10th News: Standing for Reproductive Freedom

With all the tumult in Congress last month, it’s been a while since I last wrote, so I thought I would offer some general reflections on some of my work in February, both in Washington and here at home.

Source: Politico

Sadly, in Washington, House Speaker Mike Johnson spent most of the month bickering with the extremists in his own party over funding the government and providing critically needed investments in U.S. border security and aid for our allies Ukraine and Israel. Compounding the chaos, after the Freedom Caucus blocked efforts to bring bills to the floor, Speaker Johnson was twice forced to cancel votes—wasting precious session days. And the three-times-extended deadline for funding the government for the current fiscal year (already five months late) had to be extended a fourth time! The good news is that it looks like the impasse has been broken, and we will fund at least part of the government this week and hopefully the rest before March 22nd. (I’ll write more next week after the first set of funding bills are hopefully sent to the President.)

Meanwhile, I had the opportunity to travel across much of our district on my few days at home last month. In Waukegan, I had a behind-the-scenes tour at Staben House and then got to run some soccer drills with players at Heart of the City Sports Program for High School Girls. I had two Brad At Your Business visits, one at ZF Group in Vernon Hills and another at Nielson-Massey Vanillas in Waukegan. I had three wonderful school visits: in Mundelein at Fremont Elementary and Intermediate Schools, Winnetka at Washburne Middle School, and Waukegan at Christo Rey St. Martin College Prep. My Steam Scholars students visited the Highland Park Water Treatment Plant this year on the second of their four tours. I attended the Lake County Forest Preserves Profiles in Excellence Awards in North Chicago and the Illinois Holocaust Museum’s Humanitarian Awards in Chicago. And I continued my listening tour with elected leaders, meeting with State Senator Adriane Johnson and Wadsworth Mayor Fred Witte.

In mid-February, I traveled to Israel with my wife, Julie, and a group of local lay leaders on a trip organized by the Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago. I saw firsthand the devastation wrought by the barbaric Hamas attack on October 7th and the efforts by the country to recover from the trauma. Upon my return, I led a letter to President Biden, joined by 28 colleagues supporting his efforts to broker a temporary pause in the fighting to bring home the hostages and surge desperately needed aid into Gaza You can read the text of the letter here. (I hope to write more about my visit and, prayerfully, about progress in freeing the hostages and ending the fighting in a future post.)

From Israel, I traveled to Vienna, Austria, where I stopped by the annual meeting of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and met with the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). At the OSCE, the focus was on helping Ukraine defend its freedom and sovereignty and denying Russia a military victory. At the IAEA, our conversation was about preventing Iran from getting a nuclear weapon.

Essential National Security Funding – Congress Must Act

The United States is dealing with a humanitarian crisis at our southern border while our allies Ukraine and Israel are fighting existential wars that neither country started, but both must win. Meanwhile, China continues to challenge our allies and national interests in the Indo-Pacific. Last month, the Senate announced a robust, bipartisan package to address all of these issues, negotiated over several months by Senators Lankford, Murphy, and Sinema. Sadly, the deal was undermined by former President Trump and collapsed within 24 hours. The Senate subsequently passed a modified package, stripping out any investments in border security.

While House Republicans need to either lead or get out of the way of taking constructive action on the border crisis, I continue to urge Speaker Johnson to swiftly bring the Senate-passed security package to the floor for a vote. It is unacceptable that, as our allies fight for freedom and democracy, Speaker Johnson is more interested in playing political games and putting American national security at risk.

The recent and tragic death of Alexei Navalny underscores the need to pass this funding. Navalny’s light will remain a beacon for the brave Russians and all those committed to standing up to authoritarianism and fighting for freedom. The world is watching and anxiously wondering whether the House GOP will side with Navalny and those in the fight against tyranny and terror or will choose to side with Putin and those seeking to weaken America and our allies. When Congress returns this week, Speaker Johnson must urgently bring this essential security funding to the full House for a vote.

Access to Fertility Care - Countless Families Hopes Threatened by Alabama Court Decision

Across America, millions of families (including my own) have benefited from the modern miracle of in vitro fertilization (IVF). Last month, the State of Alabama functionally outlawed IVF treatments, criminalizing this critical component of reproductive care. This new restriction is further fallout from the historic and devastating Dobbs decision that overturned Roe v. Wade. It is my core belief that reproductive care should be between a woman and her doctor, not pro-choice politicians. Alabama’s new ban on IVF has left me outraged and saddened for the countless infertile families caught in the middle of a terrible policy. I will work to protect families in Alabama and across the country by reinstating the protections afforded by Roe.

State of the Union

I will be attending President Biden’s State of the Union on Thursday, anxious to hear his ideas for moving our nation forward. I remain confident in the strength of our economy and the resilience of our democracy, and I expect the President will reaffirm his long-held belief that our country’s best days are still ahead. I share that view.

My guest for the State of the Union is a dear friend, Abby Polin, whom I have known most of my adult life. Her nephew, Hersh Goldberg Polin, is one of six Americans still held hostage by Hamas. She will be joining 17 family members of the hostages in solidarity and hopes for their swift return in the days ahead.

Please keep reading to learn more about happenings in Washington and here at home.

AROUND THE DISTRICT

February Means Valentine’s for Veterans

As is tradition every year, we collected cards from schools, libraries, and individual constituents to share with our local veterans. More than 2,000 cards were brought to our Lincolnshire office. We then delivered to veterans at Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center and other veterans programs around the district. Thanks to everyone who made these beautiful cards. They make a big difference in making veterans feel loved and appreciated.

Abuelitas Arrive to Illinois!

In December 2022, I shared that Senator Mark Kirk and I partnered to relaunch the popular Abuelitas (grandmothers) program. Then-Representative Kirk launched the program around 2005 to help families navigate the complex visa process so their elderly relatives living in Mexico, whom they hadn’t seen in many years, could obtain short-term tourism visas to reunite with family in the Tenth District. 

After a year of hard work, our first group of Abuelitas has arrived. The group of 17 people arrived in late February and reunited with their families, some of whom hadn’t seen each other in decades. (You can read my original announcement of this program here.)

District Office Meetings

Azfar Uddin Imam from Islamic Center of the North

I am grateful to have had the opportunity to welcome Iman Azfar Uddin of Islamic Foundation North to my office. We had an open and heartfelt conversation on what can be done to end the fighting in Gaza and ultimately open a path to peace between Israelis and Palestinians. I very much look forward to continuing our conversation and building on our relationship.

Antioch Traveling Closet

I spoke via Zoom with Laura Fisher, the founder of the Antioch Traveling Closet, an organization with the mission of making sure that no child, adult, or senior citizen is without basic items that are sometimes taken for granted.

A Safe Place

I had a wonderful meeting with Pat Davenport, CEO/Executive Director, and Judith Roscowicz, Board President of A Safe Place. They shared their plans to expand and continue providing services addressing domestic violence and human trafficking in Lake County.

School Visits

Freemont Elementary School in Mundelein

I visited Freemont Elementary and Intermediate Schools in Mundelein. I was given a VIP tour by representatives of the HOPE squad and Student Council and had a great conversation with student leaders at the school.

Carleton W.  Washburne School in Winnetka

I had separate town hall sessions with 7th and 8th grade Social Studies students at Carleton W. Washburne School in Winnetka! The 8th-grade students will soon be traveling to Washington and asked excellent questions about the legislative process and how Congress works.

Cristo Rey St. Martin College Prep in Waukegan

I met with the AP government students at Cristo Rey to talk about my life in Congress and answer their questions. Following the class discussion, I sat down with a smaller group of students to discuss their ideas about immigration policy and how Congress’s failure to reform our broken immigration system affects their community.

Northwestern University - Retiring Billy McKinney’s Jersey Number 30

It's not so much a school visit as a trip down memory lane. Northwestern University retired Billy McKinney's #30 that adorned his jersey when he starred for the Wildcats from 1973-1977. I was pleased to recognize and celebrate his distinguished career and the well-deserved recognition bestowed on him by our alma mater.

Brad At Your Business — Nielsen-Massy Vanillas.

Nielsen-Massey Vanillas is a 3rd generation family-owned business in Waukegan that has been making vanilla products used by bakers and cooks since 1907. With a team of 70 employees, Nielsen-Massy Vanillas is an excellent example of how family businesses are the backbone of our economy. As a founder and co-chair of the Congressional Family Business Caucus, I enjoy learning about the history and values of this very special firm.

Staben House in Waukegan — Serving Women In Need

I enjoyed meeting with the Staben House team to learn more about their work providing women and children in Waukegan shelter and resources to help them transition into permanent housing. After touring the facility, we had a vibrant discussion about the team's ideas for improving how HUD addresses homelessness.

Heart of the City Soccer – Teaching Skill On and Off the Field

Heart of the City is not only helping students build great soccer skills but also helping them be successful in their classrooms and community. I enjoyed speaking to the students about resilience and overcoming challenges. Kudos to Heart of City for helping students meet their goals on and off the field.

Continuing My District Listening Tour

Wadsworth Mayor Fred Witte

Fred Witte recently took over as mayor of Wadsworth after the untimely death of Mayor Glenn Ryback. We sat down and discussed his plans for economic growth, infrastructure upgrades, and more over lunch at the Shanty, an institution in Wadsworth. I look forward to working with Mary Witte and his entire team.

Illinois House Majority Leader Robyn Gabel

I joined Illinois House Majority Leader Robyn Gabel for lunch at Fred’s Diner in Winnetka. We discussed our shared priorities for 2024 and how our work in Springfield and Washington can complement each other to help Illinois families succeed.

Reminder: Congressional Art Competition Now Open!

Remember! I am once again hosting the Congressional Art Competition. This year, high school students can submit artwork that adheres to the theme, "Celebrating the American Cultural Mosaic." 

The contest winner will have their piece displayed in the U.S. Capitol for one year. The deadline to submit artwork is March 22nd; click here to learn more. If you have any questions, please call my office at (847) 383-4870.

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN WASHINGTON

Stevenson High School Model UN Visits Capitol Hill

I enjoyed meeting with the Stevenson High School Model UN Team during their Capitol visit. They had great questions, especially asking why the Executive Branch gets a national holiday (Presidents Day), but Congress doesn’t.

Future Business Leaders of America

Warren Township High School senior Jahnavi Kolli (second from left) visited Washington DC as a part of the Future Business Leaders of America’s Career and Technical Education Month. I met with her and other FBLA national leaders to discuss how Congress can foster career and technical education and workforce development.

Welcoming McHenry County and Lake County to Capitol Hill

Left: Lake County Board Chair Sandy Hart & Board Member John Wasik

Right: McHenry County Board Chairman Michael Buehler, Chair Pamela J. Althoff of McHenry County’s Law & Government Committee, County Administrator Peter Austin, Chalen Daigle Executive Director of the McHenry County Council of Governments, Debbie Sosine, President of the Village of Algonquin and Alicia Schueller, the Communications & Project Manager

I was honored to meet with Lake and McHenry Counties officials during their trip to the Nation Association of Counties Legislative Conference. We discussed numerous topics, from federal funding to support their projects and infrastructure to making sure that the Counties and Congress can be partners in supporting our veterans.

American Federation of Government Employees

Francisco Arcaute, Legislative Representative, American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), dropped by the office to talk about the issues facing EPA workers, the environment, and the Great Lakes.

Illinois Wing of the Civil Air Patrol

The Civil Air Patrol is a volunteer organization established in 1941 and is the official auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force. The Civil Air Patrol performs about 90% of all search and rescue operations within the contiguous United States.

Illinois Primary Health Care Association

I welcomed the Illinois Primary Health Care Association, including Lake County Health Department & Community Health Center members, Greater Family Health, and Erie Family Health Centers, to talk about their legislative priorities.

American Academy of Family Physicians

Dr. Janet Nwaukoni, Resident Member of the American Academy of Family Physicians Board of Directors and constituent of Grayslake, stopped by to discuss Medicare payment reform and the need to support the healthcare workforce in recruitment and training.

Committee Hearings

Modernizing IT at The Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center

I received special permission to sit in on the Committee on Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Technology Modernization hearing on new software being rolled out at VA hospitals. Our own Lovell Federal Heath Care Center is scheduled to switch over to the new system this month.

You can watch my full remarks from this hearing here.

Promoting a Modern IRS

Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, the IRS has made progress for taxpayers: they are answering more phone calls, opening walk-in centers, hosting Saturday hours, stopping scammers, and providing webinars and free assistance. 

The Ways and Means Committee should continue promoting a modern, accessible IRS that makes sure that enforcement focuses on wealthy tax cheats. You can watch my full remarks from this hearing here.

Addressing the Terrorist Threats from the Iranian-Backed Houthis

The Foreign Affairs Committee had a hearing on the Iranian-backed Houthi attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and actions the U.S. can take to address the threats to global commerce. We face an immediate crisis with global implications, and we must ratchet up the consequences for both the Houthis and the Iranians. Watch my full remarks here.

Protecting American Intellectual Property

I am excited to have recently joined the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Trade; I believe that bipartisan commitment to US leadership in global trade is crucial. Last month, the committee heard testimony on how WTO reform can advance American interests and protect American IP. Watch my full remarks 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, and various help lines.

IN CLOSING

Molly Pinta of Stevenson High School was awarded the Diversity Scholarship from the National Society of High School Scholars. Molly has been dedicated to advocating for the LGBTQ+ community through the Pinta Pride Project. She found the Pinta Project to highlight, normalize, and celebrate the LGBTQ+ community and organized Buffalo Grove’s first pride parade. Keep up the great work, Molly!

You can read about Molly’s achievements here. 

Sincerely,

Bradley S. Schneider
Member of Congress