Happy Saturday!

Press Release

I hope your weekend is going well!

A lot has been happening in the last few weeks, so I thought I'd give you an update on some of the issues that I am focusing on.

Gun Safety Legislation

Today, hundreds of thousands of Americans will take to the streets to demand legislative action on gun safety. In cities across the country, marches have been organized by young activists who have had enough of the gun violence that plagues our communities. From the horrifying reality of constant school shootings, to the everyday threats of gun violence faced in cities like Chicago, it is clear that our country must make significant changes to protect our children and our communities. I stand in solidarity with everyone marching today. I am awed by the activism of the students, and I have had the chance to meet them and rally with them both at home in Illinois and in Washington, DC. I will continue to advocate for common-sense gun safety legislation like an assault weapons ban and raising the age of purchase for all firearms to 21.

Omnibus Funding Bill

This week, Congress passed an "omnibus' appropriations bill that will fund the government through September 30th, 2018. I voted against the bill, which was signed into law by President Trump after a bizarre back and forth. Although it includes many hard-won priorities for the American people, the spending bill leaves far too many major issues unresolved. This "omnibus' may be the last major piece of legislation to pass the Congress this year, and Republicans failed to resolve the most critical issues facing the American people.

President Trump and Republicans in Congress refused to include measures to prevent large health insurance premium increases next fall because Democrats wouldn't agree to their demands to reduce women's access to abortions in exchange. They did little to improve background checks for gun purchases and nothing to restrict deadly assault weapons. They also refused to provide certainty or a pathway to citizenship for 1.8 million Dreamers thrown into limbo by President Trump's decision to rescind DACA. I could not in good conscience support a spending bill that leaves so many Americans behind. If you'd like to read more about my decision to vote against the bill, please read my full statement here.

Affordable Care Act

Friday, March 23rd marked the eighth anniversary of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) being signed into law. Since it was enacted, the ACA has helped Americans get access to quality, affordable health care. This week, I spoke on the House floor to commemorate the ACA's anniversary and to speak out against Republican efforts to undermine Americans' health care:

Medicare Cards are Changing

The red, white, and blue Medicare Card is getting a new look this year! Beginning in April of 2018, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will begin issuing new Medicare cards. They will not include Social Security numbers, and will have new ID numbers and a new look. Medicare recipients in the greater Chicagoland area will not receive their new cards until this summer. Follow this link for more information on how the change could affect you and what to do if you have any questions or concerns.

As always, I welcome your input, comments and questions about policies, legislation and issues. Please call, write or email me to let me know your opinions and thoughts. If you're on social media, make sure you follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Sincerely,

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