10th News: Wrapping Up the Summer “District Work Period”
I am back in Washington today after spending August and the first week of September working across the district. I love being home and spending quality time with neighbors and friends throughout our communities.
Throughout August, we hosted town halls in Gurnee, Lake Forest, and Northbrook, roundtable conversations on multiple topics from veteran's issues to homelessness and affordable housing, and several Brad at Your Business visits. I attended many back-to-school events, groundbreakings, and ribbon cuttings. I also met with constituents in my office and districtwide on various topics. And I even got to ride my bike a bit. It's always a privilege to connect with people in all corners of the district to better understand how I can keep working to serve our community best.
Yesterday, I closed out the district work period by marking the 22nd anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on our nation. I joined with Edward Polen and his employees at EMCO Chemical Distributors in North Chicago to remember, as they have done for 22 consecutive years, the 2,977 lives lost in New York, Pennsylvania, and the Pentagon.
We reflected on the heroism of the first responders and the proud rising of our great nation following a painful blow. We also recalled the many people who have since died from health issues from that day or in the Global War on Terror protecting our nation and the world. The attack and its tragic aftermath must never be forgotten.
Avoiding a Reckless, Unnecessary Government Shutdown
Congress has a lot to tackle this month with very little time scheduled to address all that is before us. The key priority for is to avoid a government shutdown when the current fiscal year ends on the September 30th. I am working to do everything possible to ensure we keep the government open. If Speaker McCarthy is not able to convince enough of his Republican colleagues to move forward on their own, I am calling on him to let the House vote on the Senate bills that have already passed with broad bipartisan support. Whether they pass or fail in the House, I think it’s important for the American people to know their elected Representatives — Republicans and Democrats — are at least trying to move forward
In addition to a scramble to fund the government, Congress must reauthorize funding for the Defense Department, the Federal Aviation Administration, and America’s agricultural and nutrition programs in the Farm Bill. As well, Congress will need to pass special emergency funding for natural disasters in Hawaii and Florida, the ongoing fentanyl crisis, and border security. I will keep you posted on any progress.
Please keep reading for more information about what’s happening in the District and in DC.
AROUND THE DISTRICT
Nominating students from the Tenth District for our nation’s military service academies is a great honor for me and a big decision for students looking to apply. To help with the process, I host an annual Service Academy Information Night to bring together students and representatives of the Army, Naval, Air Force, Coast Guard, and Merchant Marine Academies and representatives of the different ROTC programs. This year, we were at Stevenson High School and had one of the largest-ever crowds. It’s a great sight to see so many remarkable young people interested in serving our country.
Thanks to the crew at Stevenson for their warm hospitality and to the folks from the Air Force, Army, Navy, Marines, Coast Guard, and Merchant Marines who made the night a great success.
Town Hall at Lake Forest Place
Residents of Lake Forest Place once again welcomed me to their community to share updates on my work, making healthcare more affordable and manageable for older Americans. Thank you to Dr. Steve Potsic, Chair of the Healthcare Committee at Lake Forest Place, for putting together this great conversation.
Tour of the Chain O’Lakes
The Fox Waterway Agency invited me to join them and other local leaders for a tour of the Chain O’ Lakes to learn more about the challenges and opportunities for the Fox River and the 15 lakes that make up the chain. Understanding their conservation work and how they ensure the waterways serve the interests of the surrounding communities enhanced my appreciation for their work. The Chain O’Lakes community greatly benefits from the agency’s commitment to this incredible natural resource.
Ravinia Fire Station #32
Highland Park opened the new, state of the art Ravinia Fire Station #32 earlier this year. To celebrate their new home, I stopped by the station yesterday to present a flag flown over the Capitol in honor of the new facility.
Veterans RoundTable
I had a robust and informative discussion with several local veteran leaders. A special thank you to Lake County Veterans and Family Services Foundation, who hosted my veteran's roundtable last week to ensure our veterans' interests are heard at the highest levels of government. We've done a lot for veterans, but more needs to be done. I'm thankful for participants joining our candid conversation about their concerns.
Sagrada Familia Holy Family Episcopal Church Fair
I had a great time at the Sagrada Familia / Holy Family Episcopal Church Fair in Lake Villa. We shared delicious food, swapped family stories and celebrated summer on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. Thank you to Lee Ramirez for bringing together so many great community organizations serving our community.
Brad At Your Business
Last week I had the privilege of visiting two of the many great companies that are standout organizations in our area.
NOSCO, Inc.
Nosco is a 115-year-old, full-service packaging solutions provider located in Gurnee, with a primary concentration in servicing the healthcare industry with pharmaceutical labels and packaging. As a 100% employee-owned company, Nosco takes pride in its precise products communicating crucial medical information to patients. Thanks to Executive Chairman Russell Haraf and the team for welcoming me.
Option Health Care
Headquartered in Bannockburn, Option Care Health is the nation's largest independent provider of infusion therapy services. Infusion therapy involves administering medications through a needle as they cannot be taken orally. For patients receiving these medications, Option Care's services mean they can receive the care they need from the comfort of home.
Bike the Tenth – Seventh Edition
Saturday was a gorgeous day to "Bike the Tenth." I look forward to sharing my passion for biking with friends across the district every year. This year, we were joined by several first-time riders and enjoyed a beautiful ride along the Des Plaines River trail starting in Libertyville up to Gurnee. We don't ride fast, which gave us a chance to talk about everything from what we did over the summer to new policy ideas to take back to Washington. Thanks to everyone who joined us, especially our ranger friends from the Lake County Forest Preserve District.
Office Meetings – In Person and Virtual
Melanie Pignotti, CEO of Children's Advocacy Center of North and Northwest Cook County, discussed how her organization is helping abused children in our community.
Vernon Hills Chief of Police Patrick Keris, and Deputy Shannon Holubetz, stopped by to share some great insights on the work his department is doing in the community and ideas for improving police recruitment.
I met with Jonathan Ornstein, CEO of the Jewish Community Centre of Krakow, Poland, over Zoom. I visited with Jonathan in person three years ago when in Krakow with then-Speaker Pelosi to mark the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp. On that trip, we talked about the incredible work he was doing to support the Jewish community of Krakow. Last week, we discussed the humanitarian assistance provided by JCC Krakow to thousands of Ukrainian refugees. His organization has been operating a food pantry every day since February 24, 2022.
I was honored to meet the Consul General of Canada in Chicago, Madeleine Féquière. She assumed her role in July and stopped by to talk about the important US-Canada relationship in general and the economic impacts in Illinois. We also discussed the American Canadian Economy and Security (ACES) Caucus, opportunities for Canadian investment in our district, and collaboration between our two great countries on the global stage.
With the Consul General of Pakistan in Chicago, Tariq Karim, we discussed how our two governments can foster a mutually beneficial relationship and serve the Pakistani-American community in Illinois.
Libertyville constituent Howard Jaffe came by to talk about potential legislation regarding qualified retirement accounts.
These office visits are a great way to connect and talk about issues important to you personally or our district in general. If you would like to set up a meeting, you can request a time here.
WHAT’S HAPPENING IN WASHINGTON
As mentioned above, this month is set to be jam-packed with several must-pass pieces of legislation backed up on the floor.
In addition to keeping our government open and operating without interruption, we need to reauthorize and pass:
- The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
- The five-year Farm Bill supporting both our nation’s farmers and people struggling to put healthy food (or any food for that matter) on the table for themselves and their families
- The National Defense Authorization setting the priorities and addressing the challenges facing our military
- Reauthorization of the U.S. Coast Guard, which is separate from the Defense Department
- Supplemental emergency funding for both recent natural disasters in Hawaii and Florida, as well as critically needed funding for strengthening our border security and fighting the fentanyl crisis
Keep looking to our newsletters, emails, and other communications to stay abreast of developments in the House and around the nation’s Capitol.
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.
CONSTITUENT SUCCESS STORIES
I want to share with you another constituent casework success story. Navigating the federal agency bureaucracy can be challenging, but my excellent casework team in Lincolnshire is ready to help you. If you need help with a federal agency, fill out a Privacy Release Form or call my Lincolnshire office at (847) 383-4870 so my casework team can assist you.
In Closing—
Did you know the Chicago Bears train right here in our Tenth Congressional District? Lake Forest is home to Halas Hall, which opened in 1997 to replace an older outpost at Lake Forest College. Many Bears players have purchased homes in local communities to remain close to Halas Hall. As football season kicks off, I thought I would share an article of the places where the Bears have practiced and lived.
And here’s hoping for a better game next week! Go Bears!
Sincerely,
Bradley S. Schneider
Member of Congress