Media

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Illinois Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka passed away on Wednesday. Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky release the following statement on the strong Illinois leader:

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.

CHICAGO – Rep. Jan Schakowsky released the following statement on the House of Representatives’ passage of the United States-Israel Strategic Partnership Act of 2014:

“I was very pleased to see the House of Representatives pass the U.S.-Israel Strategic Partnership Act of 2014 by a voice vote. This bill has overwhelming bipartisan support. I joined more than 350 Representatives in cosponsoring the House version of the bill and urging action before Congress adjourns.

“I was a strong supporter and cosponsor of H.R. 647, the Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act of 2014. Unfortunately, when H.R. 647 was brought to the House floor, it added new provisions to fund its $2 billion, 10-year cost through provisions that I could not support – specifically, cuts in Medicare and Social Security. I was urged by organizations like AARP and physician groups like the AMA to reject this approach, and I agree with them that it is a dangerous precedent to set.

WASHINGTON, DC – Rep. Jan Schakowsky released the following statement regarding her vote on H.R. 3979, the FY2015 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

WASHINGTON, DC – “Today is a great day for hard working Chicagoans. Mayor Rahm Emanuel and a vast majority of the City Council passed an ordinance that will raise the minimum wage for all Chicagoans to $13 an hour by 2019.

In addition, this measure gives tipped workers in Chicago a long-needed raise. Currently, tipped workers across Illinois only get a minimum wage of $4.95 an hour – in Chicago that will increase to $5.45 by July 2015 and $5.95 by July 2016.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Reps. Jan Schakowsky, Luis Gutierrez, and Mike Quigley sent a letter to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy in support of the Agency’s consideration of a stronger standard for ground-level ozone (smog) pollution. Smog pollution poses serious risks to public health, including asthma. Children, the elderly, and those who work outdoors are most vulnerable to its impacts.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today a Grand Jury in St. Louis County has decided not to indict Officer Darren Wilson in the shooting death of Michael Brown. Rep. Jan Schakowsky issued the following statement on this decision:

“I am very disappointed that the Grand Jury decided not to indict Officer Darren Wilson for this summer’s shooting death of Michael Brown. Like many Americans, I am frustrated by a lack of accountability for this tragedy.