10th News: A Lot To Be Thankful For
Happy December. The holiday season officially kicked off last week, and I hope you and your family had a nice and plentiful Thanksgiving. Julie and I were blessed to have both sons come home for the first time in several years, which was a treat.
Black Friday traditionally follows Thanksgiving Thursday, though this year, it seems like most retailers got a jump and moved their sales closer to Halloween. But we still observe Small Business Saturday, and I continued my standing tradition of visiting the Book Bin in Northbrook to support Northbrook Rotary’s Operation Santa. This year, I got to select books to give to preschoolers at North Chicago’s Early Learning Center. Of course, the first obvious choice was a copy of Where the Wild Things Are for each of the kids on my list (still one of my all-time favorite books).
Historic Vote in Congress
The headline of the week was George Santos's expulsion from Congress today. On the recommendation of the Ethics Committee and Republican Chair Michael Guest, I was compelled to vote to expel. Santos is only the sixth Member to be expelled. It's unfortunate that it came to this. The honorable path would have been for him to resign following the release of the scathing House Ethics Committee report and probably long before. Every day that George Santos served in the House of Representatives degraded the fundamental integrity of the institution.
Updates on the Hamas – Israel War
The world celebrated (but also held its breath) for eight days of a pause in the fighting in Gaza, during which Hamas released approximately 100 hostages in exchange for the release of almost 300 prisoners in Israeli jails. Equally important is that desperately needed humanitarian relief into Gaza was greatly increased.
Israel's decision to release convicted prisoners and pause its fight against Hamas was a painful but necessary concession. I am grateful for the efforts of Qatar and Egypt in mediating this agreement, as well as the leadership of President Biden and his administration in getting to a deal. Sadly, Friday morning, rocket fire resumed from Gaza into Israel, Hamas refused to release any more hostages, and Israel has restarted its campaign to defeat Hamas.
Negotiations continue for another pause in fighting to bring more hostages home. As we pray for a renewed negotiated pause and ultimately the end of the war Hamas started on October 7th, it is imperative that Hamas unconditionally commit to release without delay all the remaining hostages in Gaza, including American citizens, and to immediately allow the International Committee of the Red Cross to visit each one. It is also imperative that Israel continue to provide defined safe zones, protected safe transit corridors, and sufficient flow of humanitarian relief for civilians in Gaza while taking all necessary steps to minimize casualties. It is fair to expect both Israel and Hamas to adhere to international humanitarian law (IHL).
To help address the humanitarian crisis created by the Hamas war, I sent a bipartisan letter, co-led by Republican Rep. Robert Aderholt and signed by 55 Members of Congress, to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin asking him to send the U.S. hospital ships USNS Mercy and USNS Comfort, or other medical-capable ships, to the waters off Gaza to help provide civilians access to emergency medical care. You can read the text of the letter here.
Separately, I am incredibly relieved by the safe return to Israel of 4-year-old American citizen Abigail Idan. She witnessed Hamas brutally murder her mother and father on October 7th before finding refuge with a neighbor's family. Abigail was eventually taken hostage, along with that family, and she spent her 4th birthday in captivity. Thankfully, now, she celebrates her freedom, and the world celebrates with her.
I continue to meet with and speak to families of the remaining hostages, including American Hersh Goldberg-Polin. We know Hersh survived the attack on the music festival on October 7th, but we also know his left arm below the elbow was blown off by a Hamas grenade during the attack. It’s now been eight weeks without knowing how Hersh is doing or if he has even had any medical treatment for his wounds. Hersh and all the captives still in Gaza need to be seen by the Red Cross now. I shared Hersh's story on the House floor this week.
Tragedy in Vermont
We were all shocked and saddened by the horrific shooting of three young Palestinian university students in Vermont last weekend. I have been praying for the full and fast recovery of the three young men — Tahseen Ali Ahmed, Kinnan Abdalhamid, and Hisham Awartani. The police are still investigating, but as Burlington Police Chief Jon Murad said in a statement, "In this charged moment, no one can look at this incident and not suspect that it may have been a hate-motivated crime."
Tragically, we are seeing increasing instances of hate across the country, mainly targeting Muslims and Jews. We must not let our nation be defined by hate; rather, we must seek to see humanity and protect the rights of all Americans.
Please keep reading to learn more about happenings in Washington and here at home.
AROUND THE DISTRICT
College of Lake County Manufacturing Roundtable
I was excited to cohost a manufacturing roundtable with the College of Lake County. An overflow audience heard from featured panelists from Abbott Labs, Crestwood Industries, Deublin Company, Fischer Paper Products, LMT Onsrud, and CLC. We discussed workforce development, Lake County’s thriving manufacturing community, and how we can continue to work with places like CLC to navigate the future of growth, automation, and development in this industry.
Visit with Youth Guidance Students at Jack Benny Middle School
I had a great time meeting with several extraordinary young men and women to learn about Youth Guidance's school-based programs that help students overcome obstacles and ensure that they succeed in their schools and lives. The students participate in a multi-year curriculum as part of the "Working on Womanhood" and "Becoming a Man" programs.
Meeting with Community Leaders in Wonder Lake
I joined Wonder Lake Village President Dan Cycus, McHenry County Board Member Lou Ness, Village Administrator William Beith, and Wonder Lake business owner Tom Cooper to discuss the village's need for new water infrastructure.
Earlier this year, Wonder Lake requested Community Project Funding to construct new water infrastructure and treatment systems that will help reduce the village’s reliance on septic tanks, reopen businesses impacted by septic failures, and help keep beaches and water sources clean. In Washington, I am working to secure $1 million in community project funding to make the needed improvements a reality.
State Line Rifle Association
Thank you to the State Line Rifle Association for welcoming me again for an open and candid conversation. We may have different perspectives, but as always, we shared our views with mutual respect. I truly appreciate the group's willingness to share their thoughts and help me better understand their positions.
Mikayla Ehrsam's Story
I am so grateful that Randy Ehrsam took the time to share with me the story of his daughter Mikayla’s beautiful life and her tragic death from fentanyl-laced anxiety medication. Mikayla (23) was a promising Forensic Psychology student at the College of Lake County, planning to transfer to Florida Atlantic University as a Junior. She loved animals, water sports, writing, and her family, who cherished her dearly. Earlier this year, Mikayla ran out of her prescription anxiety medication over a weekend and could not get a refill. She unfortunately bought what she thought was some of her prescribed medication from a “friend.” Sadly, this is a story we hear about all too often.
I will keep Mikayla and her family in my thoughts as I continue to make combatting the fentanyl crisis a top priority. I have introduced the Substance Use Disorder Workforce Act to train more doctors equipped to combat the opioid epidemic and cosponsored the STRIP Act, which would formally exempt the possession, sale, or purchase of fentanyl testing equipment. New Dem colleagues and I have also sent multiple letters to the President and Congressional Leadership urging for robust border security funding to prevent illegal fentanyl from entering the country.
WHAT’S HAPPENING IN WASHINGTON
Boosting Domestic Prescription Drug Manufacturing
Good news for patients experiencing the crunch of nationwide drug shortages: President Biden is planning to use his authority to increase domestic production of essential pharmaceuticals. Read more about the news here.
Meetings Around the Capitol
Even with the holidays, groups and individuals continue to visit Capitol Hill to share their ideas, thoughts, and concerns.
White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention
I, along with fellow members of the House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, met with the Director and her team of the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention to talk about the implementation of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act and how we can work together to prevent mass shootings.
Emergency Department Practice Management Association
Several Illinois members of the Emergency Department Practice Management Association (EDPMA) came to discuss Medicare reimbursements and other legislation meant to address shortcomings in Medicare and support healthcare workers, such as the Strengthening Medicare for Patients and Providers Act, Oversight and Implementation of the No Surprises Act, and Safety From Violence for Healthcare Employees Act.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield President
Stephan Harris, President of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, shared updates with me on the expansion of medical providers in their network. We also discussed streamlining services for patients. I appreciate President Stephan Harris for sharing his thoughts with me.
Canadian Senators & Members of Parliament
The U.S.-Canada relationship is one of our nation's closest and most important, so I was honored to welcome a group of Canadian legislators to Washington. We had a productive meeting to discuss North American trade, shared natural resources, defense and security, relationships in NATO and NORAD, and investments made by Canadian companies in our district.
Rochelle Zell
Rochelle Zell Jewish High School students traveled from Deerfield to the Capitol. As always, I appreciated the student's engagement and thoughtful questions.
Illinois Credit Union League
I met with constituents Jose Garcia and Michael Abraham of the Illinois Credit Union League to discuss the problems and challenges credit unions face and what Congress can do to help.
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
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.
If you need help expediting a passport, please call my district office at 847-383-4870.
Brad’s Bookworms
I love reading because it opens new worlds, no matter your age. Every year, I look forward to sharing my love of reading with the students and their families. This year, I am again challenging elementary school students to read ten books by January 2nd to unlock new worlds and expand their minds. Students who meet the challenge will be recognized at a ceremony in early 2024.
So, I encourage all our elementary school teachers, students, parents, and guardians to join us and make this another successful year for the Bookworms program. To learn more about the program and how to sign up, please click here or call my office at (847) 383-4870.
In Closing—Remembering My Friend Paul Baffico
I mourned the loss of Paul Baffico, a dear friend and advocate for Lake County's veterans. From his service in the 101st Airborne Division to his dedication as a docent at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Paul had a big heart and left behind an even bigger legacy. You can watch my remarks here.
Sincerely,
Bradley S. Schneider
Member of Congress