Jan's Plans & Pans - March 13, 2025

On Tuesday, Republicans in the House of Representatives passed a disastrous funding bill that gives President Donald Trump and unelected billionaire Elon Musk power to steal from the middle class, seniors, veterans, working people, and small businesses to pay for tax breaks for billionaires.

If passed through the Senate, this bill will cut $13 billion in domestic spending. This means countless families will be forced to find food elsewhere after their nutrition program benefits are cut, veterans who were exposed to burn pits will see their health care slashed, and thousands of low-income and working Americans will no longer receive the rent subsidies that they rely on. 

This bill will allow Elon Musk and President Trump to fire thousands of employees at the Social Security Administration, which would result in closures of Social Security offices, increased wait times, and unacceptable backlogs for Americans trying to access their earned benefits. Make no mistake about it, the GOP is trying to steal your lifesaving benefits. Americans have paid into Social Security with each and every paycheck and deserve to retire with dignity and respect.

Government funding is set to expire at the end of the day on Friday. House Democrats stand united behind a four-week funding extension that stops harmful cuts to hardworking Americans, keeps the government open, and allows Congress to reach a bipartisan funding agreement. I am ready to vote today or tomorrow to pass a four-week extension. Please stay tuned for the latest updates.

Take care,

Schakowsky Speaks About the Impacts of Medicaid Cuts

Constituents have been calling me non-stop to share just how important Medicaid is to them and their families. Whether it helps pay for their caregiver or their medication, Medicaid is a lifesaver. To my GOP colleagues, I know you are getting these calls too. Americans' health care is more important than billionaire tax cuts. 

Schakowsky Introduces Legislation to Protect and Expand Social Security

Social Security is your hard-earned money; it is not an entitlement. Trump and his billionaire friends are trying to enrich themselves at your expense. As we speak, they are firing Social Security staff and closing down offices in communities across the country. We must expand Social Security benefits, not cut them, and I have a bill to do just that. To watch a short video about my bill, click here. 

Schakowsky Leads Effort to Protect Women and Health Care Providers

Since Roe v. Wade was overturned, anti-abortion extremists have relentlessly threatened and attacked patients and health care providers—blatantly violating federal law. Instead of prosecuting these criminals, Trump and Republicans are trying to gut this critical protection. This fight isn’t just about policy—it is a battle for human dignity and justice. To read more about my letter, click here.

Schakowsky Works to Prevent Public Broadcasting Cuts

Not only do public television stations like WTTW play a critical role in educating our kids, but they also connect our communities. Local stations shine a light on the people, places, and stories that are the fabric of our neighborhoods. We must protect public broadcasting.

Schakowsky Stands with National Treasury Employee Union Members

The rain is not going to stop me from rallying for what is right. I refuse to let Trump and his billionaire sidekick Elon Musk get away with illegally firing workers. We must all come together and make our voices heard.

Schakowsky Joins a Rally to Protect Science

I was proud to join a Stand Up for Science Rally to call out the blatant attacks by Trump on our scientific institutions. Our critical research is under attack and we must fight back. I will always stand with students, scientists, and civil servants to support the mission of the scientific community.

Join Me for a Virtual Town Hall!

We are living in unprecedented times. We have a President of the United States who thinks he has unilateral power and is breaking our laws and violating our constitution day in and day out. Please join me and some special guests, Congressman Jamie Raskin (MD-08), the ACLU, and the National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC), for a Virtual Town Hall to discuss what is going on in Washington. Please be sure to send in your questions when you sign up. Space is limited, and the town hall will be recorded and posted on Rep. Schakowsky's YouTube page once finished. Click here to register.

Follow Me on BlueSky

During this fraught time, it is more important than ever that we stand together and stay connected. Follow me on Bluesky to keep up with my latest work on behalf of the 9th Congressional District of Illinois. Click here to follow.

Colonel A.W. was a C-130 pilot in the Afghan Air Force. He supported the efforts of U.S. troops in Afghanistan in this capacity for years. As the country was falling to the Taliban in 2021, Col. A.W. risked his life countless times by working tirelessly and covertly to evacuate U.S. service members and Afghan allies to Kabul for evacuation out of the country.

On his final mission, after the country completely fell, his plane was shot at by the Taliban as he flew the plane, full of passengers, in the dark through the mountains. He completed every mission, including this last one, without a single casualty. He was commanded to leave with American service members out of Kabul, with the promise that his wife, daughter, and son were going to be located, taken to the airport, and evacuated on subsequent flights, which, unfortunately, due to the difficult circumstances that followed did not happen. Since then, Colonel A.W. has been working tirelessly to complete the needed documents so he can be reunited with his family. However, his reality is now very different, and because of the new administration’s policies, he does not know if he will ever be able to reunite with his wife and two children.

The man who evacuated thousands to safety could not evacuate his own family, and he and his family now live with the uncertainty and sadness of being separated from each other for years to come.

Since his 2021 resettlement to Chicago, Col. A.W. has been working, and he has dedicated his new American life to helping refugees lead fulfilling and successful lives.

Direct File Open for Taxpayers in Illinois

Direct File is now open for eligible taxpayers in Illinois! Direct File includes new features this year to make filing taxes quicker and easier. Similar to commercial tax software, a data import tool allows taxpayers to opt-in to automatically import data from their IRS account, including personal information, the taxpayer’s IP PIN and some information from the taxpayer’s W-2. 

This year, Direct File users can try a new chat bot to help guide them through the eligibility checker. Live chat is again available in English and Spanish, and users can opt into additional authentication and verification, which allows customer service representatives to provide more information.

Also, this year, Direct File covers more tax situations. Previously, Direct File supported taxpayers claiming the Earned Income Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit and Credit for Other Dependents. This year, Direct File also covers taxpayers claiming the:

• Child and Dependent Care Credit
• Premium Tax Credit
• Credit for the Elderly and Disabled
• Retirement Savings Contribution Credits

In addition to covering taxpayers claiming the standard deduction and deductions for student loan interest and educator expenses, this year, Direct File supports taxpayers claiming deductions for Health Savings Accounts. The Treasury Department estimates that more than 30 million taxpayers are eligible to use Direct File across the 25 states. 

Direct File is a web-based service that works on mobile phones, laptops, tablets or desktop computers. It guides taxpayers through a series of questions to prepare their federal tax return step-by-step. Last year, thousands of Direct File users got help from IRS customer service representatives through a live chat feature in English and Spanish. Once taxpayers have completed their federal tax return, the Direct File system automatically guides them to state tools to complete their state tax filings.

Social Security Fairness Act

On January 5th, 2025, President Joe Biden signed the Social Security Fairness Act into law! This bipartisan legislation eliminates the Government Pension Offset (GPO), which reduces Social Security benefits for workers who receive a public pension. The bill also repealed the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP), which reduces Social Security survivor or spousal benefits for persons whose spouse has or had a public pension. The changes to the Social Security Administration (SSA) calculations made by this legislation will apply to monthly benefits accrued in January 2024 and beyond.

I have been fighting to repeal the Government Pension Offset (GPO) and Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) for decades. Public employees who qualify for Social Security based on their, or a spouse’s, work history should not be penalized by having their earned benefits reduced. As a Co-Chair and Co-Founder of the House Democratic Task Force on Aging and Families, I will continue to fight for policies that support public employees and their families.

This new law involves multiple federal agencies and is a large undertaking by Social Security. Social Security is in the process of creating and implementing the new method of benefit calculation and will not be able to distribute the money owed to those impacted by this legislation until that method is finalized. As soon as this process is completed, those who are impacted by this will see an increase to their current benefits, as well as a lump sum for the retroactive benefits that are due from January 2024 until the time of implementation.

For now, it is my understanding that, as a benefit recipient, you do not need to do anything yet. It is suggested that everyone set up a SSA account on the Social Security website, SSA.gov, so that you are able to stay informed, and I will include updates in my Plans and Pans as l learn more!

Passport Renewal

Remember to check your passport validity before booking any travel plans! Current processing times for passports are: 4-6 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.