My Tuesday Zoom Town Hall on Getting a Good Job Without a College Degree and Other Updates

Dear Neighbors,

I hope this message finds you well. As always, if you have questions or concerns, please contact my office by calling (847) 413-1959, emailing me at [email protected], or sending a message through my website at https://krishnamoorthi.house.gov/contact/email. For more frequent updates, I encourage you to follow me on Twitter (X), Facebook, Instagram, and Threads.

Tuesday: Getting A Good Job Without a College Degree: A Zoom Town Hall for Job Seekers, Employers & Educators

As our economy changes, it is critical that our workforce and employers also evolve to capitalize on the talent of American workers and ensure the best qualified candidates are considered for every position. However, that is not always the case, as many employers are missing out on high-quality talent simply because outdated hiring systems often require unnecessary degrees instead of prioritizing the skills necessary to thrive in a job. To address this issue, and broader questions of hiring for our veterans and Americans without a four-year degree, I will be hosting a town hall on Tuesday, February 6^th, at 1:00pm CT entitled “Getting a Good Job Without a College Degree: A Town Hall for Job Seekers, Employers, and Educators.” You can RSVP for the webinar and panel discussion here, and I look forward to seeing you there.

My Hearings on Countering the Threats Posed by the Chinese Communist Party

Ranking Member Krishnamoorthi speaks on the importance of supporting our allies and protecting American national security from adversaries such as the CCP. (Click the image above to watch the Ranking Member’s full opening statement from Tuesday’s hearing.)

This week, as Ranking Member of the Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) I led two separate bipartisan hearings on threats posed to America by the CCP. On Tuesday, we heard from former President Barack Obama’s Secretary of Defense and CIA Director, Leon Panetta, and former President Donald Trump’s Secretary of State and CIA Director, Mike Pompeo, on the CCP’s continued support for America’s adversaries, including Russian President Vladimir Putin. As Ranking Member of the Committee, I questioned the two former secretaries on how the CCP’s backing for President Putin during its ongoing invasion and war in Ukraine not only strengthens Putin’s authoritarian grip on Russia, but how it threatens future peace in Europe and in Taiwan. Former Secretary Pompeo told our committee during my questioning that ending support for Ukraine’s efforts to drive out Putin’s forces embolden the CCP’s prospects of staging a similar invasion of the island of Taiwan and other democracies in the region. You can watch my opening statement by clicking here and my full question line with former Secretaries Panetta and Pompeo by clicking here.

On Wednesday, we held a second hearing on the threats posed by the CCP’s cyber program to America’s infrastructure and national security. The hearing featured a number of experts and stakeholders, including FBI Director Christopher Wray, U.S. Cyber Command General Paul Nakasone, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency Director Jen Easterly, and National Cyber Director Harry Coker, Jr. During my questioning, Director Wray told our committee the CCP’s hackers are standing by and awaiting orders to “wreak havoc” and attack critical civilian infrastructure, including electric grids, transportation systems, and water treatment facilities. As I said during the hearing, strengthening our cyber security and capacity to deter CCP aggression through offensive cyber operations is critical to our national security. You can watch my opening statement by clicking here and my full question line with the witnesses, including Director Wray, by clicking here.

Expanding the Child Text Credit, Supporting Research Investments, and Helping Small Businesses

No child should live in poverty, and that is why I was proud to join a majority of my colleagues from both parties on Wednesday in voting to pass the bipartisan Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act to expand the Child Tax Credit. This legislation will significantly reduce child poverty in America by lifting more than half a million children above the poverty line, helping 16 million more, and expanding the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit to put a roof over the heads of 200,000 American families. In addition, the legislation will eliminate red tape for small businesses and encourage domestic research investment, all without adding a nickel to the deficit. Despite the partisan theatrics that dominate too much of the news out of Washington, the American people sent my colleagues and I to Congress to make their lives better, and that is exactly what the bipartisan Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act does.

Calling on President Biden to Protect and Strengthen the United States Postal Service

On Thursday, I joined with Congressman Jamie Raskin, Ranking Member of the Committee on Oversight and Accountability, and 80 of my colleagues in urging President Joe Biden to swiftly fill the two open vacancies on the United States Postal Service’s (USPS) Board of Governors with members who are committed to lowering costs for consumers and businesses and maintaining the USPS’s high service standards. In the four years under current Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, the USPS has seen five separate price hikes, including one that took effect just days ago.

President Biden has a unique opportunity to positively shape the future of the USPS for generations to come by quickly nominating two members who will prioritize public service and the longevity of this critical American institution. In Congress, I will continue my work to hold Postmaster General DeJoy accountable and advocate for the protection and security of the USPS, which oversees the processing of 421 million pieces of mail and 23 million packages every single day for millions of Americans no matter their ZIP code. You can read the full letter here, and an article about the letter Ranking Member Raskin and I sent to the President in Reuters here.

Upcoming Mobile Office Hours

If you are unable to make it to our district office in Schaumburg, our staff is available at mobile office hours throughout the district. Share your concerns, questions, issues and get help navigating federal agencies at convenient locations across the district.

Our Next Wood Dale Office Hours: Wednesday, February 7^th: 10:00am – 1:00pm in the Wood Dale Public Library at 520 N Wood Dale Rd, Wood Dale, IL.

We will continue to hold additional office hours in Wood Dale on the first Wednesday of each month: March 6^th, April 3^rd, May 1^st, June 5^th, July 3^rd, August 7^th, September 4^th, October 2^nd, November 6^th, December 4^th.

Our Next Elgin Office Hours: Tuesday, February 13^th: 10:00am – 1:00pm at the Gail Borden Public Library (Elgin Branch) at 270 N. Grove Ave, Elgin, IL.

We will continue to hold additional office hours in Elgin on the second Tuesday of each month: March 12^th, April 9^th, May 14^th, June 11^th, July 9^th, August 13^th, September 10^th, October 8^th, November 12^th, December 10^th.

Our Next Des Plaines Office Hours: Tuesday, February 13^th: 9:30am – 11:30am in the Des Plaines Public Library at 1501 Ellinwood St, Des Plaines, IL.

We will continue to hold additional office hours in Wood Dale on the second Tuesday of every other month: April 9^th, June 11^th, August 13^th, November 12^th.

Stay Updated Through My Social Media Accounts

The best way to stay up to date on these issues beyond our newsletter is through my social media accounts, which I update multiple times each day. You can follow my Twitter (X) here, my Facebook page here, my Instagram here, and my Threads here. Thank you for staying engaged in our community.

Warm Regards,