Press Releases

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressmen Bill Foster (IL-11) and Ted Deutch (FL-21) introduced the Deutch-Foster amendment to end the costly and inhumane practice of imposing arbitrary immigrant detention requirements. The legislation would strike language in the Homeland Security (DHS) Appropriations Act that requires Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to have at least 34,000 immigrants in detention at all times. Over 60 national, state and local organizations wrote Speaker Boehner and Minority Leader Pelosi in support of the amendment.

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressmen Bill Foster (IL-11) and Ted Deutch (FL-21) introduced the Deutch-Foster amendment to end the costly and inhumane practice of imposing arbitrary immigrant detention requirements. The legislation would strike language in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Appropriations Act that requires Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to have at least 34,000 immigrants in detention at all times.

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Bill Foster (IL-11) voted in support of H.R. 2216, the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act and to take action to reduce the backlog in VA benefits claims.

“When I visited the Illinois VA regional claims processing center last month, it was clear that the many months delay in processing VA claims was unacceptable and needed prompt attention. While things are moving in the right direction, the VA has suffered from a chronic lack of adequate resources to carry out their jobs,” said Foster.

Washington, DC—Today, Congressman Bill Foster (IL-11) voted against H.R. 1911 the Smarter Solutions for Students Act, which would raise student loan rates. If Congress fails to act before July 1, 2013 student loan rates will double – need-based loans for more than seven million students will jump from 3.4% to 6.8%. According to nonpartisan reports from the Congressional Research Service, H.R. 1911 would increase costs for students even more than letting loan rates double, adding almost $4 billion in interest charges.

Washington, DC—Washington, DC—Today, Congressman Bill Foster (IL-11) introduced the 21st Century STEM Competitive Jobs Act, along with Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-2), Rep. Anna Eshoo (CA-14), Rep. Elizabeth Esty (CT-5), Joe Kennedy (MA-4), Rep. Jim Langevin (RI-2), Rep. Carolyn Maloney (NY-12), Rep. Jim McGovern (MA-2), Rep. Gloria Negrete McLeod (CA-35), Rep. Jared Polis (CO-2), Rep. Tim Ryan (OH-13) and Rep. Louise Slaughter (NY-25).

Washington, DC—Today, Congressman Bill Foster (IL-11) released the following statement on his vote against H.R. 3, the Northern Route Approval Act:

“I am not opposed, in principle, to the building of the Keystone XL pipeline, and I look forward to the completion of the ordinary process that President Obama is likely to approve. However, I voted against this legislation because it is a bad deal for the American taxpayer, and for U.S. businesses and ignores important environmental permitting processes.

Washington, DC—Today, Congressman Bill Foster (IL-11) spoke against H.R. 1062, the SEC Regulatory Accountability Act and called for increased support for SEC regulators tasked with preventing fraud and protecting our financial markets.

Foster warned of the high cost of deregulation and inadequately funded regulators, which led to the economic collapse that cost Americans $16 trillion – more than $50,000 for every man, woman and child in the United States.

Washington, DC—Today, Representatives Bill Foster, Tammy Duckworth, Mike Quigley and Brad Schneider submitted a letter to U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano raising concerns over a proposal to allow a for-profit detention company to own and operate an immigration detention center in Illinois. In the letter, the Representatives ask that Secretary Napolitano reconsider allowing a for-profit detention company to construct an immigration detention center in Illinois.