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Issue Position
Our government is founded on the belief that individuals have a number of "inalienable rights" enshrined in the Constitution. I believe that the protection of those rights is a fundamental obligation for each member of Congress, and I take that duty very seriously. It is important that we work to end discrimination and human rights abuses wherever they occur.
In my work in the House of Representatives, where I was previously a member of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and Vice Chair of the Human Rights Commission, I do my best to make sure a proper balance between security and liberty is maintained, and that government's reach into our private lives is kept to a minimum.
Source: schakowsky.house.gov
Issue Position
A fundamental building block of our democracy is the right of American citizens to vote and choose their representatives. We must do everything in our power to make sure that citizens maintain their voice in our society so that government works for the interests of all Americans, not just those who can afford to make large campaign contributions.
I believe that we must take every step possible to encourage participation in the process and overturn laws and practices that place burdensome demands on citizens who want to vote -- including photo identification laws, bureaucratic limits on voter registration, permanent exclusion of felons, and voter harassment. Those policies are supposedly aimed at eliminating voter fraud, but there is not a shred of evidence that any significant voter fraud exists anywhere; instead these policies skew the electorate in an unfair way. Those disenfranchised are typically senior citizens, minorities or students.
Several important steps should be taken to restore democratic principles in our elections.
The Right to Vote. I have worked hard to expand accessibility and integrity in the voting system. I support a number of initiatives that would make it easier for citizens to maintain their right to vote and to make sure that their votes are properly counted.
Ending Corporate Personhood. Like many Americans, I was outraged to read the Supreme Court's decision in F.E.C. v. Citizens United. Corporations are not people, and they do not deserve the same Constitutional protections as American citizens. I do not believe corporations should be able to spend unlimited amounts of money to influence our elections. One solution is to amend the United States Constitution to overturn Citizens United and clearly state that corporations are not people and that spending money is not the same thing as speech. Those distinctions are necessary to avoid corruption, by limiting the role money plays in elections.
Disclosure. Disclosing major donors who contribute to ads, especially those that are inaccurate or misleading, is a major step towards holding accountable individuals who are attempting to influence our elections. I am a proud cosponsor of the DISCLOSE Act, a bill which would mandate the disclosure of major donors to Super PACs to give the American people essential information about the advertisements they see or hear.
Public Financing of Campaigns. I believe that we must move towards public financing of campaigns in order to make sure that elected representatives respond to the concerns of their constituents, instead of moneyed interests. I am a supporter of several of these initiatives, and I will work hard to make sure the voices of average Americans are not ignored.
Together, I believe that these steps will result in a democratic system that is more honest, less beholden to the rich special interests and individuals, and more accountable to all segments of the American population.
Source: schakowsky.house.gov
Issue Position
Our country's strength and success is based on our robust middle class. These days, too many American families feel that the American Dream is slipping away – they are worried about finding good jobs, sending their kids to college, losing the equity in their homes, and even foreclosure. Rebuilding the American Dream so that every individual has access to opportunity and success is a challenge, but not an impossible one. The Great Recession and the current federal budget problems were no accident; they were the result of decades of policies that further enriched the wealthy at the expense of everyone else, as well as Bush Administration policies that put wars and tax cuts for the rich on a credit card and turned a blind eye to Wall Street's recklessness. By creating the perfect storm, these man-made mistakes led to a devastating financial collapse.
But we are not helpless in the face of these challenges. I am fighting for job creation, economic opportunity for all, help for those who are struggling, and fair and responsible ways to reduce the deficit.
In Congress, I am a leader on progressive solutions to our economic and fiscal challenges and I have offered specific proposals on deficit reduction, jobs, and tax policy. I served on the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform (the Bowles-Simpson Commission), and offered an alternative to the co-Chair's proposal to show what a real balanced plan would look like - one that didn't further burden struggling middle class and low income families.
We also need to make sure that people are employed in good jobs that provide them with a living wage and benefits so that workers can take care of their families.
Source: schakowsky.house.gov
Issue Position
As a former elementary school teacher, I believe that we need to ensure that all children have fair, equal access to a high-quality public education. The future of our economy and the success of our country depend on a renewed commitment to public education. Policymakers need to work in partnership with teachers, parents, academics, administrators and students to build an adequately funded system to educate all our children. Lifelong education, beginning with 3-and 4-year olds and continuing through vocational training, community college, bachelor degrees and beyond, should be affordable and available for all Americans. I believe we should respect our nation's teachers and provide them with decent wages, benefits and the right to unionize.
Source: schakowsky.house.gov
Issue Position
Climate change is real and it is in large part the result of human activity. It is the most serious threat to our environment, our health, and our way of life. We have taken some steps to reduce the risks of global warming, but much more can and should be done.
Scientists have predicted that dangerous and irreversible climate change will occur if the Earth's temperature rises more than 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit. Already, we are seeing the drastic effects of climate change, with melting ice caps, species migrating north, unprecedented heat waves, and violent storms increasing in number and intensity. Higher temperatures could flood major coastal cities around the world, contaminate freshwater sources, and subject all people to dangerous rays from the sun.
As a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, I support legislation to reduce the pollution that causes global warming, create millions of new clean energy jobs, save consumers hundreds of billions of dollars in energy costs, and enhance America's energy independence.
In August 2012, the Obama administration finalized regulations to double average fuel economy for American cars. The agreement with the auto industry, labor and environmental groups means that the average car will travel 54.5 miles on a single gallon of gas by the year 2025. The new standard will save the average car owner $8,000 over the life of their car. It will also allow the U.S. to reduce oil consumption by as much as 2.2 million barrels per day by 2025. That is more than half the oil we import from OPEC. I commend the President for using his authority to set such this ambitious yet achievable standard.
Source: schakowsky.house.gov
Issue Position
I believe that we have a responsibility to keep firearms out of the hands of criminals and other dangerous individuals, and I will always speak out in favor of common-sense gun violence prevention legislation. Gun violence is a pervasive problem in the United States. I often hear from constituents living in the 9th District who feel the impacts of this violence firsthand. They are seeking solutions to the senseless violence that tears families apart each and every day in Chicago and in communities across the country. Far too often, we witness terrifying and heartbreaking shootings in our schools and communities. Our children should not be forced to live in a country where, on average, 91 people are killed with guns daily. And where seven of them are children and teens. Children in the United States are 13 times more likely to be killed by gun violence than children in other industrialized countries. That is absolutely unacceptable, and it is clear that we need to take action. I will keep working to pass real gun safety legislation that protects our children and our communities.
Source: schakowsky.house.gov
Issue Position
One of the most rewarding days of my life was March 23, 2010 — the day when the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) was signed into law. Obamacare ends insurance industry abuses in the health system, improves Medicare and Medicaid for seniors and people with disabilities, and covers millions of uninsured Americans. Millions of Americans have received free preventive services, young adults now have health insurance through their parents' plan, children are no longer denied care because of pre-existing conditions, and seniors and persons with disabilities are paying lower prescription drug bills.
Obamacare is working nationwide:
Americans no longer have a lifetime limit on their benefits.
Senior and persons with disabilities are now receiving a 50% discount on brand-name drugs when they are in the Medicare ‘donut hole' coverage gap, free key preventive services such as mammograms and colonoscopies, and a free Annual Wellness Visit.
Small businesses can receive tax credits if they choose to offer coverage for employees – covering 35% of the cost of coverage.
For millions of Americans, an insurance company must now spend at least 80% of premiums covering medical services and publish justifications for any premium increase more than 10%.
Obamacare is Working in the 9th Congressional District of Illinois:
There are 20,000 district residents who were previously uninsured but now have quality, affordable health coverage because of the Affordable Care Act. Overall, the number of uninsured district residents has declined by 45%.
Approximately 13,300 individuals purchased quality, affordable coverage through the new health insurance marketplace, 19,900 enrolled in Medicaid, and 6,600 young adults were able to retain coverage through their parents' plans. For more than 76% of the individuals enrolled in the health insurance marketplace, financial assistance was available that could reduce the cost of the average plan to $114 per month.
283,000 individuals in the district – including 51,000 children and 120,000 women – now have health insurance that covers preventive services without any co-pays, coinsurance, or deductible.
8,700 seniors in the district received Medicare Part D prescription drug discounts worth $13.8 million.
102,000 seniors in the district are now eligible for Medicare preventive services without paying any co-pays, coinsurance, or deductible.
251,000 individuals in the district are protected by ACA provisions that prevent insurance companies from spending more than 20% of their premiums on profits and administrative overhead. Because of these protections, over 17,300 individuals in the district received approximately $4.4 million in insurance company rebates.
Up to 36,000 children in the district with preexisting health conditions can no longer be denied coverage by health insurers.
251,000 individuals in the district now have insurance that cannot place annual or lifetime limits on their coverage.
This law lowers premium costs for small businesses and families and, beginning in 2014, provides coverage to over 30 million Americans. It improves quality and helps to eliminate fraud and abuse. It protects and even adds Medicare benefits for seniors and people with disabilities, while expanding access to home- and community-based long-term care services. And it helps train the doctors and health care workers we need to care for a growing population.
As a previous member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Health, I had the privilege of playing a significant part in the enactment of Obamacare. I personally had a hand in provisions to end the practice of insurance companies rescinding the coverage of policyholders just at the moment when they need it most — when they get sick. I worked successfully to include a provision to improve long-term care quality and staffing, and one to require health insurance companies to disclose and publicly justify premium increases. I was part of a small group that worked to preserve reproductive health care services for women.
As a long-time advocate of Medicare for All, I know that the Affordable Care Act is not perfect, but it continues to benefit millions of Americans and it provides a strong foundation upon which to build.
Source: schakowsky.house.gov
Issue Position
We must work to bring down the cost of education to ensure that students are not priced out of attending college or saddled with years of debt after graduation. Congress must make student loan funding a top priority and that is why I am a strong supporter of Pell grants, reduced interest rates for Federal Direct Stafford Loans, and other student loan opportunities. In addition, we need to increase available grants and create more programs to help individuals work off their loans.
Source: schakowsky.house.gov
Issue Position
The 2008 economic collapse resulted in massive layoffs and underemployment from which we are still recovering. It significantly contributed to the number of Americans experiencing or at risk of becoming homeless, which was already unacceptably high. The demand for affordable, safe housing increased significantly in response.
Estimates suggest that over half a million American men, women and children are currently homeless. Additionally, more than 18 million American households now pay more half of their annual income toward housing, leaving them unable to cover other expenses like medicine and food. That is simply unacceptable.
I am committed to supporting legislation that will help address and prevent homelessness and build affordable housing.
Source: schakowsky.house.gov
Issue Position
Our immigration system is broken and in desperate need of reform. I support a comprehensive approach that strikes the right balance between securing our borders and providing a viable and humanitarian option for the over 12 million undocumented individuals currently living in the United States. We need to create a pathway to citizenship so that undocumented immigrants can come out from the shadows, legally get jobs, learn English, pay taxes, and earn the opportunity to become American citizens.
I oppose discriminatory ‘stop and check' policies, or the ability for state and local law enforcement to require documentation based on how people look or how they speak. Those practices promote racial profiling, compromise equal protection under the law and have already led to credible allegations of wrongful arrests and harassment.
Source: schakowsky.house.gov
Issue Position
We live in a dangerous world, and our foreign policy and national security strategies must protect the American people by addressing modern threats. As a former member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (members are term limited to 8 years), I take national security very seriously. As we work to wrap up the costly wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and ISIS and Al Qaeda safe havens, we must also shift our attention to emerging challenges in countries where terrorist networks can feed off chronic instability and to isolate rogue regimes that threaten our security and global stability.
President Obama once said, "Where the stakes are the highest, in the war on terror, we cannot possibly succeed without extraordinary international cooperation." As our military footprint is reduced around the world, we should increase our investment in diplomatic and economic engagement. With the international community becoming increasingly interdependent, I support strong U.S. leadership in international organizations and institutions such as the United Nations and NATO.
I also believe that the United States must continue to be a leader in fighting repression, poverty, disease, and other human suffering throughout the world. I am a member of the Executive Committee of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, and I am committed to promoting fundamental human rights around the world. I strongly support foreign assistance funding, which not only provides critical humanitarian relief but also helps prevent instability and violence in some of the world's most troubled regions.
The International Workers' Rights Caucus serves as a voice for millions of working people around the globe. As Chair, I aim to raise awareness of worker exploitation and promote the enforcement of labor rights internationally, while educating other members on this subject.
Investing in women is one proven way to strengthen entire communities. Studies have shown that women are far more likely to invest their money in their families and societies than are men. Educating women and girls, ensuring they have access to health and reproductive care, investing in their small business ventures, and promoting their role as peacemakers in negotiation processes are critical steps toward ensuring stability and prosperity.
I am a supporter of a strong U.S.-Israel relationship, and I have worked in Congress to ensure a safe and secure future for the Jewish state. I believe in the importance of a negotiated, two-state solution that establishes a Palestinian state living in peace alongside Israel, and as a member of Congress I have worked to help the parties return to the negotiating table to reach such an agreement.
As a member of Congress, I believe in the importance of meeting international partners and experiencing other countries first-hand. We pass legislation that affects the entire international community, and I believe travel is critical to gain global perspective and to understand how our policies shape the lives of people throughout the world.
During my time in Congress, I have traveled to over 30 countries in Latin America, Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, including Israel, Iraq, Afghanistan, Jordan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Sudan, Tunisia, Egypt, South Africa, Ghana, Liberia, Haiti, Cuba, Honduras, Colombia, China, India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan. During those trips, I have had the opportunity to interact with policy makers, civil society leaders, and citizens to discuss the future of U.S. policy and engagement.
I believe we must reduce our reliance on private military contractors in war zones, particularly armed private security contractors. When we drew down troop numbers in Iraq and Afghanistan we left tens of thousands of contractors behind - men and women who answer to a private corporation and do not wear the badge of the United States. Contractors are not subject to the same rigorous standards of behavior and conduct as are members of our armed forces, and companies like the infamous Academi have a long history of misconduct and abuse. I believe we need to reduce our reliance on contractors and increase oversight over the companies we hire.
I support smart cuts to our military budget. We can reduce what former Defense Secretary Robert Gates called the "gusher" of defense spending without compromising our national security by focusing on modern threats and ending funding for Cold War-era weapons. We currently spend as much on defense as the next seven countries combined (most of whom are our allies). As a former member of President Obama's National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, I proposed a deficit reduction plan that significantly reduced the defense budget by eliminating waste and outdated weapons systems. With defense spending at record levels, I support common-sense reductions to the Pentagon budget, particularly at a time when many in Washington are talking about drastic cuts to critical domestic social safety net programs.
We must reduce military spending in ways that do not break our promises to soldiers, their families, and veterans. I do not support policies and proposals to reduce service member or veteran benefits. Our men and women in uniform perform an extraordinary service to our nation, at great personal sacrifice, and we have a responsibility to ensure that they have access to the benefits they have earned and the services that they need. Our soldiers and their families deserve our deepest gratitude.
Source: schakowsky.house.gov
Issue Position
Every day, 10,000 Americans turn 65 years old. As the Co-Chair of the House Democrats Task Force on Aging and Families in the House of Representatives, I believe it is essential that we nurture a culture that respects older Americans and that protects the financial and health security that Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid provide.
Older Americans have spent many years working to raise families, pay their taxes, protect our country and build our communities. They have the right to the benefits that they have earned and to know that they will have the resources they need in retirement. That is why I so strongly oppose efforts to privatize Social Security or reduce benefits, to turn Medicare over to private insurance companies and turn it into "vouchercare", or jeopardize access to long-term care services by cutting Medicaid and turning it into a block grant. We can ensure the longevity of these programs by making them more efficient. We do not need to cut benefits.
I am also committed to expanding access to the full range of long-term care services and supports, and helping seniors age in place within their own communities. We must build upon the Older Americans Act to meet those needs.
Source: schakowsky.house.gov
Issue Position
Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky puts together a care package for U.S. Troops during project sponsored by USO
I believe that we have a solemn responsibility to those who have risked their lives in defense of the United States. These men and women deserve our respect and our support.
I support legislative initiatives to improve the care and benefits available to our veterans, and I am a leader in the fight against chained CPI which would reduce veterans' benefits. I am committed to making sure that the Veterans Administration has the resources it needs to carry out its mission to effectively and efficiently care for our veterans and I have linked a series of resources below that I hope will ensure that veterans and their families in the 9th Congressional District can access the services they need and the most relevant information impacting them and their families.
If you have questions that are not answered by the content provided below, please do not hesitate to contact my office, and my staff will be happy to assist you. If you have any suggestions about resources or information that you'd like to see included on this page, I would love to hear from you!
Source: schakowsky.house.gov
Issue Position
I believe that all people have the right to breathe clean air and to drink clean water. As a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, I am committed to protecting and building on the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act to reduce pollution, improve public health, and protect our natural resources from degradation.
I am a longtime defender of the Great Lakes, which represent 20 percent of the world's fresh surface water. I have lived by Lake Michigan my entire life and am regularly engaged with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Army Corps of Engineers, and local authorities to protect it from pollution, invasive species, and those who would consider drilling in the Lakes for oil. We must act aggressively to protect finite water resources for this and future generations.
I have also worked hard to reduce mercury use and emissions, which are especially harmful to infants and can undermine a developing child's ability to walk, take, read, write and comprehend. I introduced legislation to reduce mercury emissions and am a strong supporter of new EPA standards to reduce mercury pollution. Those new standards will prevent up to 570 premature deaths in Illinois along, while creating up to $4.7 billion in health benefits in 2016.
By reducing pollution, the Clean Air Act will help us address childhood asthma and improve public health. It is also good for our economy, with $30 in measurable health and economic benefits for every $1 spent to reduce pollution by complying with EPA standards.
I will continue to work to improve our air, water and other natural resources and against actions to weaken environmental protection.
Source: schakowsky.house.gov
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