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Some local members of Congress are raising the alarm about proposed job and funding cuts at the Fermi Accelerator Laboratory and Argonne National Lab — and there's some political jabbing going on, too.
Democratic Congressman Bill Foster, the physicist, has Argonne Lab in his district. He says Democrats in Illinois' Congressional delegation sent Energy Secretary Rick Perry a letter seeking details of the proposed lab cuts, but couldn't get Republican colleagues to sign on.
WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Foster (D-IL) sent a letter to the Department of Energy to ask for more information on the number of jobs that would be eliminated at Argonne National Laboratory and Fermi Accelerator Laboratory if the Trump Administration's budget were enacted. The letter received the support of the entire Illinois Democratic delegation.
U.S. Rep. Bill Foster blasted President Trump's decision to pull out of the Paris Climate Agreement and said it will financially hurt suburban companies.
Those at risk include Argonne National Laboratory near Lemont, which researches long-lasting batteries for electric vehicles to reduce emissions, and Ecolab. Nalco Holding Co., which has operations in Naperville, is a subsidiary of Ecolab and makes technologies for water and food safety and energy efficiency.
Washington, DC – Today, Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL) reintroduced the Medicaid CARE Act along with Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Congressman Tim Ryan (D-OH), and Congressman Evan Jenkins (R-WV). This bill would provide medical assistance for treatment of opioid and heroin addiction. It would allow payments for certain residential treatment facilities. It would also establish a $50 million youth inpatient addiction treatment grant program to fund facilities in underserved areas.
Washington, D.C. - We just learned the Republicans' health care plan would leave 23 million Americans without insurance over the next decade while rapidly bankrupting Medicare. This legislation is an irresponsible affront to hard-working Americans. We need to work together to strengthen the Affordable Care Act and keep health care affordable and accessible.
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 – Today, Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL) reintroduced legislation that would make sure states, including Illinois, receive a fair share of transportation funding through the Highway Trust Fund. The Fair Allocation of Highway Funds Act would change the way transportation funding is allocated to states. Funds are distributed from the Highway Trust Fund without considering a state's share of the transfer from the U.S. Treasury needed to make up the shortfall from the gas tax.
Washington, DC – On Thursday, Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL) led a letter to Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt concerning the recent dismissal of several members of the EPA's Board of Scientific Counselors. Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (R-NY) co-led the letter, which was signed by 70 Members of Congress.
Members of the House of Representative Committee on Science, Space & Technology—including representative Don Beyer (VA), Jacky Rosen (NV), Mark Takano (CA), and a number of other Democrats—have signed and submitted a letter to President Trump expressing concern over the President's methods of receiving scientific information.
Washington D.C. - Reports that President Trump needlessly revealed information from highly classified allied sources to Russian diplomats are highly disturbing and represent a continuing pattern of irresponsible off-the-cuff statements. Information sharing with allied intelligence sources is crucial to our national security. They depend on trust-based relationships that are built up over decades and can be shattered by a single thoughtless act of an incompetent executive. I call on the President to inform Congress of the meeting's details.