Dear Friends,

I spent this week in the District listening to my constituents in a series of events dedicated to combatting the Trump administration. Thank you to everyone who called into my telephone town hall or attended the town hall in Pontiac. In the coming weeks and months, be on the look out for future opportunities to attend town halls, in person or on the phone, to share what issues are most important to you.

Engagement at Town Halls

The people of the Second District are engaged and speaking out — and I'm listening to you. I hosted an in-person town hall in Pontiac, Illinois, the most western part of the District. I had a special guest, Ed Yohnka with ACLU of Illinois, to give legal insight into the ongoing lawsuits against the Trump administration.

The night before, over 13,000 constituents called into my telephone town hall with concerns about DOGE's attacks against Social Security. I'm taking your concerns back to Washington to make it clear to Republicans that we must protect healthcare, SNAP, Social Security, and our democracy.

Tour of Free-N-Deed Market, a Food Pantry

I was in Dolton on Wednesday to tour Free-N-Deed, a food pantry, that serves the greater Cook County community with fresh food. Their work is essential in providing free meals to families, but they also shared concerns about potential cuts to food assistance programs.

The House Republican budget would cut $230 billion from Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which would affect over 190,000 people in the Second District. For every meal that a food pantry provides, SNAP provides nine meals. SNAP is an essential service to feed hungry families and lift people out of poverty.

Supporting Educators, 911 Operators

I kickstarted the week with a roundtable discussion on protecting public education against President Trump's plan to eliminate Title 1 grants. I heard from superintendents and public educators who are alarmed about the elimination of these grants, which would effectively fire 6,243 teachers in the Second District, explode class sizes, close schools and hurt students in low-income communities.

On Thursday, I toured the SouthCom Combined Dispatch Center to discuss its employees' mental health in Matteson. Emergency operators help callers in violent and disturbing situations – but after the call is over, operators themselves don't receive the mental health support and resources they need.

We need to take care of our 911 operators, especially as the Trump administration continues to slash people’s healthcare and mental health programs. I introduced bipartisan legislation to improve the mental health and well-being of operators and dispatchers. You can read more about the Providing Resources and Occupational Training for Emotional Crisis and Trauma (PROTECT) 911 Act here.

If you would like to share your thoughts with me, feel free to visit my website. You can also keep in touch through Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), and BlueSky.

Sincerely,

Robin L. Kelly
Member of Congress