10th News: Shutdown Averted & Honoring Dr. King
The big news this past week is that Congress again narrowly avoided—for the third time since September—a government shutdown by passing a last-minute temporary spending bill. While I am relieved we avoided an irresponsible, unnecessary, and costly shutdown, I am frustrated that House Republicans still refuse to honor the agreement then Speaker Kevin McCarthy made last June with President Biden and continue to block the House and Senate from passing the necessary legislation to fund the government for the full year.
These temporary bills, or Continuing Resolutions (CR), while necessary to keep the government functioning, are hurtful to our economy and our national security. I spent much of last week working with both my Democratic and Republican colleagues, trying to find a way to end the impasse. I am hopeful that we won’t have another CR when the next deadline looms in March.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Although I was in Washington most of the week, I had a wonderful Monday here at home, celebrating Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday around the district.
I started by joining Waukegan Township and nearly 500 guests for the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Dreamer's Breakfast. This year's program highlighted the life and legacy of my friend and former colleague, the late great John Robert Lewis. I used my remarks to reflect on my personal memories of Mr. Lewis and his role as the "Conscious of Congress."
From the Dreamer's Breakfast I raced to join the Park District of Highland Park's annual day of service in honor of the MLK, Jr. Day. As it is every year, the event was well attended, with several community organizations pitching in to make the day special. There were also performances by the Highland Park High School Brass Quintet and Ravinia's Reach Teach Play Program.
The next stop was Winnetka, where the Volunteer Center and The Warner Institute were working on crafts and projects, including decorating fleece blankets for people in need and writing Valentine's cards to veterans. Congratulations to Bridget Lewis, Executive Director of The Volunteer Center, for organizing such a great event.
I ended the day in Vernon Hills’ Lakeview Presbyterian Church, joining volunteers helping Cradles to Crayons sort donations of children’s clothing for those who need it most. I thank Cradles to Crayons for helping put this together, along with the members who graciously provided space and volunteers.
Looking forward, the good news is that it’s going to be a bit warmer. The bad news is that the warm air comes with snow and maybe even rain. Best safe out there!
AROUND THE DISTRICT
Vietnam Veterans Pinning Ceremony
On Saturday, I was at the Johnsburg Public Library to recognize Vietnam War-era veterans from our district and honor their service to our great nation. These events are part of a multiyear effort initiated by Congress in 2012 to recognize the dedication and service of the men and women who served our nation at a time when their sacrifice frequently did not get the honor or “welcome home” they deserved.
I was joined by Johnsburg Village President Ed Hetterman and other local dignitaries as we together recognized more than 30 veterans from Lake and McHenry counties.
Johnsburg Village Hall
Before the Veterans event, I sat down for lunch with President Hetterman to talk about what’s happening in his community and explore ways my team and I can be helpful. After the event, President Hetterman and recently promoted Chief of Police Jason Greenwood gave me a tour of the recently completed Village Hall/Police Department offices.
Telephone Town Hall
I was thrilled to be joined by friends, neighbors, and even a few family members for a Telephone Town Hall on Wednesday. I fielded questions about Social Security, our fiscal situation, the crisis at our borders, the war in the Middle East, and several other topics. I was pleased that more than 20,000 people listened to at least a small part of the call, and after more than an hour of conversation, we still had very many listeners on the line. Thanks to everyone who participated in what I thought was a great conversation.
WHAT’S HAPPENING IN WASHINGTON
Bipartisan Action in the Ways and Means Committee
If I can borrow a phrase from Monty Python, “now for something completely different.”
On Friday, the Ways and Means Committee considered bipartisan(!), compromise(!!) legislation to expand the Child Tax Credit, strengthen the Low Income Housing Tax Credit, restore the corporate research and development tax credit, and a few other items. While I think this bill could have done much more to lift our country’s young people out of poverty, and most certainly should have provided relief for families burdened by the state and local tax (SALT) deduction cap imposed by the 2017 Republican tax law, this is at least a good starting point.
I may not have been able to get everything I think should be included in this bill, but helping American families, lifting American children out of poverty, and helping American companies grow our economy are things we can all support, and all agree we need to do more.
You can watch my statement during the committee hearing on the legislation here, and my remarks on Congressman Pascrells’ SALT amendment can be found here.
House Foreign Affairs Committee Hearing on American Investments in China
The Foreign Affairs Committee held a hearing on the risks posed by U.S. capital investments in Chinese companies that could potentially be funding the Chinese military's or government's nefarious activities. You can watch my questions of the witnesses here.
Seeking A Vote on a High-Capacity Magazine Ban
Earlier this month, I, along with my colleagues Diana DeGette of Colorado and Dina Titus of Nevada, initiated an effort to force Speaker Johnson to bring to a vote in the House our bill, Keep Americans Safe Act, that would ban the sale of high-capacity magazines, such as were used in the July 4, 2022 attack in Highland Park. We were joined at a press conference announcing our efforts by following members of the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, as well as citizen activists from Everytown Survivors and Moms Demand Action.
Vigil for the 136 Still Held Hostage by Hamas
Last Wednesday, I joined my House colleagues and several parents of 136 people (including 6 American Citizens) still held hostage by Hamas, now for 108 days. We need to do everything we can to bring them home now.
In that vein, I, along with 29 Members of Congress, sent a letter to Secretary of State Blinken to call on Hamas to release the hostages and bring this tragic war to an end. The letter states: “As the war in Gaza continues, we join our Israeli and Palestinian friends and family in mourning the tragic toll on civilian populations on both sides. We write to you today to call on Hamas to immediately release all the hostages held in Gaza, cease all rocket fire on Israel, lay down its arms, and surrender control of Gaza to a legitimate representative of the Palestinian people. There should be no mistaking that Hamas has within its control the ability to stop this conflict and bring relief to the Palestinians they were elected to govern.” You can read the full letter here.
Meanwhile, there has been much discussion about “the day after” the war and the need to craft a path to a two-state solution. As I noted last week in a statement, I believe that a future peace between Israel and the Palestinians, and a better future for all people in the region, requires both a truly safe and secure, democratic Jewish state of Israel and a very real pathway for Palestinians to realize their own peaceful aspirations for a viable state. I will continue to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to ensure Israel's security while also seeking to build on the successes achieved with the Abraham Accords and create a new, safe, peaceful, and prosperous Middle East for both Jews and Arabs.
Stopping the Diversion of Taxpayer Funds to Crisis Pregnancy Centers
Crisis pregnancy centers deceive pregnant women in a time of great need. Despite not being staffed by qualified medical professionals, Republicans are working in Ways and Means to divert taxpayer funds to these centers on their mission toward a national abortion ban.
Instead, we should be helping working families with an enhanced child tax credit to support mothers, fathers, and their children. You can watch my full remarks here.
Introducing the DOCTORS Act to Reduce Physician Shortages
Congressman Troy E. Nehls (R-Tx) and I, along with 14 other members, introduced the bipartisan Districting Our Country’s Transfer of Residency Slots (DOCTORS) Act to help address nationwide physician shortages by reallocating unused waivers from the Conrad 30 waiver program to states who use their maximum number of waivers. The Conrad 30 waiver program allows foreign-born medical school graduates who came to the United States on a J-1 visa to bypass the requirement that they return to their home country upon completion of the J-1 exchange visitor program.
Our nation faces a critical shortage of physicians, especially in rural and medically underserved communities. I’m proud to build on my previous efforts to encourage highly skilled, foreign-born medical graduates to practice medicine in the areas of the country that need it most. The DOCTORS Act is a commonsense measure to ensure unused Conrad 30 waivers don’t go to waste; rather, they help offset physician shortages in states who utilize the program the most. This bill would help us ensure that all Americans, regardless of demographic, have access to high-quality healthcare providers.
You can read more about this bill here.
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 obtaining affordable internet.
In Closing—
This week I am pleased to share news from our team. This past Friday, Ari Botbol, our District Outreach Manager, and her husband Sam, welcomed to the world their daughter, Libby. Her big brother Albert is very excited to have a little sister.
Sincerely,
Bradley S. Schneider
Member of Congress