Jan's Plans & Pans - October 26, 2022

Dear John xxxxxx,

On Friday, the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis issued an order that halts the Biden administration from disbursing any student loan relief funds until the court rules on an emergency request by six Republican-led states to block the policy. This order does not prevent borrowers from still applying for student debt relief at studentaid.gov. I encourage you to apply if you have not done so already. Nearly 22 million Americans have already applied for the program. Republican officials are stalling as they attempt to block our efforts to provide relief to working families.

In Illinois, there are 220,000 skilled trade workers, but only about 3% are women. I joined Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo and Journeywomen for a roundtable discussion at Chicago Women in Trades centered around the challenges and barriers that exist for women in the trade industry. The Journeywomen were very open and honest and shared with me some of the struggles and harassment they face on a day-to-day basis. We must make this industry, and the entire workforce, more accessible to women.

Last week, I joined Senator Durbin and the Refugee Action Network to call for the immediate passage of the Afghan Adjustment Act. This past year, more than 70,000 Afghan refugees were admitted to the U.S. under humanitarian parole, a temporary status with no path to permanent safety. I spoke with two mothers who arrived in our community from Afghanistan and shared with me the horrific stories of being separated from their infant children. This is about reunifying families and fulfilling a promise made to our allies. My office has assisted over 146 Afghans and their families, but more must be done. We must pass the bill, families cannot wait.

On this final day of festivities, Happy Diwali to all those who are celebrating!

If you need any assistance from a federal agency, whether it be a Social Security problem, an immigration case, or a postal issue, just to name a few, my office is here to help. Head to my website for further assistance and information.

Have a great rest of your week!

Sincerely,

Congressional App Challenge

Calling all middle school and high school students! The Congressional App Challenge is a fantastic way to showcase your coding skills and innovation. Remember to create and submit your original apps by November 1st.

Schakowsky Speaks at Naturalization Ceremony

Climate Change Town Hall

Last week, I hosted a town hall and panel discussion with environmental experts at Loyola University. Our goal was to highlight the Inflation Reduction Act, the single largest investment in climate and energy in American history. The Inflation Reduction Act is going to create nine million clean jobs over the next decade, put the U.S. on a path to cut emissions by 40% by 2030, and includes nearly $9 billion in rebates for home energy efficiency and appliance electrification. We must keep fighting to protect our climate for future generations.