On Tuesday, I hosted a Town Hall meeting on keeping our country safe, titled, “Standing Up to America’s Adversaries: Defending Democracy.” We had a wonderful showing from our community, and I was proud to welcome Robert Pape, Professor of Security Studies at the University of Chicago, as a special guest to discuss efforts to protect our country and democratic partners abroad from the aggression of adversaries including the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), Russia, and others. With Russia’s invasion of Ukraine now approaching its seventh month, and the CCP applying more military and economic pressure to the democratic government of Taiwan, it is more important than ever that we strengthen our ties with democracies abroad that share our values and interests. By supporting the Ukrainians’ defense of their country, we help deter future aggression from those who would otherwise follow in Putin’s footsteps. By helping to ensure Taiwan’s security, we help protect not only one of the world’s most inclusive democracies, but also the leading global producer of the microchips that help drive our economy. This comes at the same time as Taiwanese companies are increasingly building facilities in the U.S., a result of the recently-passed CHIPS and Science Act which will give a significant boost to the U.S. economy.
I want to thank everyone for attending and participating in our Town Hall discussion. Hearing from my constituents and having the opportunity to engage with you all in person is something I always appreciate as I continue to fight for our communities. If there’s one thing I want to make clear from our discussion, it’s that the rising tide of authoritarianism can be stopped by the world’s democracies, but it will take a global effort and strong American leadership to succeed.
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Congressman Krishnamoorthi and Robert Pape address the importance of standing up to our adversaries and protecting democracy both at home and abroad
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In July, I partnered with Senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth, as well as Rep. Marie Newman, in a letter to the U.S. Surface Transportation Board expressing our concerns about the proposed Canadian Pacific-Kansas City Southern railroad merger and the effects it would have on our local communities. In that letter, I laid out how the current merger proposal and the increased rail traffic it would bring would not only create major disruptions to local Metra commuter line trains, but would also have a huge impact on the safety of towns and communities that sit along these railways. For example, communities bisected by the tracks would see far greater traffic under the merger, and could face potentially deadly delays if emergency response vehicles would have to wait for a miles-long freight train to pass through before reaching those who need emergency help. This is unacceptable.
This Monday, September 12th, the Surface Transportation Board (STB) will be hosting a meeting in Itasca at the Westin Chicago Northwest on Park Boulevard where citizens will have the opportunity to express their opinions on the merger. At 7pm, I’ll be speaking out against the merger because of the negative impacts it will have on our community, and I encourage everyone to participate in this vital public discussion too.
Click here for more information on attending the event and participating.
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Congressman Krishnamoorthi speaks at a bipartisan press conference with local mayors against the CP-KCS railway merger back in July.
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Last month, I joined my colleagues in passing the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) which contains major provisions to make health care more affordable for our seniors by capping Medicare beneficiaries’ out-of-pocket drug costs at $2,000 per year and monthly insulin costs at $35 per month. While this insulin reform will help seniors with diabetes, we need to do more to lower the cost of this life-saving medication for millions of other Americans with diabetes who aren’t on Medicare, especially the 14 percent of them who spend more than a third of their income on insulin.
That’s why I led a letter to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer with U.S. Representatives Angie Craig (D-Minn.), Lucy McBath (D-Ga.), and Dan Kildee (D-Mich.), to urge him to hold a vote on the Affordable Insulin Now Act. That bill, which passed the House in March, would extend that monthly $35 insulin price cap to all Americans, regardless of age or insurance provider. During the debate over the IRA, 57 U.S. Senators, including 7 Republicans, voted in favor of an amendment to implement the same price cap for all Americans, but that bipartisan effort was blocked through procedural measures. It’s time for Senator Schumer to bring that bipartisan support to bear through a floor vote on an insulin cap, because no American should have to choose between buying insulin or basic food necessities.
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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 here, my Facebook page here, and my Instagram here. Thank you for staying engaged in our community.
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P.S. I always enjoy hearing from constituents, so feel free to comment and share my social media posts! Here are the links: Twitter here, Facebook page here, and Instagram here. |
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