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VIDEO: Foster Testifies Before Budget Committee, Highlights Priorities For 2015

March 25, 2014

Calls For Increased Investment in Research and Development, End To Detention Bed Mandate

Washington, DC – Today, Congressman Bill Foster (IL-11) testified before the House Committee on the Budget, urging them to consider several priorities for the fiscal year 2015 budget, including:

  • Fully funding the National Network for Manufacturing Innovation, which supports research and development in advanced manufacturing at facilities like the UI Digital Lab.
  • Investing in scientific research and development, fully funding the Office of Science by meeting President Obama’s request of $5.1 billion for FY 2015.
  • Increasing federal resources to fight heroin abuse.
  • Fully funding the Army Corps of Engineers’ Civil Works program, which funds essential improvements to waterway infrastructure, including infrastructure in the Des Plaines River and the inland waterway system.
  • Ending the imbalance among states like Illinois that subsidize spending in other states by paying more in federal taxes than they get back.
  • Eliminating the detention bed mandate, an arbitrary and costly quota which requires Immigration and Customs Enforcement to maintain at least 34,000 immigrants in detention at all times.

Video of Foster’s speech is available here.