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, Threads, and Bluesky.
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Congressman Krishnamoorthi highlights the disastrous effects the House Republican budget proposal would have on Illinois families during the hearing. (Click the image above to watch the congressman’s full question line.)
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On Thursday, I participated in a Committee on Oversight and Government Reform hearing where I defended Illinois from President Donald Trump’s baseless attacks while also calling attention to the devastating impacts the House Republican budget proposal would have on critical programs such as Medicaid. During the hearing, which featured three Democratic governors, including Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, I called out President Trump for his recent deployment of National Guard troops to Los Angeles as a dangerous distraction to help him avoid having to defend the Republican budget resolution. If enacted, this bill would force at least 700,000 Illinoisans off Medicaid, a move that Gov. Pritzker told me would result in Illinoisans dying without access to health care.
During the hearing, I also addressed President Trump’s baseless claim that Illinois is “poorly run.” The facts tell a completely different story. Illinois has balanced its budget seven years in a row and earned nine credit rating upgrades in six years. Illinois’ $1.1 trillion economy ranks second in the nation in manufacturing, first in soybean production, and second in corn, while remaining a top destination for corporate expansions and relocations. Illinois isn’t propped up by Washington. In fact, we’re one of just 13 states that send more to the Our state is strong, growing, and leading, no matter what President Trump says. You can watch my full question line here, and my introduction of Gov. Pritzker here.
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On Tuesday, I joined with Congressman Stephen Lynch (D-MA), Acting Ranking Member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, in sending a letter to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., challenging his recent attacks on life-saving vaccines and scientific experts at the agency. On Monday, Secretary Kennedy abruptly fired all 17 members of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), the board in charge of making evidence-based vaccine recommendations. Secretary Kennedy also announced HHS would restrict access to COVID-19 vaccines, taking the option for annual boosters away from millions of Americans.
Vaccines are a critical tool for public health officials and are responsible for preventing roughly four million deaths worldwide each year. The decision to remove nonpartisan, independent medical experts from the vaccination process is irresponsible, and will endanger American lives. The move is even more disturbing given Secretary Kennedy’s history promoting medical misinformation and conspiracy theories. Government officials owe it to the public to follow the science in preserving the health of Americans. You can read my letters to Secretary Kennedy here.
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Last week, I reintroduced my congressional resolution to double federal funding for career and technical education (CTE). During my time in Congress, I’ve been proud to lead the fight for greater funding for CTE programs. This includes my bipartisan Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act, signed into law in 2018, which reformed CTE programs for the first time in more than a decade and provided nearly $1.4 billion annually to programs across Illinois and around the country.
Evolving and adapting to new challenges is what has kept American workers and our economy ahead of the curve in an increasingly competitive world. By investing in CTE programs now, we can better equip workers and students with the skills needed to succeed. I have traveled all across Illinois over the past year speaking with labor leaders, educators, students, and workers about the need to strengthen our workforce and our economy, and I believe expanding CTE funding will keep America and our workers ahead. You can read the full text of the resolution here.
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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, my Threads here, and my Bluesky here. Thank you for staying engaged in our community.
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