10th NEWS: SNOW SEASON
I hope you and your loved ones had a wonderful Thanksgiving last week and found time to rest, reconnect, and recharge as the busy holiday season officially gets underway.
As we enter December, thousands of families across the 10th District are approaching the holiday season with trepidation as the enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits that help people afford health insurance are set to expire at the end of the year. Unless Congress acts, more than 20 million people will see the cost of their health care coverage skyrocket. I am working urgently to prevent that from happening.
The health insurance hardships Americans are facing this year are not happening by accident. This affordability crisis was created by President Trump and Congressional Republicans policies and actions—including the $1 trillion in cuts to Medicaid in the OBBBA, the consequent $500 million cut to Medicare, and of course, the refusal to work with Democrats to extend the ACA premium subsidies.
Protecting Affordable Health Care
Right now, the outlook for responsibly addressing the health care crisis is not promising. Speaker Johnson has refused to work with Democrats on drafting legislation. Instead, Republicans spent this week voting on partisan bills that fuel conspiracy theories about foreign interference in elementary schools rather than helping improve education for school children or lowering costs for their families.
Despite Speaker Johnson’s failure to lead, Democrats are working hard to find a solution. I recently introduced a bill, called the Keep Healthcare Affordable Act, that would extend the ACA credits for four years and – importantly – impose a reasonable income cap on the program so the people who most need help affording their care can get it. I’m actively seeking Republicans to sign onto the bill.
I also joined my Democratic colleagues who are trying to advance legislation to extend the ACA credits for three years that, unfortunately, Republican leadership refuses to put up for a vote. Every House Democrat has signed a “discharge petition” to try to force the Speaker to allow a vote on this bill. But we still need a handful of Republicans to put aside partisanship and join us to finally vote to protect Americans’ access to affordable healthcare.
Meanwhile in the Senate, a vote is expected next week on a bill similar to the one in the House. The Senate vote is a result of the agreement to end the government shutdown. While I’m glad the Senate at least is allowing a vote, I am not optimistic that Republicans in the Senate will break with their party and support it. Even if they did, it is unlikely that Speaker Johnson would then allow for a vote in the House.
New Democrat Coalition Rolls Out Health Care Action Plan
While the Republicans’ continued failure to act leaves millions of American in health care limbo, the New Democrat Coalition (which I have the honor of chairing this Congress) has been working to help Americans not only afford their health insurance, but also have quality, affordable care from providers they know and trust, close to home. On Wednesday, I was proud to join members of our Health Care Working Group to announce our Health Care Action Plan, a comprehensive roadmap to lower costs, expand access to care, and strengthen health care for patients across the country.
You can learn more about the New Dem Health Care Action Plan here, and watch our news conference announcing the plan on CSPAN.
Holding Pete Hegseth Accountable
This week yet again brought new concerns about Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s decision-making and judgment.
To catch you up: Hegseth has dramatically increased the U.S. military presence and lethal action in the Caribbean Sea in a purported effort to stop drug trafficking networks. This has involved the U.S. striking several boats suspected of carrying drugs – a move that experts have said is legally questionable. More than 80 people have been killed in these strikes so far, but it’s the first series of strikes that is raising so many eyebrows -- specifically, the decision to strike two survivors of the first strike (which killed 9). The two were holding on to the flipped hull the destroyed boat. It is illegal to attack individuals deemed “shipwrecked” which is why people are now questioning if the second strike was proper.
Let me first touch on Hegseth’s overall strategy here. The U.S. absolutely must combat drug trafficking with urgency and force. We have a serious drug abuse and overdose problem in this country. However, using the military to play the role of DEA agent is the wrong approach. First, the DEA and law enforcement partners are funded and trained to lead the charge in stopping drug trafficking. And second, the military has serious national security duties it must attend to. Much like sending the National Guard to U.S. cities, the Trump administration is abusing the military to buttress Trump and Hegseth’s own images instead of keeping our troops focused on their mission of keeping Americans safe.
Returning to the controversial strike – targeting defenseless survivors is somewhere between murder and a potential war crime. Here’s the key point: without our historical commitment to basic human rights, our nation would enjoy the global leadership role it has today. Our strength as a country not only comes from our military might but equally from our moral right. When we abandon these core principles, we lose who we are as a country.
Congress must fully investigate this incident. The Secretary of Defense and other senior military leaders involved must fully justify their decision. And the American people must have full accounting of not just the single incident, but the entire operation, to know that our rule of law and Constitution are being upheld.
Unfortunately that’s not the only controversy Hegseth is wrapped up in this week. You may recall a bombshell report from earlier this year about Hegseth and other Trump officials’ use of Signal in planning a sensitive military operation in Yemen. The Inspector General at the Pentagon released a report this week assessing Hegseth’s improper use of an unsecured Signal chat to discuss classified information just hours before this military operation. In that report, the IG said that Hegseth put our service members at risk in his amateur, careless decision.
If it wasn’t already clear enough that Hegseth was unqualified for his position when he was nominated, his actions since being confirmed are disqualifying. He should save us all a lot of time and at once resign, and if he refuses to do so, he should be fired.
My IRS MATH Act Becomes Law
While partisanship typically (and unfortunately) prevails in Washington, there was one piece of good bipartisan progress this week. I am very proud to say that the Internal Revenue Service Math and Taxpayer Help (IRS MATH) Act, a bill I authored with Republican and fellow Ways and Means Committee member Randy Feenstra, , was signed into law on Monday.
The IRS MATH Act requires the IRS, when sending notices to individuals with math or clerical errors on their income tax returns, clearly indicate the error made. Prior to this bill becoming law, taxpayers who made even simple math mistakes on their income tax returns would receive in the mail confusing and unclear “math error notices.” No one likes getting ominous letters from the IRS, but these were particularly unhelpful in addressing errors. Additionally, taxpayers receiving these notices were not informed of a 60-day window during which they can challenge the determination of an error.
I’m hopeful this legislation will save taxpayers time and money and make the upcoming tax season a bit less stressful.
Talking Affordability in Ways and Means Committee
The Ways and Means Committee Tax Subcommittee held a hearing this week on global competitiveness. During the question and answer period, I was frustrated to hear my Republican colleagues make spurious claims that prices are coming down and suggest that Americans are benefiting from a flourishing economy. As much as my Republican colleagues might want to convince Americans otherwise, the reality is clear: costs are rising. Groceries, housing, energy, health insurance—they’re all getting more expensive. Families deserve better than wishful thinking. We need real relief. Tune in here to watch my remarks during a Ways and Means committee hearing earlier this week.
Talking about US Moral Leadership at the Foreign Affairs Committee
During a Foreign Affairs Committee meeting this week where we were discussing several bipartisan bills, I had what I think was a constructive exchange with the Republican Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast – someone with whom I do not often agree—on the crucial leadership role the US – including our committee – plays around the world in advancing good governance and helping countries be freer, fairer, and more democratic. I was glad Chairman Mast agreed that our committee – and all members of Congress – need to focus on working better together. Both parties need to be able to talk and find common ground as we set an example for the world to follow. You can watch our exchange here. And, if you’re interested, we also discussed the rise of antisemitism in Europe and the designation of the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization. You can watch my remarks on both of those matters here and here.
Meeting with Dubravka Šuica, EU Commissioner for the Mediterranean
I had a very nice and wide-ranging introductory conversation with Dubravka Šuica, EU Commissioner for the Mediterranean. The Commissioner is the main European official responsible for funding and policy in the MENA region, overseeing billions of euros for Israel, Palestine, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan, leads donor coordination for Palestine, and will be the EU’s lead on Gaza reconstruction. We discussed our shared hopes for a new, peaceful and prosperous future for the Middle East and how EU resources can complement U.S. assistance, ensure accountability and reform conditionality, and strengthen transatlantic coordination on aid and stability.
Meeting with Marko Djuric, Serbian Foreign Minister
I also had a good discussion with Serbian Foreign Minister, Marko Djuric, about Serbia’s role in the western Balkans and strengthening the Serbian diplomatic presence in the US.
Remembering Itay Chen and Omer Neutra, Americans Killed by Hamas on October 7th
I was honored to be a part of the American Jewish Committee gathering with Ruby & Hagit Chen and Ronen & Orna Neutra, the parents of American citizens Itay Chen and Omer Neutra, who were murdered on October 7th, 2023 and taken into Gaza where their bodies were held hostage for more than 750 days. This event was an important reminder of the lives lost during and after the events of October 7th. May we honor their memories well.
Discussing the Latest Pete Hegseth Controversy on CNN
I joined CNN to discuss the recent double drone strike on an alleged drug boat off the coast of the Caribbean. There must be an investigation into these strikes, not only to find out the truth but to uphold the morals that our nation abides by. Tune in here to watch my interview.
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, and various help lines. This year my office has saved constituents more than $6 million!
And, as always, I’m happy to meet constituents in my Lincolnshire office to share ideas, discuss legislation, or catch up on what’s happening in our community. If you want to schedule a meeting with me, you can do so here.
CLOSING
As the snow starts to fall and winter sets in, so does the holiday cheer that often comes with a white December. Waukegan decided to go ahead with their tree lighting this past weekend despite heavy flurries, adding to the festive feeling and magical look of the town. I myself am excited to get back to the district and enjoy the snowy weather! Read on here for more.
Stay strong, stay safe, stay healthy.
Sincerely,
Brad