safe. I have a long list of ideas to take back with me to Washington.
My District Listening Tour Continues
Mayor of Gurnee, Tom Hood
Round Lake Mayor Russell Kraly and Village Administrator Brandy Schroff
Avon Township Supervisor Michele Bauman
Over the holiday, I had the chance to meet with Gurnee Mayor Tom Hood, Round Lake Mayor Russel Karaly, and Avon Township Supervisor Michele Bauman. These conversations are great opportunities for me to learn about the priorities of district leaders and explore opportunities to help and support their communities.
Brad at Your Business - American Optical Eyewear
American Optical is America’s largest manufacturer of eyewear. Founded in 1833 by William Beecher, American Optical is now a division of Europa Eyewear headquartered in Vernon Hills. Company CEO Scott Shapiro took me on a tour of their offices and manufacturing facility and proudly shared both Europa Eyewear’s and American Optical’s rich history with me.
Did you know that in 1935 the U.S. Army Air Corps contracted American Optical (AO) to produce a pair of specially designed sunglasses for aviators, which gave birth to the classical aviator shape we know today and is often sported by President Biden? And AO sunglasses were worn by the Apollo 11 astronauts on the moon, as well as President John Kennedy.
Rightfully proud of their history with aviators, American Optical has asked me to deliver a pair of both the original style Aviator glasses and the frames worn by astronauts to President Biden.
Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge
I visited Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge in McHenry County, the first federal wildlife refuge to be created within 100 miles of Chicago. This beautiful refuge was established thanks to 18 years of hard work and activism by local citizens working together to make reality the dream of bringing a National Wildlife Refuge to the area. Thanks to Openlands and the Friends of Hackmatack for graciously welcoming me to discuss how Congress can continue to support the preservation of our district’s natural beauty.
Keshet Community Housing
Jen Phillips, President and CEO of Keshet, a non-profit organization that provides educational, recreational, vocational, and social programs for individuals with intellectual disabilities, welcomed for a tour of their Rapha House in Highland Park to see firsthand how their resident programs operate.
Connecting to Constituents
You don’t have to fly to DC to meet with me, you can request a meeting in my Lincolnshire office. This week I welcomed several constituents who stopped by to discuss a range of issues with me.
Pastor Jesus and Kim Gerena
Pastor Jesus Gerena and his wife Kim visited to discuss their work with the La Jornada program through the National Youth Advocate Program.
ADHD Medication Shortage
Joseph, Patrick, and Finley stopped by to discuss how Congress is working with the FDA to address the shortage of ADHD medications. I was very impressed with the preparation and formal presentation.
HAP Foundation
Joseph Matty, President of the Hospice and Palliative Care Research and Education (HAP) Foundation, shared how his group is developing Community Health Worker apprenticeships in the district and across Illinois.
The Balance Project
Agi Semrad founded the Balance Project to bring awareness programming and education about mental health. I met Agi’s daughter Espi at the Highland Park Food Trucks Thursday, where she was handing out stickers for her mother’s program. After chatting with Espi, I knew I had to meet Agi and learn more about the Balance Project.
WHAT’S HAPPENING IN WASHINGTON
Congress has a long list of important legislation to consider before the August recess, including the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), the FAA Reauthorization Act, the Farm Bill, and several spending bills.
This week the NDAA is on the agenda. Several extremist Republicans are threatening to hold up funding for our troops and the Defense Department if their demands are not met on issues ranging from cutting support for Ukraine, banning access to health care for women, and eliminating diversity training for our troops, in order to cut access to safe abortions. Already, Senator Tuberville has blocked hundreds of senior-level military promotions, resulting in the Marine Corps being without a confirmed leader for the first time in more than 150 years.
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.
LOOK BEFORE YOU BOOK
Travel is starting to pick back up again. My office has received a major uptick in calls asking to expedite passport renewals. If you plan to travel internationally, remember to check the expiration date on your passport before you book your trip. It is taking much longer than normal to renew a passport, so make sure to plan ahead.
Read more advice from the Tribune here.
If you need help expediting a passport, please call my district office at 847-383-4870.
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 by celebrating Precious Brady-Davis on her well-deserved appointment to the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago! I commend Gov. Pritzker for appointing a strong voice for the environment and the first openly transgender, black woman to the seat.
You can read all about Precious’s achievement here.
Stay strong, stay safe, stay healthy.
Sincerely,
Bradley S. Schneider
Member of Congress