Today, the U.S. House Appropriations Committee has announced that the Committee will begin accepting requests for Community Project Funding for the Fiscal Year 2024 appropriations process. Community Project Funding enables Members of Congress to direct federal spending towards specific projects and programs that address the most significant needs facing our communities. The deadline for all appropriations requests submission to my office is Wednesday, May 1^st at 12pm CT. 

I am proud that 15 projects in our district that I nominated through this process last year were approved for funding, bringing $14.5 million in support for critical local projects such as job training, affordable housing development, and initiatives to improve and expand our public facilities.

This year my office is permitted to submit 15 requests, and we hope to bring home even more federal funding to the 8th District. Only state, local, and tribal governments; publicly owned entities; and certain non-profit entities are eligible for Community Project Funding. Projects must apply for specific federal funding accounts within a specific federal agency, and not all federal funding accounts are eligible. Applicants will also need to demonstrate strong community support for the proposed project.

Please be aware that this year, the Republican majority on the House Appropriations Committee has made projects in the following accounts ineligible to receive Community Project Funding: 

•  The Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Subcommittee (LHHS)

•  The Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee (FSGG)

All requests must be submitted to my office by Wednesday, May 1^st at 12pm CT. You can learn more about the application process here.

On Wednesday, President Joe Biden signed into law bipartisan legislation I championed to strengthen our security from the Taiwan Strait to the battlefields of Ukraine and the phones of 170 million Americans. By signing the bipartisan national security supplemental package into law, President Biden has made America safer. Supporting key U.S. security partners, including Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan while also addressing the threats posed by our adversaries and providing humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza and Ukraine, demonstrates American leadership to the world. By strengthening our security capabilities and those of our allies, we are reinforcing our deterrence and reducing the risk of conflict with adversaries abroad, including the Chinese Communist Party. This bipartisan achievement underscores our commitment to the security of the United States and democracies across the world.

By including my Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, this package addresses the threats posed to our national security by the CCP’s control of TikTok through ByteDance and by other social media platforms controlled by adversaries. Under the People’s Republic of China (PRC)’s National Intelligence Law, PRC-based companies must cooperate with the government’s intelligence services. Because TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, is a PRC company, TikTok is legally required to hand over user data to the CCP upon demand and manipulate its algorithm at the party’s order.

To address these espionage threats, I have led Congressional efforts since 2022 in examining our best options. Through that process we have determined that this bill is the only way to address the national security threat due to TikTok being controlled by a foreign adversary. If ByteDance sells TikTok, those security concerns are addressed while keeping the app online and available for its users. That's why my bill provides TikTok upwards of a year for ByteDance to sell TikTok and remain in operation while establishing a path to addressing similar threats posed by any other foreign adversary-controlled applications that emerge. American law has long limited foreign ownership of broadcast networks. Applying that same standard to social media platforms that pose a severe national security threat, like TikTok, is simply updating our security laws for the 21^st century.

On Saturday, May 18^th, my office will host a passport fair in collaboration with the Gail Borden Library. This event provides an opportunity for everyone in need of a new passport, whether for renewal or as a first-time applicant, to complete their application with expert assistance for any questions. The fair will take place at 270 N. Grove Ave. in Elgin from 9:00am to 1:00pm. You can find the  necessary forms and additional information on the State Department’s website by clicking here and can RSVP for the event here.

If you are unable to make it to our district office in Schaumburg, our staff are 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, May 1^st: 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: 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, May 14^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: 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, June 11^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 Des Plaines on the second Tuesday of every other month: August 13^th and November 12^th.

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.