Newsletter: 08/15/2014

Statement

Dear Neighbors,

This week, I joined State Senator Tom Cullerton and Governor Quinn for the bill signing for S.B. 3255. I am proud that the Illinois State Legislature was able to pass this legislation in a bipartisan and unanimous manner. This bill exempts Veterans with disabilities who qualify for a permanent handicapped plaque or license plate from the recertification requirement under the Secretary of State's renewal process.

I also hosted a panel discussion on Paycheck Fairness and what we can all do to ensure workers with comparable experience, skills and job duties are paid the same for the same job regardless of their gender. I brought together representatives from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Equal Pay Day Rally, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Illinois Department of Human Rights and the Chicago Foundation for Women to discuss this issue. We had a great crowd who asked important, insightful questions. It is my hope that when Congress is back in session, we can pass the Paycheck Fairness Act.

My staff congratulated the winners of our District's first annual STEM Competition by facilitating a tour of the tech start-up incubator facility 1871 in Chicago. The students were given a tour of the facility and met with entrepreneurs and developers who work in STEM. I hope they made lasting connections here that will help them in their future careers.

On Friday, I visited AAR Corporation in Wood Dale. It was exciting to see their work in action and meet with so many of their dedicated employees. The AAR Corp. just won a government contract to continue working on Blackhawk Helicopters.

Additionally, both my District office and Washington, D.C. office are looking for fall interns! If you are interested in learning more about what it is like to intern on Capitol Hill, click here to apply.

I hope you are having a great week.

Sincerely,

Congresswoman Duckworth

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