Education
Long before I was a businessman or a physicist, I was a curious kid. I was always taking things apart to see how they worked, or trying to make something new. It was this curiosity combined with the excellent education I received from public schools and universities that led me to start a business with my brother and to later pursue a career as a physicist.
As our economy becomes increasingly STEM-based, it has never been more important to ensure our students are getting the education and training they will need to thrive. I support the right of every young person to have access to a high-quality, affordable education that does not leave students with crippling debt. A good education is the key to future economic success.
More on Education
WASHINGTON, DC - Today, Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL) reintroduced legislation to change penalties students face when convicted of minor marijuana offenses. The Second Chance for Students Act would allow students convicted of an offense involving the possession of marijuana to retain financial aid eligibility for six months while they complete a drug rehabilitation program. Under current policy, students convicted of drug offenses lose eligibility for federal financial aid for a period of time.
Washington, DC – Today, Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL) announced that East Aurora School District 131 has been awarded a Farm to School grant through the U.S. Department of Agriculture. This annual grant program provides funding to support the use of locally produced food in schools.
Washington, D.C. - This budget is a demonstration of contempt for hard-working families and a devastating blow to the United States' position as a leader in science and innovation. It reveals the empty promises that the Trump Administration and Republicans in Congress made to Americans to make our country great again. Instead of working to improve the lives of Americans, this budget will completely devastate programs on which so many rely and put our children's future at risk.
Washington, DC – I am pleased to announce that the Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Joliet will receive over $2.3 million in grant funding from the Department of Health and Human Services. This funding will allow the organization's Head Start and Early Head Start programs to continue. These programs are vital for so many children in Joliet so they have an opportunity to access educational resources early in their lives.
Washington, DC - This budget eliminates critical funding for science, education, and programs that keep Americans safe and healthy. It is hard to overstate how much damage this budget will do to our ability to remain at the forefront of innovation and problem solving. The proposed 31 percent cut in the Environmental Protection Agency will reduce our capacity to act on climate change. The nearly 20 percent cut to the National Institutes of Health will harm long term research on diseases like Alzheimer's, diabetes, and opioid addiction.
Washington, DC – Today, Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL) introduced a bipartisan House resolution to designate March 14 as National Pi (π) Day.
Fifty Joliet Central High School AP and College Prep U.S. History students taught by Mr. Ernest Crim and Mr. Terry Piazza participated in a Q & A discussion with U.S. Representative Bill Foster on January 27.
Bill Foster reached out to Crim's AP and College Prep U.S. History students after they flooded his inbox with emails following an assignment where they noticed conspicuous similarities between the political climate in the 1840s -1850s and the present day.
Washington, DC - Today, Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL) introduced four bills to address concerns with college opportunity and affordability.
"I applaud the Illinois lawmakers who passed a stopgap budget that will fund state operations through the end of the year and ensure schools will open this fall. The year-long budget impasse has taken a toll on our state and has adversely affected health and social services. It placed our educational infrastructure in unnecessary jeopardy and failed to provide adequate funding to drug treatment programs. I commend those who came together to pass this deal. But this is no way to run the state of Illinois.
Joliet, IL – Congressman Bill Foster (IL-11) has announced the winners of the 2016 Congressional Art Competition from the 11th Congressional District.
"I am really impressed by the skill and creativity displayed by the students who took part in this year's competition," said Foster. "It had to be a difficult task for the judges to pick just a few winners, but I think the pieces they chose are going to look great hanging on the walls of the Capitol and in my offices in Washington D.C., Aurora, and Joliet."