Videos
Last week was another busy week in the 9th Congressional District! I love being out and about in the district, and this week was particularly exciting. I spent quite a bit of time in the newer parts of my district, McHenry and Lake Counties, and I also had the opportunity to meet with two different groups of high school students to discuss issues that are on their minds.
As I mentioned to you last week, extremist Republicans proceeded with yet another vote to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas over the Biden administration’s handling of the U.S.-Mexico border. Despite the fact that Republicans failed to produce any evidence that Secretary Mayorkas had violated his constitutional duties, the Republicans had enough votes this time
I had the great pleasure of joining my Democratic colleagues in the House of Representatives at the 2024 Issues Conference in Leesburg, Virginia. This was a time for Democrats to come together to discuss the issues that matter most to Americans. We heard from incredible speakers, including President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg.
As I have said many times before, we live in the richest country in the world at the richest moment in history. Yet, many Americans are unable to feel the full magnitude of our wealth. One of the biggest problems we face is income inequality. As big corporations continue to rake in record profits, there are many families struggling to put food on the table.
I had an absolutely fabulous week back home in the 9th Congressional District! I love getting to be out and about in our community, whether I am visiting a school, touring a non-profit organization, or meeting with local elected officials.
Once again, House Democrats saved the day by helping pass a continuing resolution, averting a catastrophic shutdown of the government. A total of 106 Republicans, nearly half of the entire House Republican Conference, voted against the continuing resolution and were prepared for a government shutdown.
Happy New Year! I hope your 2024 is off to a great start. Here in Washington, it is a new year, but we are seeing the same chaos from House Republicans. The far-right members of the Republican Party are angry that Speaker Mike Johnson has agreed to a deal with Democrats that will hopefully avert a partial shutdown of the government at the end of the week.
In all my years as a Member of Congress, I have never experienced a year quite like this. From Kevin McCarthy's rise and fall from the speakership to averting two government shutdowns which would have had disastrous consequences for everyday Americans, the past year was historic and unprecedented to say the least.
To finish out the legislative year in Washington, the House of Representatives voted on the Fiscal Year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). This bill authorizes a staggering $886 billion in new spending for the Department of Defense. Our greatest security threats have no military solutions, and it is time our budget reflected that.
I had a big week in Washington! I am thrilled that my bill, the bipartisan TICKET Act, unanimously passed 45-0 out of the Energy & Commerce Committee. This bill will transform the experience of buying event tickets online.