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CHICAGO – This month the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded two grants to Open Communities, a nonprofit that advocates for fair and affordable housing based in Winnetka, Illinois. With grants for $316,389 and $124,453 respectively, Open Communities will continue its critical work in the north suburbs of Chicago to help expose and eliminate housing discrimination and to support its education and outreach efforts on fair housing initiatives. Rep. Jan Schakowsky released the following statement about this announcement:

CHICAGO – On Wednesday a federal jury returned guilty verdicts for four former Blackwater security guards charged in the September 16, 2007 shootings of more than 30 Iraqis in Baghdad. The defendants were charged with the deaths of 14 Iraqis and the wounding of 17 others at Baghdad’s Nisour Square. Rep. Jan Schakowsky released the following statement in response:

Raising the Wage Would Help 28 million Americans and 48,000 Residents in the 9^th District of Illinois

Rep. Jan Schakowsky, a cosponsor of H.R. 1010, the Fair Minimum Wage Act, released the following statement on National Minimum Wage Day:

CHICAGO – The Department of Labor today announced that it would move forward to implement minimum wage and overtime protections for home care workers on January 1, 2015. Home care workers had previously been exempted from Fair Labor Standards Act protections. Department of Labor enforcement will be delayed for 6 months, giving states, employers and others additional time to address any logistical issues. Rep. Jan Schakowsky issues the following statement on this announcement:

CHICAGO – Rep. Jan Schakowsky, a founding member of the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus, issued the following statement upon the Supreme Court’s decision not to hear a series of marriage equality cases:

“Today’s decision by the Supreme Court is another in a series of victories for LGBT equality. I am very happy for LGBT couples in Wisconsin, Indiana, Virginia, Utah and Oklahoma who can now marry and receive the same treatment under the law as traditionally married couples.

CHICAGO –Today, the Department of Labor announced that 248,000 jobs were added and the national unemployment rate fell to 5.9 percent in September. Rep. Jan Schakowsky issued the following statement in response:

Today’s jobs report marks significant progress in our economic recovery. 248,000 jobs were added, bringing the total jobs added this year above 2 million. For the first time since the Great Recession began in 2008, our national unemployment rate fell below 6 percent. September was also the 55th straight month of private sector job growth.