Newsletter: Demanding Action for Gun Safety
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Dear Friends,
Here we are again, grieving at the incomprehensible loss of 17 innocent lives at Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida. Less than two months into this year, this is already the 18th school shooting in America. This has to stop.
More than 93 people die per day in our country from gun violence There are legislative solutions available that would improve gun safety. In fact, I've personally introduced bills to prevent stolen guns that end up on the street, close the "ghost gun" background check loophole, and improve the reporting requirements on semi-automatic rifles that are used in so many of these tragedies. I also proudly support legislation to expand the background check system, ban bump stocks and high-capacity magazines, keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers and more. It's time for Congress to act.
One thing that may tip the scales this time is the eloquent voices of our young people. I am incredibly inspired by the maturity and wisdom of the survivors of Parkland who, driven by their experience , are speaking out and demanding action. Together, as the vast majority of Americans who support these commonsense measures, we must amplify these voices to counter the influence of the gun lobby and make our communities safer.
DETER ACT GAINS SUPPORT
The recent DOJ indictments on Russians involved with the operation to interfere in our election highlights the depth and breadth of Putin's efforts in 2016. We have to take steps to deter future aggression and defend our election integrity for 2018. I'm proud to lead the House version of the DETER Act with my colleague Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) which would make clear the severe repercussions of any future interference from Russia or other countries.
This bill gained additional bipartisan support this week with an endorsement from the centrist Blue Dog Coalition.
I also spoke on the House floor in support of the DETER Act. Watch here.
URGING VISIT TO ISRAEL
lowing Iran's brazen incursion with a drone into Israel, I sent a bipartisan letter with Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL) urging Secretary Tillerson to add a visit to Israel during his trip through the Middle East. With stops at virtually all of Israel's neighbors, a visit to Israel by Secretary Tillerson would reassure our ally and make a strong statement to the world that the United States stands shoulder to shoulder with Israel.
Tehran cannot be allowed to use the conflict in Syria to establish a permanent presence on the doorstep of our ally Israel. I'll continue to call on the Administration to articulate a comprehensive strategy to prevent Iran from gaining a permanent foothold in Syria.
Learn more about the letter online.
NEIGHBORHOOD OFFICE HOURS
Our office hosts frequent Neighborhood Office Hours for constituents to more easily meet with caseworkers and staff to discuss any federal issues that they may have and learn more about services our office can provide. We're here to help if you have issues with Medicare, Social Security, the Veterans Administration, immigration and more.
This week, we'll be in Mt. Prospect and Lake Forest. Check out the full schedule on our website and come meet with us when we're in your community!
WEEKLY WRAP-UP
Over the past month, our Lincolnshire office collected cards for veterans in our community from schools, libraries, and constituents. It's been wonderful to share these notes of appreciation with area veterans - including at Lake County Honor Flight and Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center. If you're a Tenth District veteran who needs help, we have constituent service representatives who can assist. Get in touch at (847) 383-4870. #ValentinesforVeterans
Answering questions at our most recent Congress on Your Corner over the weekend in Mt. Prospect.
Joined my colleagues from both sides of the aisle for a dinner last week with Bipartisan Honor & Civility Caucus at George Washington's Mount Vernon. Washington's words warning of excessive partisanship or "factions" remain an important reminder. Making progress for our nation will require us to work across the aisle
On Monday, we convened a roundtable discussion with community leaders in the disability community about inclusion and accessibility We talked about continuing to protect rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). My thanks to Congregation Beth Shalom for hosting, and JCFS Chicago and many other community groups for participating.
Glad to join the ribbon cutting at the Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest hospital on Monday. This facility will be a great new resource for the health of our communities when it opens for patients on March 3.
Infrastructure is an area where we can make bipartisan progress. On Monday, Libertyville Mayor Terry Weppler and I visited the Rockland Road bridge, which closed this month for emergency repairs due to significant levels of deterioration. There are thousands more projects like this across the country that need our investment. Along with the New Democrat Coalition and Problem Solvers Caucus, I'm willing to work across the aisle and with the Administration to responsibly modernize our infrastructure
Thank you to Deb Paust of Grayslake and all the other advocates with The ALS Association who visited Capitol Hill last week to sharing your stories. You can count on me to support research funding to #kickALS and oppose bills like HR 620 that would weaken ADA protections.
Please continue to stay in touch and share your thoughts, either by calling our DC office at (202) 225-4835 or emailing via our website.
Thanks for reading!