Brad's Newsletter

I hope you and your family enjoyed the first weekend of autumn, and to those who observed Rosh Hashanah earlier this week, Shanah Tovah, Happy New Year—I wish you a year filled with good health, happiness, and peace.

I'm back in Washington this week after spending the Rosh Hashanah holiday with my family. Our first priority this week is striking a deal with the Senate to fund the government and avoid a shutdown Friday at midnight. I am optimistic that my colleagues on both sides of the Capitol will come together to keep our government open and serving the American people.

This week summer officially comes to a close. There is a chill in the air, the leaves are just beginning to change, and once again our kids are back in school. Similarly, Members of Congress are back in Washington to work on several important bills, including funding the government for fiscal year 2023.

I hope you had a nice Labor Day weekend. It seems like summer just started and now it is but a memory. I thought it would be fun to devote this week's newsletter to looking back on the highlights of this summer, reflect on the work we've done here at home and in Washington, and express my thanks to all the people and communities that made this summer so special and memorable.

School has started again in most parts of our district. For me, one of the best things about the start of the new school year is the kickoff for our sixth annual Brad's Bookworms program. Anyone who knows me knows I love reading and Brad's Bookworms is a chance to share that passion with young students in kindergarten through 5th grade. We challenge students to read 10 books by December 12th to explore new worlds and expand their minds through reading. Those who meet the challenge will be recognized and invited to a ceremony early next year.

As you may know, I made a quick, one-day trip to Washington last week to vote for the Inflation Reduction Act. This historic legislation is the largest ever investment in our nation's history to tackle climate change. It will lower the cost of health care by allowing Medicare to negotiate pricing on some of our most expensive prescription drugs and capping the out-of-pocket cost of insulin. It will bring down the cost of energy in the short run by expanding production here in the U.S.

Summer always seems to me the fastest moving of the seasons. It seems like we are just getting started when the calendar turns to August and suddenly we realize the flowers in the garden are starting to close up, we are running out of weekends to get away, and the new school year is just around the corner. But there is still plenty of Summer left, the days are still long, and hopefully we will have the chance to connect as I travel around the district.

Today marks one month since the heinous shooting at the Highland Park Independence Day parade. We carry the memories of Katherine Goldstein, Irina and Kevin McCarthy, Stephen Straus, Jacki Sundheim, Nicolas Toledo and Eduardo Uvaldo in our hearts. We are lifted by news of the continued recovery of the dozens wounded, including Cooper Roberts. And we are thankful for the continued outpouring of love, care and support for friends, neighboring communities, indeed the entire nation. Highland Park is healing, the community is united, strong and resolved to honor the victims with action.

The House is in session this week wrapping up a busy July. Last week, among other bills, the House passed a "minibus" appropriations bill, consolidating funding for 6 of the 12 Appropriations committees. While the bill provides funding for diverse areas such as housing, transportation agriculture and veterans affairs, it also includes funding approvals for Community Projects across the country. I am pleased to share that all 15 Illinois Tenth District projects for which we sought funding are included in the bill.