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Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Bill Foster (IL-11) voted in favor of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013 to fund the government for the next two years.
Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Bill Foster (IL-11) became a cosponsor of H.R. 3546, the Emergency Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2013. The legislation would renew the federal Emergency Unemployment Compensation program for an additional year. If no action is taken, on December 28th, 1.3 million Americans, including 20,000 military veterans, will immediately lose their unemployment benefits. In 2014, 3.6 million additional people will also lose their unemployment benefits beyond 26 weeks.
Washington, D.C. – Congressman Bill Foster (IL-11) released the following statement on today's votes on patent abuses:
"Today I voted against patent abuse and to protect the rights of small business and inventors. Abusive patents have been an increasing problem, placing an unsustainable burden on job creators and innovators.
An Illinois congressman wants children of soldiers to avoid a case of educationus interruptus. Sgt. First Class Angela Dees of Joliet, now stationed in Virginia, says the Defense Department reversed itself on her son's tuition and demanded a refund. "The only thing the VA website or any of the other literature concerning the Post-9-11 GI Bill stated was that it could be transferred to spouses and dependent children that had to be in (a military dependents' reporting system)," Dees said on a conference call arranged for reporters by the office of U.S. Rep.
At least seven legislative proposals are pending in Congress to improve the new GI Bill for large swaths of beneficiaries, including active-duty and reserve troops, wounded warriors and families.
The four-year-old Post-9/11 GI Bill has served 1 million students at a cost of almost $35 billion — but some lawmakers clearly think it could be doing more to serve troops, veterans and their families.
A bill crafted with the help of The American Legion would, if enacted, correct a "bureaucratic nightmare" that has caused some servicemembers' children to be billed for thousands of dollars in educational benefits for which they were originally approved. The Legion-backed corrective legislation, "GI Education Benefits Fairness Act", was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives on Nov. 22 by Rep. Bill Foster, a Democrat, and Rep.
Washington, DC — Today Congressman Bill Foster and veterans advocates held a press conference call to discuss the GI Education Benefits Fairness Act, bipartisan legislation to support military families by extending GI education benefits to the wards and foster children of our soldiers.
Rep. Foster introduced the legislation Friday, along with Republican Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05).
Audio of the call is available here.
Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Bill Foster (IL-11) and Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05) introduced the GI Education Benefits Fairness Act to support military families by extending GI education benefits to wards and foster children.
"Children of the men and women who serve honorably shouldn't be denied the benefits they were promised because of a bureaucratic oversight," said Foster. "These servicemen and women have honored the promise they made to serve our country, we need to honor the promises we make to them."
Washington, D.C. – Today, 19 Members of Congress joined Congressman Bill Foster in requesting that the Department of Health and Human Services use the full extent of their authority to require additional disclosure from insurers who are sending health plan cancellation letters to customers.
A copy of the request, sent to Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, is available here.