Press Releases
"Every Fourth of July I march in as many parades as I can. I love every minute of it. The patriotism and pride, the recognition of our armed forces’ service, the families dressed in red, white, and blue honoring the country they love. Going from parade to parade I see the faces of the ninth district, one of the most beautifully diverse in the country, coming together despite cultural, racial, and religious differences to celebrate this holiday. In the 9th District of Illinois and across the country, the Fourth of July is a joyous occasion – loved ones join in relaxation and celebration at barbecues and parties in our parks, beaches, and back yards.
Today, Rep. Jan Schakowsky, Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD), Rep. Brad Schneider, and Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi joined leaders and members of public service unions including AFSCME, SEIU, AFGE, the Fire Fighters, the Illinois Federation of Teachers, the Illinois Education Association and others for a round table discussion and press conference on the repercussions of the anti-worker, anti-union Supreme Court decision in Janus v. AFSCME Council 31, and the importance of the labor movement’s role in lifting up all working people. After the press conference and roundtable, the members and unions released the following statements:
“This is a sad day for public employees and all of us who rely on them to provide us with the services we need, from keeping our air and water clean to teaching our children to protecting public health. Janus started with Governor Rauner but it was quickly embraced by all those whose mission is to take away the freedoms of working women and men. Janus is about making it more difficult for state and local workers to join together in unions, to bargain collectively for fair wages and benefits, to promote safe workplaces, to blow the whistle on fraud and abuse, and to stand up for the people they serve.
“Donald J. Trump is calling for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country’s representatives can figure out what the hell is going on.” – Donald J. Trump, December 5th, 2015
“President Trump has slammed the door on some of the most oppressed and desperate people in the world – people seeking safety and freedom in the United States. It is no surprise, as the President has made his racist and Islamophobic intentions clear from the day he began his campaign. Today, the Supreme Court has helped him fulfill his nativist promise.
Today, Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky issued the following statement after House Republicans managed to pass their partisan, dangerous “Farm Bill”. H.R. 2, the Agriculture and Nutrition Act or “Farm Bill” of 2018, had already failed to pass the House floor once before. Republicans persisted in their attempt to devastate America’s anti-hunger programs:
Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, a Chief Deputy Whip, released the following statement after President Trump signed an order to end family separation by instituting indefinite family detention:
Today, Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky led 31 of her House Democratic colleagues in sending a letter to American Airlines Group CEO Doug Parker regarding American Airlines’ contract negotiations with passenger service agents at Envoy and Piedmont. The members wrote to express their hope that the negotiations will result in contracts that support fair, living wages for the passenger service agents. Recently, American Airlines announced plans to buy back $2 billion worth of company stock. The members highlighted this as evidence of the company’s continued success, which they believe passenger service agents should share in.
Today, Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, a member of the House Budget Committee and a Chief Deputy Whip, released the following statement on the House GOP’s FY19 budget resolution, which was unveiled earlier today:
“The Trump Administration’s policy of ripping families apart by tearing immigrant children as young as 5 months old from their parents represents the institutionalization of child abuse. I am appalled and outraged by these actions and have been working to overturn the Administration’s policy. Last week, I joined a group of my colleagues including Representatives Luis Gutiérrez and John Lewis in an act of civil disobedience to protest the Administration’s policies.
“It is estimated that 5 million older adults each year suffer from neglect, abuse or exploitation. Today, World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, is a time to focus attention on those – mostly women – who are at risk. They are our parents and our grandparents, our friends and our neighbors. They live in our country and around the world. They are suffering from physical and verbal abuse, domestic violence, income theft and manipulation, isolation, and lack of needed care and services. They need not just our attention but our action.