Newsletter: Standing Against Family Separation
I was honored and inspired to join so many people in our community, and around the country, speaking out this weekend to say that Families Belong Together, and standing up in opposition to the Administration's policy that separated parents and children at the border.
The Administration's newly announced approach of holding families together may be a small improvement over separation, but me must not accept detaining families, including those with small children, for indefinite periods of time as an acceptable a solution. This is why we desperately need to reform our immigration policies to create a system that reflects our values, treats people humanely, and strengthens our economy. I remain willing to work across the aisle to achieve this reform – and continue to push for the bipartisan solutions such as the USA Act which would pair border security investments with protections for DREAMers.
We are a nation of immigrants, and are stronger because of it. As we celebrate Independence Day this week, we must strive to continue the unfinished work of our founders, continuing to build a more perfect Union.
Watch video of my remarks at the Keep Families Together event in Highland Park on our Facebook page.
Please continue reading for more information about some of the highlights of this past week.
PREVENTING FLOODING FROM FOXCONN
As our communities recover from devastating flooding of July 2017, I'm concerned about the potential impact of the Foxconn development in Wisconsin on downstream neighborhoods in Illinois. Wisconsin is allowing Foxconn to fill up to 26 acres of wetlands that flow into the Des Plaines River Watershed to convert them for industrial use by the development. We must ensure we have sufficiently studied the environmental impacts of the loss of those wetlands or offered suitable solutions to mitigate flooding downstream.
Last week, I joined with Sens. Durbin and Duckworth to send a letter urging the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to play a more active oversight role in ensuring all laws and regulations are followed, the project's environmental impacts are properly considered, and appropriate environmental mitigation measures are put in place to protect our health, safety, and property.
Read the letter on our website.
JUDICIARY COMMITTEE HEARING WITH DEPUTY AG ROSENSTEIN AND FBI DIRECTOR WRAY
Last week, FBI Director Wray and Deputy AG Rosenstein appeared before the House Judiciary Committee, and I took the opportunity to seek answers on our efforts to improve election security. Despite President Trump's tweets, foreign interference is a real threat and we need to take it seriously.
Watch video of my questioning on our Facebook page.
HOUSE PASSES BILL TO HELP ‘BLUE WATER' VETERANS
We need to compensate all our Vietnam veterans who are dealing with the health effects of exposure to Agent Orange and other toxic chemicals. Veterans who served on ships off the coast of Vietnam face additional hurdles to filing disability claims that those who served in-country or on in-land rivers do not. I'm a co-sponsor of legislation to fix this discrepancy and was pleased to see it pass the House last week. It's critical that Senate take up this legislation soon.
More information on this legislation is available from the Military Times.
NEIGHBORHOOD OFFICE HOURS
Our office also 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. This week, our team will be in North Chicago, Waukegan, and Northbrook.
Check out the full schedule on our website and come meet with us when we're in your community!
WEEKLY WRAP-UP
I was so inspired by the bravery of Ola Ojewumi as I listened to her share her story last week at the Capitol. She received a kidney and heart transplant at age 11 and lymphoma diagnosis at age 25, and has not just survived but thrived. We cannot go back to a time when insurance companies could discriminate against people like Ola and the more than 130 million Americans with a pre-existing condition. I spoke on the House Floor about the importance of protections for Americans with pre-existing conditions – watch it here.
It was great to reconnect with Jocelyn Duvon in the Capitol. Jocelyn is a senior at Waukegan High School and is the 2018 Congressional Art Competition winner for our district. She visited DC last week to see her artwork hung in the Capitol alongside winners from across the country. I'll be proudly pointing it out to visitors over the next year!
Congratulations to Rishabh Wuppalapati of Vernon Hills on winning the national championship during the National History Bee. He was also on the winning team from Daniel Wright Junior High School for the Science Bowl. Wow!
Thank you to the Lake County Veterans Assistance Commission for hosting a training this weekend to help VSOs serve the veterans in our community.
I was glad to help kick things off on a warm Saturday morning in Wheeling at Rock n Run the Runway.
Thanks for reading!