Energy & Environment

During his State of the Union address last Thursday, President Joe Biden emphasized that America is a story of progress, possibilities, and resilience. He delivered a strong speech that detailed how far we have come under his leadership, the hurdles we have cleared, and his bold, optimistic vision for the future.

After months of far-right extremists hijacking our appropriations process, Congress has completed the final part of the FY 2024 budget, which will help Americans deal with high prices, sides with the hard-working middle class, protects women’s rights, and reinforces America’s global leadership. I am pleased to report that my final community project funding request was approved, which means, in total, I will be bringing home nearly $19 million to the 9th Congressional District of Illinois.

Last week, I had the unique responsibility of questioning the CEO of TikTok when he came before the Energy and Commerce Committee. It is clear to me that in most ways, TikTok is like all the other Big Tech companies. They can use Americans’ data any way they want. Exclusively banning TikTok would be letting Facebook, Instagram, and other platforms off the hook and would leave our consumers and our children unprotected. We need a comprehensive data privacy bill.

Fans are incredibly frustrated by how hard it has become to buy event tickets. With every ticketing debacle, from Beyoncé to Taylor Swift, and so many more, their frustration grows. Help could soon be on the way! My bill, the TICKET Act, just passed the House of Representatives with overwhelming support and would help make the ticketing process easier for all. Consumers deserve to be protected from fraudulent tickets, surprise costs, and excessive fees.

Thank you to the people of Illinois’ 9th Congressional District for once again choosing me to be your voice in Congress. It truly is the honor of a lifetime! The fight for equal rights for all, an economy that works for everyday Americans, not just the rich, reproductive rights, and environmental protections goes on. Keep the faith. Let's get to work. 

On Friday, Congress passed legislation to continue funding the government, avoiding a government shutdown. A shutdown would have sidelined federal services, such as anti-poverty food assistance and customer service functions at the Social Security Administration. The legislation contains $18.8 billion for domestic disaster recovery efforts, including Western wildfires, floods in Kentucky and hurricanes in the Southeast. For some reason, 201 House Republicans voted against this bill. They wanted to shut down the government, just as the federal response to Hurricane Ian is beginning.

Last week, President Biden announced he is pardoning all Americans who have been convicted of simple marijuana possession under federal law. The executive order will benefit 6,500 people with federal convictions. The criminalization of marijuana and this nation's failed ‘War on Drugs' has devastated our communities of color. People of color are four times more likely to be arrested on cannabis charges – and are often targeted for longer prison sentences.

With Medicare Open Enrollment now underway, I wanted to share important details with you regarding recent improvements to Medicare that are lowering health care costs.