Congressman Krishnamoorthi questions former Ambassador Rahm Emanuel at a hearing of the Select Committee on the CCP. (Click the image above to watch highlights.)

On Wednesday, I co-led a Select Committee hearing on how the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) uses economic coercion to punish democracies—and how that coercion is now hurting American workers and families. The CCP has a history of targeting allies that speak out, from banning Australian wine to blocking Japanese seafood and Taiwanese pineapples. I brought “freedom wine” and “freedom pineapple cakes” to the hearing to highlight how democracies can fight back—together.

But this isn’t just about our allies—it’s about us. The U.S. depends on China for over 80% of rare earth processing and 90% of rare earth magnets, which power everything from EVs to appliances. After President Trump’s tariffs, China retaliated by restricting exports—forcing Ford to shut down a factory in Chicago. That’s the real cost of overreliance.

That’s why I sent letters this week to the Commerce and State Departments, urging tougher enforcement of export agreements and stronger coordination with allies to secure our supply chains. We can’t let the CCP hold our economy hostage. The solution is unity, resilience, and a strategy that protects American jobs and families. You can watch my opening statement here and my full questioning of the witnesses here and here.

Congressman Krishnamoorthi discusses the need for transparency on the Epstein Files. (Click the image above to watch the full interview.)

On Thursday, I joined MSNBC to discuss the bipartisan push for full transparency around the Jeffrey Epstein files. The American people deserve answers, and I support the Oversight Committee’s actions to subpoena all remaining documents and secure a deposition from Ghislaine Maxwell—while protecting victims and ensuring sensitive materials remain sealed.

But I also made clear: this can’t be allowed to paralyze Congress. Right now, critical legislation is being delayed—legislation that would keep the government open and deliver support for health care, education, and working families. My constituents aren’t just asking about Epstein. They’re asking when help is coming.

We need to move forward on both fronts: transparency and accountability, yes—but also action to lower costs, restore economic stability, and meet the urgent needs of the American people.

Last week, I introduced the Bringing Unfair Reporting Duties to Electeds Now (BURDEN) Act, a bill that would force every member of Congress to complete the same tedious paperwork Republicans imposed on millions of Americans through Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). Under my legislation, no member of Congress could enroll in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program unless they submit the same monthly “community engagement” paperwork now required of Americans who rely on Medicaid and SNAP. That includes recurring proof of income, employment, and eligibility.

In Illinois, more than 60 percent of Medicaid recipients already work full time and don’t receive health insurance through their jobs. Republicans are making their lives harder by delaying access to food and health care with bureaucratic red tape that serves no purpose but to punish the poor. If lawmakers think these requirements are reasonable, they should experience them firsthand. My bill will make sure they do by requiring members of Congress to complete what amounts to doing your taxes every month just to keep their taxpayer-funded health insurance. You can read more about my legislation here.

Last week, I joined House Oversight and Accountability Ranking Member Robert Garcia (D-CA) in demanding answers from Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. about his department’s reckless decision to eliminate critical, life-saving programs, including vaccine research and the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). For decades, these initiatives have enjoyed strong bipartisan support and played a vital role in strengthening global public health, particularly in the fight against HIV/AIDS, a crisis that still devastates many low-income countries. Cutting these programs not only threatens progress against deadly diseases but also abandons our allies and cedes ground to adversaries seeking to expand their influence. I will continue to push for the full restoration of these essential programs because no community, anywhere in the world, should be left behind in the fight to end HIV/AIDS. You can read more about my work on this vital public health effort here. 

As the first Member of Congress to investigate Juul’s role in fueling the youth vaping epidemic, I am deeply disappointed by the FDA’s decision to reauthorize its products, including menthol-flavored vapes that continue to lure young users. In 2019, I launched the original House investigation into Juul and co-founded the bipartisan Congressional Caucus to End the Youth Vaping Epidemic. Since then, I’ve authored legislation to ban flavored e-cigarettes, closed regulatory loopholes, and pressed the FDA to crack down on illegal products. Just this year, I called for urgent action on more than 6,000 unauthorized flavored vapes still flooding the market. This decision is a win for Big Tobacco and a loss for public health. I will not stop fighting to get these addictive, harmful products off the shelves and to protect our kids from a new generation of nicotine addiction.

The Congressional App Challenge is the official computer science competition of the U.S. House of Representatives. Since its launch in 2013, more than 50,000 students from 374 congressional districts across all 50 states and five U.S. territories have participated—making it the largest student coding competition in the nation. This competition is a unique opportunity to develop coding skills, unleash creativity, and design innovative solutions to real-world challenges.

I’m proud to announce that my office is participating in the 2025 Congressional App Challenge. Now through the end of October, middle and high school students of all coding skill levels in Illinois’s 8th Congressional District are encouraged to take part. Learn more and get started here.

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.