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 speaks about the dangers of Republicans trying to cut Medicaid, SNAP, and other critical social programs. (Click the image above to watch the full opening statement.)
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On Wednesday, I spoke at a House Oversight hearing to defend the social safety net programs that millions of Americans rely on. These vital programs are now under attack by Congressional Republicans and President Trump as the Senate takes up their extreme budget package. The House GOP has already passed the bill, even though it slashes $900 billion from Medicaid and strips coverage from 1.3 million Medicare beneficiaries, all to fund tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans. In total, the legislation would kick 16 million people off their health insurance and may force eight hospitals, including several in the Chicago area, to shut down. That means fewer doctors, fewer nurses, longer wait times, and worse care for everyone. President Trump’s budget is an assault on working families and seniors, and I’ll keep fighting to stop it.
In my opening statement as Ranking Member, I emphasized that programs like Medicaid and SNAP are vital to keeping the American Dream within reach. I know this firsthand—my family relied on food stamps and public housing for a time when I was growing up, and those programs changed the course of my life for the better. Slashing these lifelines to fund tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy isn’t fiscal responsibility; it’s sheer cruelty. I will not stand by while working families, children, and seniors lose critical services to bankroll tax cuts for the wealthiest among us. These programs are more than line items in a budget—they're a promise that no matter where you start in this country, you deserve a fair shot at achieving the American Dream of a middle-class life. I’m committed to defending that promise. You can watch my opening statement here.
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Congressman Krishnamoorthi questions witnesses on the Trump administration’s decision to eliminate the LGBTQ+ crisis hotline (Click the image above to watch the clip.)
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During Wednesday’s hearing, I also pressed witnesses on President Donald Trump’s recent decision to shut down the LGBTQ+ youth component of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Ending this specialized service isn’t just misguided, it’s dangerous, and it could cost young lives. LGBTQ+ youth are four times more likely to face suicide risk than their peers. Since becoming fully operational 24/7 in March 2023, the hotline has handled over 1.3 million calls, texts, and chats, proof of both the need and its effectiveness. As of early 2025, it was receiving more than 2,100 contacts each day. The hearing came just hours after I led a bipartisan letter urging Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to reverse the decision and preserve this critical lifeline. Support for the service has long been bipartisan. In fact, President Trump himself signed the original lifeline into law in 2018. We have a moral obligation to protect every young person in crisis, and abandoning LGBTQ+ youth in their most vulnerable moments is simply indefensible. You can watch my full line of questioning from the hearing here and read more about the letter in the Windy City Times here.
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Congressman Krishnamoorthi speaks on the House Floor against political violence. (Click the image above to watch the full remarks.)
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On Tuesday, I took to the House floor with a heavy heart to condemn the horrific acts of political violence that claimed the lives of Minnesota Speaker Emeritus Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, and seriously injured State Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette. These were not random acts; they were targeted attacks. The shooter left behind notes naming other public officials, including me. This was a warning. Political violence is no longer theoretical; it is real, it is rising, and it poses a growing threat not just to public servants but to our democracy itself. We must face three hard truths. First, this violence is escalating. Second, it’s not just about individual victims. It destabilizes our institutions and threatens civic participation. And third, we must respond with unity and resolve. That means rejecting the violent rhetoric and conspiracy theories that fuel this hatred and recommitting to civil, democratic dialogue, together, as Republicans and Democrats. Melissa Hortman and John Hoffman deserve more than our thoughts. They deserve our action and our promise: never again. You can watch my full floor speech here.
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On Thursday, I introduced the bipartisan Connecting Students with Mental Health Services Act, legislation designed to expand access to school-based mental health resources, particularly in underserved communities and under-resourced school districts. Amid rising rates of anxiety, depression, and behavioral health challenges among youth, many students face significant barriers to obtaining timely and appropriate care. This bill aims to strengthen the capacity of schools to identify at-risk students, coordinate with community-based providers, and deliver early interventions. By investing in these supports, the legislation seeks to promote educational attainment, social-emotional development, and long-term well-being for all students, regardless of socioeconomic status or geographic location.
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Ranking Member Krishnamoorthi speaks about the future of AI. (Click the image above to watch the full opening statement.)
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On Wednesday, I co-led a hearing of the Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) focused on the future of artificial intelligence (AI). As Ranking Member, I shared the story of Ann Johnson, a stroke survivor who lost her ability to speak but regained her voice thanks to AI technology, an inspiring example of how AI can uplift lives when used responsibly. But AI is also being exploited in harmful ways. That’s why I welcomed the Illinois General Assembly’s recent passage of the first law in the country banning AI chatbots from providing therapy, including to children; a commonsense measure to protect vulnerable users. At the hearing, I also announced new bipartisan, bicameral legislation I’m introducing with Chairman John Moolenaar (R-MI) called the No Adversarial AI Act. The bill would prevent federal agencies from deploying AI technologies built by companies under the influence of foreign adversaries, including the Chinese Communist Party and Russia. This covers platforms like DeepSeek, which harvests sensitive data from American users and is closely connected to the CCP. We must ensure the tools that shape our future are safe, secure, and aligned with American values. You can read more about my bill here. Finally, I also previewed upcoming legislation I’m developing called the Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) Safety Act. Unlike today’s AI, which is designed for narrow tasks, AGI refers to systems with the capacity to learn and reason across a wide range of subjects at or beyond human level. This legislation will ensure that any future AGI is aligned with human values, operates within the rule of law, and is accountable to democratic oversight. This revolutionary technology holds immense potential to improve lives, but we must act now to put in place safeguards that ensure its development reflects and protects American values. You can watch my opening statement here and my question line 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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