Press Releases
Washington, DC – Yesterday, Congressman Bill Foster (IL-11) testified before the House Committee on the Budget, urging them to consider several priorities for the fiscal year 2016 budget, including:
Investing in scientific research and development, fully funding the Office of Science by meeting President Obama's request of $5.3 billion for FY 2016.
Increasing federal resources to fight heroin abuse.
Washington, DC – Today, Congressman Bill Foster was appointed to the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee for the 114th Congress. Congressman Foster will serve on this committee as well as the House Financial Services Committee.
Washington, DC – Today, Congressman Bill Foster released the following statement on Governor Bruce Rauner's efforts to prohibit the collection of "fair share" fees:
"I am disappointed that Governor Rauner is taking these divisive, partisan actions at a time when he should be extending a hand across the aisle to solve the serious issues facing Illinois. This does nothing to address Illinois' budget problems and will only worsen the dysfunction in Springfield – perhaps the only government in the country with a lower approval rating than Congress.
Joliet, IL – On Thursday, February 26, 2015 from 4:30 PM to 7:00 PM, Congressman Bill Foster's staff will hold mobile office hours at the Shorewood-Troy Public Library in Shorewood, IL. All 11th District residents seeking assistance are welcome to attend.
Aurora, IL – On Monday, February 23, 2015, the office of Congressman Bill Foster will host fraud prevention discussions in Aurora and Bolingbrook to help senior citizens learn how they can protect themselves from scams. These forums will give senior citizens and their families an opportunity to learn about fraud targeted at seniors and how to avoid becoming a victim.
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Senator Mark Kirk (R-IL) and U.S. Representatives Bill Foster (D-IL) and Dan Lipinski (D-IL) announced today that that the Department of Transportation has awarded Argonne National Laboratory a $2,890,600 grant to conduct research examining the capacity of mass transit systems to plan for and respond to emergency events.
Washington, DC – To highlight Illinois' "Payer State" problem, today Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL) and Scott Garrett (R-NJ) introduced the Payer State Transparency Act of 2015. In a typical year, $20 billion leaves Illinois because we are a "Payer State" that pays $1.36 in federal taxes for every dollar of federal spending returned to the state. In fact, according to figures compiled by the Pew Charitable Trust, Illinois receives the third smallest amount of federal spending per-capita in the country.
Washington, DC—Today, Congressman Bill Foster (IL-11) spoke on the House floor to discuss the danger of failing to listen to science when it comes to vaccines. Foster is the only Ph.D. physicist in Congress and is the chair of the R&D caucus.
Video of Foster's speech is available here.
Text of Foster's remarks is below:
Mr. Speaker, once again our country is seeing the dangerous effects of failing to listen to science.
Washington, DC – In response to today's news that the British Parliament passed legislation to allow "three-parent" in vitro fertilization (IVF) medical procedures, Congressmen Bill Foster (IL-11) is calling on Congress to start considering the implications of human genetic engineering. Foster is the only Ph.D. physicist in Congress and is the chair of the R&D caucus.
Washington, DC – Congressmen Bill Foster (IL-11) is applauding the budget proposal from President Obama that would increase resources for naloxone. The President's budget proposal includes a $12 million grant to increase access to naloxone for communities in need. Naloxone is a prescription drug used to reverse heroin and other opioid overdoses. Naloxone must be administered quickly, and it is often too late by the time an overdose victim is treated.