Media

Washington, DC – On Wednesday, March 23, 2016, Congressman Bill Foster spoke on the floor of the House of Representatives on the importance of strengthening the global nuclear security architecture.

Video of Foster’s speech can be found here.

Text of Foster’s remarks as prepared is below:

Mr. Speaker, as the only physicist remaining in the United States Congress, I feel a special responsibility to speak out on the importance of strengthening global nuclear security.

Washington, D.C. – In a letter to the leaders of the House Appropriations Committee, Rep. Bill Foster (D-IL), Rep. Elizabeth Esty (D-CT), Rep. Katherine Clark (D-MA), and 99 of their Democratic House Colleagues this week requested stronger federal funding to combat the opioid addiction epidemic in Fiscal Year 2017.

Aurora, IL – On Friday in Aurora, Congressman Bill Foster (IL-11) toured the Dunlee Manufacturing Facility, a division of Philips, to learn more about how the Manufacturing Careers Internship Program is helping to get young people interested and involved in manufacturing career opportunities.

Launched in 2011 to help fill the critical shortage of young adults entering manufacturing, the MCIP partners with local employers to place students into internships and helps them to secure long-term employment.

Washington, DC – Today, the House passed H.R. 1471, the FEMA Disaster Assistance Reform Act of 2015, legislation that would help to close the Payer State gap by giving Illinois communities a fair shot at securing federal disaster funding. Currently, federal disaster declarations are issued based on a calculation using a state’s population. The result is that two states could have identical disasters, but the smaller state could receive federal support while the more populous state would not.

Washington, DC – Today, Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL) introduced the Advancing Standards in Regenerative Medicine Act to help foster innovation in regenerative medicine, a burgeoning field that holds potential for more targeted medical treatments for chronic and life-threatening diseases. The bill is the House companion to S.2443, introduced by Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) in January.

Washington, DC – Today, Congressman Bill Foster (IL-11) spoke at a hearing of the Science, Space, and Technology Committee titled Unlocking the Secrets of the Universe: Gravitational Waves. The hearing was held to discuss the first observation of gravitational waves, a historic breakthrough that was recently announced by a team of physicists working with the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO). Predicted by Albert Einstein a century ago, gravitational waves are ripples in the fabric of space-time.

Washington, DC – Today, Congressman Bill Foster applauded the emphasis on science, transportation and infrastructure, and substance abuse treatment funding in President Obama’s FY2017 Budget, singling out the new construction start for the Long Baseline Neutrino Facility at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory.

Washington, DC – On Tuesday, February 9, 2016, Congressman Bill Foster spoke on the floor of the House of Representatives to recognize the life and contributions of Dr. St. Elmo Brady, the first African American to earn a Ph.D. in chemistry.

Video of Foster's speech can be found here.

Text of Foster's remarks as prepared is below:

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Dr. St. Elmo Brady.