Blog: The Duckworth Diary August 2, 2013

Statement

Dear Neighbors,

After a busy week in Washington, I am on my way back to the 8th District of Illinois for August district work month! I look forward to seeing you at one of my many upcoming events in our District. I also want to remind you that my staff is here to assist you. Contact information for my Washington, DC and Schaumburg offices can be found on my website.

Last Friday I had a great time at Local 17, where Representative Foster and I got a hands-on tour of their Insulator facility. We discussed work place safety and ways to bring quality jobs back to our District by training the up and coming work force. I then visited L3 Electrodynamics, a local business in Rolling Meadows. We discussed ways to diversify their growing business and bring quality jobs back to our District. I also enjoyed meeting with Gas Technology Institute in Des Plaines and learning about their renewable fuel advancements.

Later in the week, I spoke on the floor of the House of Representatives to commemorate the 48th Anniversary of Medicare, one of our country's proudest achievements. As we celebrate and acknowledge the great benefits of Medicare, it is important that we reinforce our commitment to eliminating fraud and waste in this crucial program that is a safety net for so many Americans. Click here to watch my remarks.

On Wednesday evening, the House of Representatives passed the Bipartisan Student Loan Certainty Act, which reverses the doubling of student loan rates. I voted in favor of this bill because it saves students thousands of dollars in lower interest payments. Although this legislation isn't perfect, it is a bipartisan compromise that moves us in the right direction.

I also want to make you aware of two unique events coming up next week. On Monday, August 5th in Schaumburg, I will be hosting an Exporter Forum in collaboration with the Export-Import Bank of the United States. This forum will be an opportunity for those with small- and medium-size businesses to learn about the benefits of exporting goods abroad and share questions, comments and concerns with federal and state government officials. The Small Business Administration and the Export Import Bank will also present information on grants and loan guarantees that our businesses can apply to as they seek to develop overseas markets for their goods.

Then, on Wednesday, I am hosting a deficit reduction exercise in partnership with the Concord Coalition. If you are interested in talking about what programs and issues are most important to you as we work to lower our budget deficit, please send your rsvp to: sarah.keep@mail.house.gov.

I hope you had a great week!

Sincerely,

Tammy

Your Congresswoman

Source