10th News: Investing in American Jobs, Supply Chains, and Fighting Inflation
Forgive me for not writing last week. Unfortunately, last Tuesday I tested positive for COVID-19 and have been isolating since then in my apartment in Washington. Thankfully, I have experienced only mild symptoms and am able to effectively work virtually from home. And I am grateful to everyone who has reached out to wish me well. Watch my video COVID update below.
I am also grateful that, unlike a year ago when I had COVID-19 the first time, this time my body was able to fight the virus with the protections afforded by the vaccine. The CDC has been very clear about this: "Being up to date with COVID-19 vaccination is critical to protecting against SARS-CoV-2 infection and hospitalization." In fact, recent data shows that being vaccinated and boosted (3 doses) protect against COVID/Omicron associated hospitalizations by 86%.
While I had to vote by proxy last week due to quarantine, I am proud to have helped pass the America COMPETES Act in the House. This bill will help tackle inflation and supply chain problems, help us out-compete China, and bring home manufacturing jobs. I am proud to support the COMPETES Act of 2022 to get our supply chains, our technology and our manufacturing back on track so we can make America a global leader once more. I have previously led legislation to strengthen our medical device supply chain and I'm pleased to see that, after years of working on this issue, the COMPETES Act makes huge strides in addressing our medical device shortages.
Prior to coming to DC last Tuesday (and before catching COVID-19), I had a busy week at home continuing my ongoing IL-10 Infrastructure Investment tour, talking to students in North Chicago and Vernon Hills, and meeting with people throughout the district. We talked about investments in electric vehicle technology, visited COOL Food Pantry in Waukegan, and like we do each year, kicked off our Valentines for Veterans program. (Importantly, all of the live photos below were taken several days before I tested positive for COVID-19).
Shifting topics a bit, tax season is now in full swing. I've noted in previous newsletters that, because of the pandemic and many years of underinvestment, the IRS is warning of significant time delays in service and return processing. To help you navigate this year's tax season, please join me and representatives from the IRS for a webinar Tuesday, February 15th at 6:30 pm to learn more about filing your taxes for the 2022 season. Register here. The 2022 filing deadline is April 18th.
Finally, my office is once again collecting Valentines for Veterans, due this Friday February 11th. Constituents of all ages are invited to drop off Valentines cards at my Lincolnshire office (111 Barclay Blvd, Suite 200, Lincolnshire, IL 60069. A card or handwritten Valentine's Day note is a small gesture that will make a big difference in making veterans feel loved and appreciated.
Keep reading for more news about what's going on in Washington and around the district.
Around the Tenth
Building Our Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure
I stopped at IBEW Local 150 in Libertyville to discuss the $149 million coming to Illinois to build chargers for electric vehicles and job training. State Sen. Melinda Bush and Lake County Board Chair Sandy Hart joined me. We met with IBEW representatives Steve Smart and Brian Sorenson (below left), who are helping to train IBEW's apprentices to install the next generation of EV infrastructure.
Transportation is the highest carbon-emitting sector in the country, producing 28% of all carbon emissions. With the $149 million coming to Illinois to build an EV charging network, our communities will reduce emissions and create quality, well-paying union jobs while moving toward a greener future.
STEAM Scholars Learn Physics at Yaskawa America
On Saturday this year's class of STEAM Scholars visited one of the largest driver and robotics manufacturers in the world, right in their own backyard. Thanks to Yaskawa America for teaching the students how to make their own small motors! Although I couldn't be there in person due to quarantine, I was glad to be able to join over Zoom.
Announcing the Congressional App Challenge Winner
I am proud to announce this year's Congressional App Challenge winners, Lake Forest Academy students Michael Xing and Bill Le. Michael and Bill created "Wanted" to reward students through a game system when they take action to help the environment. Learn more about their app by watching the video above.
The Congressional App Challenge is an opportunity for Tenth District students to demonstrate and develop their STEM skills by designing apps, which have come to touch every aspect of our lives. I truly enjoyed seeing all of this year's entries, many of which were designed to help other students learn better. Congratulations to Michael and Bill for creating a first-class app and encouraging people to do their part in combatting climate change.
Casework Success Story: Nora in Glenview
When Nora realized that her passport was set to expire a month before her trip to Mexico, she contacted my office for help. My office quickly acted to help] her secure a new passport within 48 hours so she could take her long-planned vacation on time.
If you ever need help with something regarding a federal agency - from passport renewal to VA benefits to immigration help and more - please don't hesitate to contact my district office at 847-383-4870.
Touring Affordable Housing in Glenview
Housing is the single largest expense for most American families, affecting so many aspects of our lives: the jobs you can get, the schools your children can attend and the kinds of communities you can live in. Affordable housing units like Axley Place in Glenview ensure that families can afford to live in good communities like the Tenth District. I will continue to work alongside local organizations like the Illinois Housing Council to champion affordable housing at the federal level.
Advocating for Brain Research Facilities
There is currently no comprehensive specialty hospital anywhere in the country that is solely dedicated to preventing, treating and/or researching brain injuries and illnesses. Dr. Ricardo Senno is trying to change that by developing a Brain Medicine Institute hospital in Waukegan. We met last week to discuss his vision and plans for developing the facility.
Visiting Waukegan's COOL Food Pantry
I was very impressed with what I saw during a visit to COOL Food Pantry in Waukegan. The volunteers at COOL serve local residents, including more than 130 active-duty military and veteran families in the Tenth District each month. I was also excited to run into my friend Alita from YouthBuild Lake County who works at the food pantry! Alita shared with me that she realized her dream and was accepted at Arizona State University, where she will join the track team. Congratulations!
Sitting Down with Future Business Leaders and Entrepreneurs
I met with students from Illinois DECA, an organization that prepares students for marketing, finance, hospitality, management and entrepreneurship last week. Kris, a junior at Glenbrook North, and Jaisnav, a student at Naperville High School, told me about how DECA has changed their lives. We talked about areas where we can work together to expand the organization's outreach and funding, which would help them reach more students across the state.
Meeting with Stop EtO Lake County
I had a good meeting meeting with members of Stop EtO Lake County to discuss our work combatting the harmful effects of ethylene oxide (EtO) across our communities. I shared with them details from my recent meeting with EPA Administrator Michael Regan, as well as the great news that the EPA announced last week about the stringent standard they are adopting for monitoring EtO going forward.
What's Happening in Washington
Celebrating Black History
In Washington, we are honoring Black History Month, a time to celebrate, remember, and resolve to continue the fight for justice. On the Ways and Means Committee, my commitment is to advance our Racial Equity Initiative to promote justice.
Medicare Covering COVID Tests for those over 65
The Biden Administration announced last week that Medicare will cover the cost of home COVID tests for our seniors starting this spring. This news comes after our letter to HHS asking for these tests on behalf of the countless seniors who called into the office. Learn more here.
Easing Supply Chain Bottlenecks
The American supply chain was severely stretched and strained over the past two years, exposing many weak points, causing delays and driving up inflation. The supply chain challenges affected working families, small business and large companies alike, and we continue to face worker shortages, shipping delays and rising prices across the economy. It is therefore imperative that we boost domestic manufacturing if we are going to get prices under control, goods back on shelves, and people back to work.
I'm proud that the work I did on this issue with Reps. Axne and Krishnamoorthi was incorporated into the America COMPETEs Act mentioned above to strengthen America's supply chain resiliency.
EPA Affirms EtO Health Risk Determination Following Call from Schneider, EtO Task Force
After years of advocacy from the Congressional EtO Task Force, which I am proud to have founded and currently co-chair, the EPA announced last week that it will continue relying on the agency's 2016, peer-reviewed IRIS value. The 2016 IRIS value showed that EtO is significantly more toxic and harmful to surrounding communities than was previously understood. By locking the 2016 value into agency regulations, the EPA is demonstrating commitment to preserving public health and protecting affected communities.
As co-chair of the bipartisan Congressional EtO Task Force, this announcement is a huge win for communities affected by EtO pollution. In the face of industry calling for a weaker standard, for years we have pushed the EPA to uphold the IRIS value for EtO. It has been one of the Task Force's top priorities, and we applaud the EPA for listening and acting to protect public health.
A Few Related Items
U.S. Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism
This morning, Deborah Lipstadt finally had a Senate confirmation hearing for her appointment as U.S. Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism. With violence against Jews (physical and verbal) rising around the world, filling this position is critically important. Her comments anD answers today clearly demonstrated what I already knew: Professor is deeply qualified to lead our government's efforts to combat antisemitism and ably represent our country on the world stage. She will make a fine Ambassador-at-large.
UN Commission of Inquiry Targeting Israel
Last week I led my colleagues Reps. Ted Deutch, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Kathy Manning, Elaine Luria, Josh Gottheimer, Dean Phillips, and Lois Frankel in issuing a statement condemning the UN's recent vote to open an investigation into Israel:
"We are deeply disappointed and frustrated by the recent UN General Assembly vote to approve resources for an unprecedented, open-ended Commission of Inquiry (COI) to investigate Israel. Set up in May 2021 just days after the conflict with Hamas, the COI ignores Hamas' terror activities preceding and during the May conflict, and instead attempts to discredit Israel by focusing on "root causes" of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This is unquestionably just another attempt by the United Nations Human Rights Council to unjustifiably target Israel. The Biden Administration has rightly stood with our ally Israel, opposed this COI, and worked to minimize its impact. However, we must not stop there. We look forward to working with the Administration to end this one-sided COI and reform the Human Rights Council, including through the institution of membership standards and the removal of the standing agenda item on Israel, the only country-specific agenda item. It is long-past time for the United Nations to end its long-standing bias against Israel."
Fatally Flawed Amnesty International Report
Last week, Amnesty International UK released a report which is nothing but part of ongoing efforts to delegitimize the Jewish and democratic State of Israel. Amnesty International rejects even the legitimacy of Israel's founding in 1948, and this report marks the 208th report it has issued about Israel since the 1970s. By contrast, Amnesty International has published only 40 reports on North Korea and 61 on Venezuela. You can read my full statement, issued jointly with Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Lois Frankel, Elaine Luria, Kathy Manning, Josh Gottheimer, Dean Phillips, Brad Sherman and Jake Auchincloss, here.
COVID-19 Update
While Lake County and suburban Cook County have a high percentage of eligible adults vaccinated, cases continue to rise in the Tenth District and Illinois. The good news is that the booster shots are effective against the Omicron variant.
TESTING: Every American is now eligible to receive free, at-home COVID-19 tests. Eligible Americans can order up to 4 free tests at covidtests.gov. Tests are expected to ship in 7-12 days.
- The vaccine is safe and effective. If you are unvaccinated, you are 16 times more likely to be hospitalized and 20 times more likely to die from COVID-19 than those who are vaccinated.
- All Americans ages 12 and up are now eligible for COVID-19 booster shots. As long as you are six months past your last Pfizer or Moderna shot, you can now get a booster by visiting your local doctor's office or pharmacy.
- Be wary of fake COVID-19 testing sites, which are popping up across the Chicagoland area. Use the Illinois Department of Health list of approved testing centers to verify that the site you are going to is legitimate.
- The vaccine is saving lives. So again, tell your loved ones, your friends, neighbors and coworkers, join the fight and get your shot!
Resources
Tax Season Runs from January 24 - April 18, 2022
This year's tax filing season will open on January 24 and close on April 18 – starting earlier than last year in order to give Americans more time to file their returns. The IRS recommends filing your taxes electronically as soon as possible and opting for direct deposit. You can prepare your federal income tax returns online for free using the IRS partner site, Free File.
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in IRS office closures and staffing issues, which are expected to continue into the 2022 season. As a result, the IRS is still processing a significant backlog of 2020 returns as we begin this next filing season. You can still file your 2021 returns even if you are waiting for 2020 returns to be processed.
Have questions about filing your taxes? Join me and representatives from the IRS for a webinar discussing tax assistance options available in the Tenth District next Tuesday, February 15th from 6:30 – 7:30 pm. Register here.
Lake County Hosting Job Search Events for People with Disabilities
Participate in these virtual events in February to hear dynamic speakers share tips for landing a job when you have a disability! Anyone affected by a disability, or anyone who supports/counsels individuals with a disability is encouraged to attend.
WISE (Work Incentive Seminar) online workshop
Tuesday, February 22 at 10:00 am
Register: Meeting Registration - Zoom
IATP WIPA serves Social Security Disability beneficiaries in Illinois.
Find out how your Social Security and healthcare benefits would be impacted by working.
You are not Alone! Landing a Job When You Have a Disability
Wednesday, February 23 at 10:00 am
Register: Meeting Registration - Zoom
Hear from dynamic speakers, including special guest Rahnee Patrick, State Director of IDHS Division of Rehabilitation Services.
Learn about transitioning back into employment and resources for job seekers with disabilities.
Lake County's EEOC Virtual Presentation
Wednesday, February 16 at 1:00 pm
Experts from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Chicago District, Illinois Department of Employment Security, and Lake County Workforce Development will cover training topics on EEOC Coverage and Employment Discrimination Rights for
Employees and Employers and more!
Link: Meeting Registration – Zoom
Unincorporated Residents Eligible for Flood Insurance Premium Discounts
If you live in unincorporated Lake County, you may be eligible for up to $297 in savings per year on flood insurance policies. Through the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Community Rating System (CRS) program, residents within unincorporated Lake County – who meet certain requirements – are eligible for up to 20 percent savings on flood insurance premiums
Contact your insurance agent for coverage information, pricing and CRS flood insurance discount information. You can also visit Lake County's flood coverage website for more information.
LONG WAITS FOR PASSPORTS: Look Before You Book
As more and more people get vaccinated, travel is starting to pick back up again. My office has received a major uptick in calls asking to expedite passport renewals lately. 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.
Check the passport website to get an idea of processing time -- expedited processing is now taking 5-7 weeks from submission to receipt, with regular processing taking 8-11 weeks.
At this point, expedited exceptions are only being made in case of emergency travel. In other words, apply now for that passport you will need for the trip you might take over Winter Break. Passports last for 5 or 10 years depending on what age you were issued your first passport.
Lake County: COVID Rental Assistance Programs Open Now
Lake County is offering rental assistance programs for those who face financial hardships related to COVID-19 and are struggling to pay rent. The deadline to apply for rental assistance in Cook County has passed.
Learn more and apply here for the Lake County Federal Emergency Rental Assistance Program.
In Closing
To wrap up this longish letter, I want to send a special call out to our own Jason Brown from Highland Park who had a "personal best" today in the Olympics. He now moves on to the finals in the Men's Free Skate program. Wishing Jason and all our U.S. athletes the best of luck. You make us all proud.
Onward,
Bradley S. Schneider
Member of Congress