Press Releases
WASHINGTON, DC – “Five years ago today, Haiti was devastated by an earthquake that killed more than 100,000 people and destroyed most of its critical infrastructure. It was a calamity of Biblical proportions. I traveled to Haiti shortly after the earthquake and got a glimpse of the devastation.
In response, the United States and a broad international coalition joined together to help the country rebuild and recover. Five years later, challenges remain. The Haitian government still struggles with instability, housing remains inadequate for many families and the economy continues to lag behind – leaving many Haitians struggling to make a living.
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Rep. Jan Schakowsky, introduced the Public Option Deficit Reduction Act. This bill would create a publicly run health insurance plan that would be available in every Obamacare marketplace, an option that would save $158 billion over 10 years, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. Rep. Schakowsky released the following statement on the bill:
WASHINGTON, DC –Today, the House passed H.R. 3, legislation approving construction of the Keystone XL pipeline, by a vote of 266 -153. Rep. Jan Schakowsky released the following statement in response to the bill’s passage:
“Today, I voted against H.R. 3, the Keystone XL approval bill. I did so because the pipeline would threaten public health and the environment while having no beneficial impact on energy security or consumer costs.
The Motor Company Failed to Report Death, Injuries and Warranty Claims
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the first day of the 114th Congress, the Republicans in the House passed a rules package (H. Res. 5) by a vote of 234 to 172. The rules package includes a provision that could cut Social Security benefits for disabled workers and their families by 20 percent. The provision would block Congress from shifting a small amount of revenues from the Social Security retirement trust fund to the disability insurance fund – a reallocation mechanism that has been used often in the past and is supported by groups like the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare and AARP.
(Evanston, IL) Rep. Schakowsky (D-IL) released the following statement in response to President Obama’s announcement of significant changes to U.S.-Cuban relations:
“I am so pleased to see that Alan Gross has arrived safely on American soil after five years of imprisonment. I strongly support President Obama’s announcement that U.S.-Cuban relations will be changing dramatically over the next several months.
Our nation’s long standing Cuba policy has never been effective and is very outdated. I applaud President Obama for working diligently to find a new path forward.
(Evanston, IL) Rep. Schakowsky (D-IL) released the following statement in response to the killing of young children and school staff at a school in Pakistan:
I am outraged by the massacre of schoolchildren and staff at a school in Peshawar, Pakistan yesterday. Children should not have to fear for their lives simply because they are attending school and receiving a basic education. Acts of terror are always tragic, but when committed against children they are particularly horrific.
My deepest condolences go out to the friends and families of those who were lost, and I hope for the full recovery of those injured.
WASHINGTON, DC –The House voted on a spending bill (H.R. 83) today. Rep. Jan Schakowsky voted ‘No’ on the bill because of several deeply troubling provisions. She issued the following statement on the matter:
“I strongly oppose the spending bill that House Republicans brought to the floor today. There are least three deeply disturbing provisions in the bill.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Illinois Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka passed away on Wednesday. Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky release the following statement on the strong Illinois leader:
“For decades, Judy Barr Topinka has been an energetic, down to earth leader on the Illinois political scene. I can’t remember a time seeing her on the campaign trail or at work that she was not cheerfully interacting with voters or colleagues, a smile on her face. She seemed particularly at ease with the many immigrant groups in our diverse state, coming herself from an immigrant background. Judy will truly be missed.”
WASHINGTON, DC – The House passed H.R. 2901, the Senator Paul Simon Water for the World Act on Monday. Rep. Jan Schakowsky released the following statement in response:
“I am proud to have cosponsored and helped pass H.R. 2901, the Senator Paul Simon Water for the World Act. The late, great, Senator from Illinois was one of my mentors when I first arrived in Congress. He stressed to me early on that access to water would be one of the most important issues during my time in Congress, and he wrote the book Tapped Out to spread that message to the world.