Civil and Human Rights
Our government is founded on the belief that individuals have a number of "inalienable rights" enshrined in the Constitution. I believe that the protection of those rights is a fundamental obligation for each member of Congress, and I take that duty very seriously. It is important that we work to end discrimination and human rights abuses wherever they occur.
In my work in the House of Representatives, where I was previously a member of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and Vice Chair of the Human Rights Commission, I do my best to make sure a proper balance between security and liberty is maintained, and that government's reach into our private lives is kept to a minimum.
More on Civil and Human Rights
“Donald Trump has failed his first test as President-Elect. Only days after declaring that his presidency would strive to bring our country together, he has chosen to put one of the most important roles of his Administration in the hands of a man who could not possibly be more divisive.”
CHICAGO, Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky released the following statement on the passing of Holocaust survivor, writer and Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel:
“I join with many around the world in mourning the loss of Elie Wiesel, a man who emerged from the unspeakable horrors of the Holocaust to become a champion of freedom from hatred and bigotry.
Rep. Jan Schakowsky released the following statement after the murder of Honduran activist Nelson Garcia:
Today, Representative Jan Schakowsky released the following statement after it was announced that Honduran indigenous and environmental rights activist Berta Cáceres was murdered:
Today, Representative Jan Schakowsky released the following statement after the President submitted his plan to close the Guantanamo Bay Detention Facility:
Today, Representative Jan Schakowsky released the following statement in honor of International Holocaust Remembrance Day:
Today, Representatives Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) and Sam Farr (D-CA) along with 28 other House Members, sent a letter to United States Ambassador to Honduras James D. Nealon raising their concerns about the urgent situation facing trade unionists in the country and that he immediately contact Honduran authorities to address this crisis.
WASHINGTON, DC – Rep. Jan Schakowsky released the following statement in response to the State Department’s decision to upgrade Malaysia in the Trafficking in Persons Report, which was released today:
WASHINGTON, DC – Rep. Jan Schakowsky released the following statement after news broke that 41 individuals in Bangladesh had been charged criminally for their role in the April 2013 Rana Plaza collapse:
CHICAGO – Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a time to celebrate the life, accomplishments, and dreams of one of our greatest American leaders. Dr. King stood for equality, freedom and peace; his work inspired a generation to advocate – non-violently – for the recognition of civil rights and liberties that had previously been denied. His legacy is with us today as we work to achieve his vision of an America that provides voting rights, economic justice, good jobs and wages, and improved health care for all.