Duckworth Diary - January 17, 2014

Statement

Dear Neighbors,

This week I voted in favor of bipartisan legislation that will fund the government through the remainder of the Fiscal Year and prevents another government shutdown. The bill reduces some of the most damaging cuts from the sequester, makes important investments in education and transportation, and prevents flood insurance rates from increasing.

The extensive national support for immigration reform continues this week. On Tuesday I met with the Metropolitan Chicago Healthcare Council to discuss how much hospitals in the Chicagoland area and around the country would benefit from common sense immigration reform. The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office determined that comprehensive immigration reform will reduce our national debt by $1 trillion over 20 years and I know that it will be a significant boost for our economy.

On Wednesday, I participated in a Congressional Women's Working Group on Immigration Reform with immigration advocates and other Members of Congress. We talked about how important immigration reform is for women, and how family immigration visas are particularly important for providing women who might not have otherwise had the opportunity to achieve the American Dream. I am hopeful that Speaker Boehner will bring immigration reform legislation to the House floor this year.

This was a busy week for the Oversight and Government Reform Committee. On Wednesday I attended a hearing about the role Inspector Generals play in reducing waste and abuse and improving performance across government, and what Congress can do to support their mission. On Thursday I questioned officials from the Department of Health and Human Services about the security precautions in place to make sure that Americans using HealthCare.gov can rest assured that their information is protected.

Tonight, I am speaking at the Illinois Commission on Diversity and Human Relations' annual dinner honoring Martin Luther King, Jr. in Hoffman Estates. I am proud to celebrate what would have been Dr. Martin Luther King's 85th birthday weekend with this group of leaders from our community.

I hope you are having a great week.

Sincerely,

Congresswoman Duckworth

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