Dear Friend, 

As you may know, last Sunday, July 25, would have been Emmett Till's 80th birthday. I joined members of the Till family for a commemoration at Burr Oak Cemetery last weekend. Among other things, we discussed my Emmett Till Antilynching Act (H.R. 55), which would, for the first time, make lynching a federal hate crime in America.

I am determined to get the Emmett Till Antilynching Act signed into law this year. I also recently introduced legislation to honor Mamie Till-Mobley with a commemorative postage stamp and to award Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley with the Congressional Gold Medal.

Continue reading to learn about new funding for the 1st District in the House-passed appropriations bills, recent action I've taken to address the epidemic of missing and murdered women and girls, information about the Child Tax Credit, and upcoming events my office will be hosting in the 1st District. Stop by our constituent pop-ups for in-person assistance with issues related to federal agencies, and make sure you're following me on Twitter and Facebook for the latest updates.

One final note before we dive in — I was relieved and elated to see the Chicago City Council vote to approve civilian oversight of policing this month. More than 50 years ago, after the murders of Fred Hampton and Mark Clark, I led a charge to create community control of policing in Chicago. So, it is crystal-clear to me that civilian oversight of policing in our city is much-needed and long-overdue.

It is an honor to serve as your Congressman. Never hesitate to reach out to my office if you need assistance by calling (773) 779-2400.

Sincerely,
 
Bobby L. Rush
Member of Congress
On Sunday, I attended a commemoration ceremony at Burr Oak Cemetery to mark what would have been Emmett Till's 80th Birthday. 

Funding for the 1st District

It has been a busy month in Washington, D.C. I am excited to announce that $1.57 million in federal funding for community projects in the 1st District passed the House of Representatives this week and is one step closer to becoming law. I was proud to work hand in hand with organizations in the 1st District to secure:

  • $500,000 for Chicago Public Schools to revitalize programs at six schools in the 1st District.
  • $25,000 for the Chicago Eco House to expand their urban agriculture prison-to-flower farm program to Washington Park.
  • $20,000 for Christian Community Health Center to purchase necessary ultrasound equipment.
  • $65,000 for Common Threads to provide meals and teach cooking and nutrition programs at four schools in the 1st District.
  • $100,000 for Community Assistance Programs (CAPs) to develop a workforce training campus for unemployed adults and youth.
  • $250,000 for Friend Health to assist with the relocation of a state-of-the-art health center to Woodlawn.
  • $300,000 for the Illinois College of Optometry to improve care for patients with glaucoma.
  • $150,000 for a robotics academy at Leo High School.
  • $160,000 for needed repairs at the Robbins Community Center.
This funding passed as part of House Democrats' appropriations bills, which put people first with increased investments in education, job training, child care, nutrition assistance, new housing vouchers, and more.

In the 1st District alone, the House-passed appropriations bills will provide an additional $65.8 million over last year's funding levels for our public schools, $483,000 in increased Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WOIA) grants for job training, and $52.9 million in additional funding for veterans' healthcare for the 11,000 veterans in our District. The legislation also provides increased funding for other priorities I requested, including women's heart health, public school infrastructure, and kidney health programs.


Separately, I was proud to announce $26,268,157 in grant funding for Chicago Commons Association for Head Start Programs, $441,625 for the South Side Help Center for HIV prevention programs, and more than $5.2 million for the University of Chicago for research related to mental health, cancer, diabetes, neurological issues, and other conditions.
I had the honor of welcoming Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg to the 95th/Dan Ryan Station this month for a tour and press conference.

Legislative Actions

It is tragic but true Black women and girls are disproportionately likely to go missing and be the victims of brutal murders. The fact that there is often no serious, determined effort to solve their cases smacks of benign neglect. This week, in the wake of the 20th anniversary of Tionda and Diamond Bradley's tragic disappearance, I called on Attorney General Merrick Garland and FBI Director Christopher Wray to establish a task force to tackle the backlog of cases. Read more in Block Club Chicago. I also hosted a panel on this issue in April, which you can watch here.

We cannot tolerate a two-tiered healthcare system, with one for the rich and one for everyone else. This month, I introduced bipartisan legislation to help ensure that low-income patients do not lose access to targeted radiopharmaceutical diagnostics, which can quickly and accurately diagnose diseases including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and certain cancers.

Finally, as Chairman of the Energy Subcommittee, I was proud to see my Energy Emergency Leadership Act (H.R. 3119) pass the House of Representatives this month. This bipartisan bill would elevate energy emergency and cybersecurity responsibilities at the Department of Energy to better protect our energy grid from cyberattacks and other threats.


In Case You Missed It:

My plan with Senator Durbin (D-IL) for a 21st-century Civilian Conservation Corps would improve our aging parks, build new green spaces in communities that need them most, and help fight climate change while putting 1,000,000 Americans to work. Read more in the Chicago Sun-Times.

Legislation I introduced would provide an innovative solution to funding medical research — more from The New York Times.

I spoke at a House Agriculture Committee hearing about the importance of SNAP and my forthcoming legislation to expand and strengthen SNAP — watch it here

Expanding diversity in the clean energy sector is a top priority for me, and the Blue Collar to Green Collar Jobs Development Act would help us get there. Read more in this op-ed.

I joined pastors and community members to recognize longstanding employees at the grand re-opening ceremony for the Walmart in Pullman.

Upcoming Events

SAVE THE DATE: My office is hosting a free Immigration Resource Fair on Saturday, August 28 from 10AM–2PM at Leo High School. Learn about resources to help you navigate the immigration process and get assistance and get help with a variety of immigration-related issues. View the flyer here.

Also, mark your calendars for our re-entry fair on Saturday, September 18, and healthcare fair on Saturday, October 2. More details to come.

My office is coming to you! Stop by our constituent services pop-ups to receive assistance from my staff with a variety of federal issues including Social Security, Medicare, housing, immigration, passports, and more. The next pop-up will be on Wednesday, August 4 from 1–5PM at Alsip Village Hall. We will be at Robbins Park District on August 19 from 1–4PM and Woodson Library on August 24 from 1–5PM.

Click here for a full list of pop-up locations and hours. No appointments are necessary.

Academy Nominations: Each year, I have the privilege of nominating individuals to the U.S. service academies. My office is now accepting applications for academy nominations; all application materials must be received by October 29, 2021. Visit Rush.House.Gov/Academy for more information and to access the application.

Calling all middle and high schoolers in the 1st District: The Congressional App Challenge is open! This is a great chance to showcase your creativity and get hands-on STEM experience by designing and coding an app. The deadline for submissions is November 1, 2021. Visit my website for more information and to register for an information session on September 22.

Speaking at a press conference at Ada S. McKinley Community Services to highlight the Child Tax Credit and its impact in our District.

Community Bulletin

Payments for the newly-expanded Child Tax Credit from the American Rescue Plan started going out on July 15. Most families will receive monthly payments through December of up to $300 for each child under age 6 and up to $250 per month for each child ages 6-17. If you filed taxes in 2019 or 2020 or signed up to receive a stimulus check, you will get the payments automatically. Otherwise, you can sign up here. If you need assistance getting your payment, contact my District office.

Earlier this month, I attended a press conference at Ada S. McKinley Community Services to highlight the benefits of the expanded CTC in the 1st District and hear from families what the extra payments mean to them. I know what it's like to grow up in poverty, and I believe these payments will be life-changing — and that Congress should act to make them permanent.

146,200 children in the 1st District will benefit from the credit. Nationwide, the expanded Child Tax Credit will cut child poverty by nearly half — in our District alone, it will lift 15,300 kids from poverty. Read more in the Chicago Citizen and the Hyde Park Herald

The Delta variant is no joke. If you have not yet received your free COVID-19 vaccine, now is the time to do so. Visit www.vaccines.gov to find the vaccination location nearest you or text your zip code to 438829.  All Chicago residents are also eligible for in-home vaccination, which comes with a $50 gift card from Grubhub.

The special enrollment period for health insurance ends on August 15. The American Rescue Plan expanded subsidies and lowered the price of health insurance 
 four out of five Americans can find a plan for less than $10 a month, and since April 1, the median deductible for Americans signing up for new coverage has dropped by nearly 90%. Sign up here today and watch this video from the Illinois delegation about the importance getting covered.

Speaking with families from Ada S. McKinley Community Services.

Shoutouts

We are wishing all the Team USA athletes luck as they compete in the Tokyo Olympics, but I am especially proud of our 1st District Olympian, Evita Griskenas from Orland Park, who will be competing in rhythmic gymnastics.

My office is here to assist you with any issue related to a federal agency. Here is what Olufunmilayo from Chicago had to say after we helped her with her passport renewal application:


Lately, my office has been assisting dozens of constituents with passport-related requests. Unfortunately, because of an unprecedented backlog in passport applications, the U.S. Passport Agency has extended processing times — please read this before contacting my office for assistance. 

I have also been working in Congress to help swiftly address the passport backlog and have sent multiple letters to officials at the State Department urging them to address the backlog, speed up the issuance of passports, and reexamine their plan to reopen and adequately staff and supply Passport Agencies.

If you have contacted my office for assistance and would like to share feedback on the support you received, fill out this form.

For the latest updates, follow me on Twitter and Facebook.
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