The Duckworth Diary - January 31, 2014

Dear Neighbors,

This week in Washington, Congress came together to pass a Farm Bill. The Agricultural Act of 2014 provides much needed support and certainty for Illinois farmers and saves tax payers $23 billion. This bill is far from perfect, and I am discouraged that it made cuts to SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program). However, I am glad that we were able to pass a farm bill with bipartisan support.

On Tuesday, I brought Schaumburg Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math (STEAM) teacher, Michelle Burke, with me as my guest to the State of the Union address. It was great to introduce Michelle to my colleagues and make them aware of the important work she is doing in the 8th district on STEAM initiatives.

I am hopeful that the President’s vision for our country will aid our recovering economy, create jobs and empower working families. My neighbors, who work so hard, deserve an opportunity to achieve the American Dream and President Obama’s proposals for equal pay for equal work, to raise the minimum wage, support manufacturing and bolster STEAM education will give them the opportunity to do so.

Later in the week, I spoke on the House floor in support of extending Unemployment Insurance benefits. I told the compelling story of one of my neighbors, Mary Pakos. Mary has 16 years of experience in human resources - with 7 of those as a manager – but she has been unemployed for 3 years. You can watch my full speech here. It is my hope that Congress extends Unemployment Insurance benefits in a timely manner.

I hope you are having a great week.

Sincerely,

Congresswoman Duckworth