Duckworth Diary: February 27, 2015

Statement

Dear Neighbors,

Last week in the 8th, I had a productive meeting with ADA25 in Schaumburg to talk about the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. We have accomplished so much thanks to the ADA, and this anniversary is an opportunity to recommit ourselves to making sure all persons with disabilities have the opportunity to live fulfilling lives.

In Roselle, Lake Park High School invited me to speak with a group of inspiring young women. We talked about the importance of trying new things, learning from failure and standing up for what you believe in. It was great to meet them!

Friday night, I joined State Senator Dan Kotowski at the Epilepsy Foundation of Greater Chicago's Annual Heroes Gala. We talked about the importance of research and funding for the National Institute of Health, as well as access to quality care.

This week, I hosted satellite office hours specifically for Veterans in Hanover Township. Over 50 Veterans connected with our office to talk about assistance for their VA claims, appeals and other issues they are having. On Thursday, my office partnered with the Center for Economic Progress to host a free tax preparation event in Elgin. This was an excellent opportunity for my neighbors who needed help filing their taxes to get their questions answered.

I flew back to Washington this week and dove right back into committee hearings.

On Wednesday, I oversaw my first Congressional hearing as Ranking Member of the Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on Transportation and Public Assets titled, "Preventing Another MH370: Setting International Standards for Airline Flight Tracking." This hearing was critically important to determine what steps are being taken to improve the tracking of commercial international flights to ensure that all flights can be tracked in the event of an emergency.

On Thursday, I participated in the House Armed Services Committee Hearing on the President's Request for an Authorization for the Military Use of Force (AUMF) in Iraq. I'm encouraged we are finally having this debate. I think Congress failed last fall to have an honest discussion about our overall strategy to defeat ISIS and it's important we are having it now.

I hope you're having a great week.

Sincerely,

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