It's been an exciting district work period

Dear friend,

Welcome to my August wrap-up newsletter. It’s been an exciting district work period and a joy meeting constituents across IL-04 for conversations and events! As we gear up for a busy legislative period back in Washington D.C., here’s a look back at what I’ve been up to this past month.

At the bottom of this email, you’ll find information on federal resources available for flood recovery, student debt relief, and more.

I joined Senator Dick Durbin and Mayor Barrett Pedersen to celebrate an $8 million investment through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to reduce the number of rail grade crossings in Franklin Park and make the remaining ones safer.

Cheaper Medication for 342,000 Seniors in Illinois

Thanks to provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act, last week President Biden announced the first 10 medications for which Medicare will begin to negotiate lower prices. This will reduce costs for nine million seniors across the country, including 342,000 seniors in Illinois.

Big Pharma has long fought this progress. Their profits continue to grow as they hike up drug prices and spend more on stock buybacks (which I’m trying to ban) and dividends than they do on research – even though three in ten Americans struggle to afford their medications.

Youth Advisory Council

I joined Rep. Norma Hernandez’s Youth Advisory Council and met incredible young leaders.

We discussed what civic engagement means to each of us and I shared that for me, it was about caring for your community and a commitment to improving conditions.

Two Town Halls

I hosted two town halls this month, one in Lyons and the other in Brookfield. Stay tuned for information on my next town hall. I hope to see you there!

Roundtable with Rep. Katherine Clark

I welcomed Democratic Whip Katherine Clark to Oak Brook to discuss our work in Congress to advance women’s rights. We met with women who are doing crucial work in our communities to fight for workers and expand access to health care, child care, parental leave, and workplace advancement.

Roundtable attendees listen as Members of Congress speak

Expanding Access to Work Permits

Expanding work permits will provide immigrants in our community — whether they arrived days or decades ago — with the employment opportunities they deserve. It’s also a smart way to address our labor shortage. With leaders at all levels of government, including Governor Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Johnson, I urged President Biden to take action.

Berwyn Citizenship Workshop

August marks one year since my office began hosting monthly citizenship workshops. And this month, I hosted the first of these workshops in Berwyn. We helped 50 participants with legal screening, application processing, and citizenship test preparation services.

Connectivity Workshop

Part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the Affordable Connectivity Program is an FCC benefit program that helps ensure low-income households can afford the broadband they need for work, school, health care and more. Eligible households can access discounts on monthly internet service and new computer purchases. I held a workshop to help constituents learn more about how to access these resources. For more information and to apply, please visit GetInternet.gov

FEMA Flood Recover Assistance

Cook County residents affected by the severe storm and flooding between June 29 - July 2, 2023, may now call, go online, or visit a Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) to register for disaster assistance from FEMA. To apply for assistance over the phone, please call (800) 621-3362. To apply for assistance online, please visit: DisasterAssistance.gov

Disaster Recovery Centers in IL-04

Morton College

3801 S. Central Avenue, Cicero, IL 60804
Monday - Saturday (Closed on Sundays)
7AM - 7PM

Berwyn Grove Avenue Parking Garage

3310 Grove Avenue, Berwyn, IL 60402
Monday - Sunday
7AM - 7PM

Below is additional information on how to apply for assistance and what to expect once you apply. You can also call my office if you have any additional questions:

(773) 342-0774 or (773) 475-0833.

Student Debt Relief Update

The Supreme Court’s decision to block student debt relief was terrible – but that doesn’t mean there aren’t options for relief. President Biden has announced that he will be using the Higher Education Act to try once again to cancel student debt for millions of borrowers, and I’m going to keep working in Congress to get this done.

Here's the good news: there are still opportunities to have some or all of your student debt canceled.

There are four types of income-driven repayment plans that you may be eligible for:

Revised Pay As You Earn Repayment Plan (REPAYE Plan)
Pay As You Earn Repayment Plan (PAYE Plan)
Income-Based Repayment Plan (IBR Plan). With this plan, your payments could be as low as $0/month depending on your income!
Income-Contingent Repayment Plan (ICR Plan)

You can figure out which of these plans is best for you by using this loan simulator.

President Biden has also finalized his new Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) plan. It makes sure that no borrower who makes less than $15 an hour will have to make any student loan payments. It will also make sure that interest doesn't pile up and increase your debt amount, and that your spouse's income can't be used to drive up your payment amount.

You can apply for the SAVE program here.

Help with a Federal Agency?

Our office has a dedicated team of caseworkers that assist constituents with many federal services. Some services we can help with:

Social Security claims
Medicare and Medicaid claims
Passport requests
SBA loans
Veterans benefits
Immigration case inquiries

Click here to request help.