We heard from residents across the 8th District deeply concerned about losing access to affordable coverage as Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax credits near expiration. Unless Congress acts before December 31, premiums could double for millions of families nationwide. More than 4 million people are projected to lose coverage in the first year alone. In Illinois, 418,000 residents rely on these credits to keep their insurance affordable. If they expire, the average family could pay $1,000 to $1,800 more per year, with some seeing increases of $800 a month. A 60-year-old couple earning $82,000 could face an annual premium hike of nearly $18,000—one-fifth of their income.

Following the town hall, I wrote to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz to warn against the agency’s proposal to expand eligibility for so-called “catastrophic” health plans as a substitute for extending ACA tax credits. With deductibles approaching $10,000 per year, these plans would leave families paying out of pocket for most of their care and do nothing to address the underlying affordability crisis. Instead, I urged CMS to support congressional action to extend the ACA tax credits that have enabled more than 22 million Americans to gain coverage through the marketplace—helping double enrollment since 2020.

This week, I was joined by Bob White, a leading local immigration attorney, to discuss the state of our immigration system following sweeping policy changes by the Trump administration. My office has been inundated with questions about these new rules, particularly how revisions to student and work visas, as well as programs like Temporary Protected Status (TPS), affect individuals who are living and working here legally.

The message from both the town hall and my letter was clear: these challenges are solvable if Congress and federal agencies act responsibly. Extending ACA tax credits would stabilize insurance markets, preserve access to care, and prevent hospitals and nursing homes from being pushed past the breaking point. I will continue fighting to extend these credits, reverse the OBBBA’s reckless cuts, and restore a government that puts the health and well-being of the American people first.

As the Trump Administration intensifies its mass-deportation campaign, I’ve continued pressing for transparency and accountability across our immigration enforcement system. Earlier this month, I attempted to perform a lawful congressional inspection at the ICE facility in Broadview, Illinois, following reports of abuses and escalating federal activity in the Chicago area. Once again, I was denied entry—a troubling continuation of the administration’s pattern of secrecy and obstruction.

I’ve demanded that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem explain why the Department furloughed its Office of Detention Oversight during the shutdown, halting the very watchdog that protects 60,000 people in federal custody, while keeping full-scale enforcement operations active. I also raised concerns over mistreatment of journalists covering ICE raids in Broadview, where reporters have described being pepper-sprayed and detained. Such actions raise serious constitutional and moral questions about how federal agencies use their power.

The need for transparency became painfully clear after the recent Hoffman Estates incident, where video showed ICE agents violently detaining a teenager later released without charges. Local officials confirmed the incident as a Department of Homeland Security official falsely claimed the footage was from a year earlier in Chicago, highlighting the confusion and fear created by the administration’s “Operation Midway Blitz.” This episode underscores why rigorous congressional oversight is essential. Whether protecting detainees and bystanders, ensuring journalists can report freely, or holding federal agencies accountable, I’ll keep fighting to ensure our government upholds the rule of law and the dignity of every person.

Last week, I was proud to introduce legislation to rename the United States Post Office at 1300 East Northwest Highway in Palatine as the “Bernie Bluestein Post Office Building,” honoring Bernard “Bernie” Bluestein, a 102-year-old northwest suburban resident and one of the last surviving members of the U.S. Army’s famed Ghost Army.

Bernie answered his country’s call during World War II, serving in a top-secret Army unit that used creativity, courage, and ingenious deception tactics, including inflatable tanks and sonic illusions, to mislead enemy forces and protect American troops. Their extraordinary work helped the Allies secure victory and save countless lives, though their mission remained classified for decades. In 2024, Bernie and his fellow Ghost Army veterans finally received the Congressional Gold Medal for their bravery and ingenuity. Today, his legacy continues to inspire students at Harper College in Palatine, where he has studied and mentored young artists for more than 35 years, and where the sculpture studio now bears his name.

Renaming the Palatine Post Office in his honor is a fitting, permanent tribute to a humble hero who embodies the spirit of the Greatest Generation and the very best of Illinois. I’m grateful to Senator Dick Durbin, the entire Illinois congressional delegation, Bernie’s family, and the Harper College community for their partnership in making this recognition possible. You can read more about Bernie and the Ghost Army in the New York Times here and more about my post office legislation in the Daily Herald here.

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.