Women's Issues
By protecting women, we protect families. As a former co-chair of the Congressional Caucus for Women's Issues, I have long fought to protect the rights of women, including full and equal economic opportunity through equitable pay and employment opportunities. In 6 in 10 families, a mother is the primary or co-breadwinner. The persistent gaps in wages and opportunities for women have limited the resources available for families to purchase homes, save for college, and save for retirements. I am dedicated to working to prevent violence against women and establish transitional housing for women and children who are victims of abuse. As a leading member of the Pro-Choice Caucus, I have also fought for reproductive freedom.
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I am back in Washington this week, and tomorrow, the House of Representatives is poised to pass a clean continuing resolution to keep our government open and funded through the end of the year. I am glad Democrats and Republicans were able to reach a bipartisan agreement to put the needs of everyday Americans first. Too much was at stake.
Right now, Congress has until the end of September to fund our government and avert a shutdown. It is my hope that we can quickly reach a bipartisan agreement to temporarily extend current spending levels. I will keep fighting to ensure that any continuing resolution we consider is free from poison pill policy provisions. Too much is at stake. This is not a game.
Since the overturning of Roe v. Wade in June 2022, abortion laws and access to care have varied substantially from state to state. Illinois has taken steps to safeguard abortion rights and access. In January 2023, Governor JB Pritzker signed measures bolstering protections for personal reproductive health care and gender affirming care, safeguarding abortion providers and patients against out-of-state legal action, and ensuring insurance coverage for necessary care.
There is no doubt in my mind that President Joe Biden will go down in history as one of the most consequential presidents of all time. In his one term in office, President Biden created more jobs than any previous administration in the same time span. He lowered prescription drug prices and capped insulin for Medicare beneficiaries at $35 a month.
Last week, I joined nearly all Democrats in voting against passage of the shortsighted and harmful National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2025.
For my entire career, I have worked to advance reproductive freedom. I will always remember the horrifying story of my friend’s back-alley abortion pre-Roe v. Wade. Roe was not the beginning of women having abortions, it was the end of women dying from abortions.
I started out the week with Senator Dick Durbin and Attorney General Kwame Raoul speaking to University of Illinois Chicago law students about my legislation to stop illegal robocalls. Some constituents I have spoken with said they receive half a dozen or more calls per hour. These intrusive calls must end.
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.