Dear John,

I know Americans are counting on Congress to take action on the issues that matter the most to you - increasing prices, inflation, and the climate crisis. I'm back in Washington, D.C. this week to vote on the Inflation Reduction Act. This legislation is a historic investment in fighting the climate change crisis, reducing inflation, and bringing down prices for prescription drugs and health care.

As I prepare to vote for this momentous bill, I want to take a moment to update you on what I have accomplished for Illinois’ 5th District so far this year.

I'm proud to share that five of my bills were passed by the House of Representatives in 2022. These bills combat gun violence, keep communities safe from dangerous animals, provide critical funding for our federal government, and will help prevent the next pandemic. Earlier this year, I also secured $10 million in funding for community projects around Chicago, and most recently, I started the process of securing another $15.3 million for projects in our district. This funding has been passed by the Appropriations Committee, and I am hopeful it will soon pass the full House.

This year has proven that while issues here at home demand our attention, we cannot ignore events beyond our borders. I have used my position as Co-Chair of the Congressional Ukraine Caucus to advocate for supporting Ukraine. In February, I led 115 members in a letter to President Biden requesting Temporary Protective Status designation for Ukrainians. The following month, the administration heeded our call and announced TPS for Ukrainians.

Just last month, I visited Ukraine and met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. I saw the atrocities the Russian army committed in Bucha - mass graves, buildings in ruin, and families' lives changed forever. Overall, I have been proud to help provide over $10.3 billion in military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine since the invasion. During my visit, I saw that what the United States has provided has made a difference in this war, and we must continue to aid Ukraine as they seek to save their country and its people.

Abortion is healthcare, and I will continue to do everything in my power to ensure no woman is denied access to reproductive care.

This year, we have seen far too much evidence of the ongoing gun violence epidemic. In March, my legislation the NICS Denial Notification Act was signed into law as part of the FY2022 omnibus. This legislation will require federal authorities to alert state and local law enforcement within 24 hours when an ineligible individual lies on a background check and tries to purchase a firearm, which can be a warning sign of future criminal behavior. Additionally, I sent a letter to ATF demanding that they crack down on bad actor gun dealers. And last month, the House passed an Assault Weapons Ban. Assault weapons are weapons of war designed for one purpose and one purpose only: efficiently killing human beings. There is simply no reason for a civilian to own one of these firearms. I am proud of my vote and believe the Senate must do everything in its power to act swiftly and pass this legislation.

Just as gun violence is at the forefront of my mind, so is climate change. Each year I lead a group of my colleagues on a tour of a national park to learn how climate change is impacting its ecosystem. In July, I traveled with seven members of Congress to Yosemite National Park where we learned that Yosemite's snowpack is melting, and fires are more intense than ever before. In fact, just hours after leaving the park, a massive fire broke out in Mariposa Grove, threatening giant sequoias that have been here for thousands of years.

This visit strengthened my resolve to ensure Congress does everything in our power to support our national parks and fight against climate change.

We are now more than two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, and while thousands continue to become infected with the virus, our world has begun to return to normal, thanks to the availability of vaccines and other health measures. I believe we must use the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic to inform our response to the monkeypox virus. That's why I called on President Biden and Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra to declare a public health emergency. I also urged the administration to take action to increase vaccine availability. Luckily, the administration has heard this call and announced that over 700,000 vaccine doses will be available in the coming weeks to states and localities. These doses will be allocated based on risk to communities nationwide. Over the coming months, a combined 1.6 million additional doses will become available.

For more information on the monkeypox virus and where you can access resources, visit chicago.gov/monkeypox or call 312-746-4835.

As a whole Democrats have passed legislation to boost U.S. competitiveness with China, provide necessary salary raises to our military, and ban assault weapons from our streets.

We are not done yet.

It is an honor to serve Illinois' 5th Congressional District, and I look forward to what we will achieve in the next few months of this Congress.