Jan's Plans & Pans - June 7, 2024

Yesterday, we honored the sacrifices made by those on D-Day, and the millions of others who aided the war effort worldwide. I have had the great privilege of meeting brave constituents who fought valiantly that fateful day. We owe our freedom and the reach of democracy in our world to them.

In paying tribute to our fallen heroes, we must recommit to honoring our active-duty military personnel and our veterans. Not only do they deserve our respect and recognition, but they also deserve to know that we have their backs.

We owe them an enormous debt and must ensure that they receive the health care, education, housing, and other benefits that they have earned. Any veteran or active-duty military personnel in need of assistance, please reach out to my office.

Take care,

Schakowsky Stands Up for Reproductive Justice

Last Congress, 195 House Republicans voted against a bill that would’ve protected access to contraception. Our bodily autonomy is at stake. This week, I was happy to sign a discharge petition to force a vote on the Right to Contraception Act to finally codify access to contraception.

Schakowsky Meets with Advocates from March Fourth

Nobody should have to fear losing their life at school, a parade, or anywhere in-between. Bulletproof backpacks and active shooter drills cannot become the norm. Ahead of National Gun Violence Awareness Day, it was great to meet with some of the advocates from March Fourth tirelessly working to make our community safer. Together, we can put an end to gun violence.

Schakowsky Tours Swift Childcare Center Visit with Early Childhood Alliance of Niles Township

The importance of early childhood education cannot be denied! Did you know that 90% of the brain develops before age five? It is proven that children with quality early learning experiences have better grades, are healthier, and have higher incomes later in life. Early Childhood Alliance of Niles Township has been working tirelessly to help families access early childhood learning programs, such as those offered at Swift Childcare Center in Skokie, regardless of their socioeconomic status. 

My district office helped a constituent obtain a travel document to visit family during an emergency:

“We want to express enormous gratitude for all the support provided by Rep. Schakowsky and her team. We were in a very complicated situation with the loss of a family member, and they gave us their help to obtain a permit to travel to support our family in such a painful moment.

"We were in a moment of great sadness as a family, and we wanted to be close to them. We thought this was going to take a long time, but thanks to the help and concern of Rep. Schakowsky's office, it only took one week to be reunited with my family. We will be forever grateful for all the help provided.”

Michael & Geraldine

Passport Renewal

Remember to check your passport validity before booking any summer travel plans! Current processing times for passports are: 6-8 weeks for routine and 2-3 weeks for expedited. These times are subject to change and are posted on the Dept. of State Website.  Please apply well in advance of your travel date – if your travel date is sooner than the current processing times, you may not get your passport in time for travel.

Please remember that emergency in-person appointments at the Chicago Passport Agency are intended for emergencies and availability is not guaranteed unless it is a life or death emergency! These appointments are not and have never been intended for routine renewal. If you have upcoming travel you should NOT plan on receiving an appointment at the Chicago Passport Agency. Passport renewals are intended to go through the mail. 

Did you know that many countries require your passport to be valid for several months beyond your date of travel? Depending on your destination, validity requirements can vary from 3 to 6 months beyond the date of travel! You can check the requirements for your destination on the Dept. of State Website under "International Travel" and "Country Information".

If you have planned travel and have a pending application that may not arrive on time, or if you need an emergency appointment at the Chicago Passport Agency, the Constituent Advocates in my District Office are happy to help! Please call the office at 773-506-7100, or you can open a case with my office online.