114th Congress

WASHINGTON – Congressman Gerry Connolly (VA-11) introduced bipartisan legislation to create a Congressional-Executive commission to oversee the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Connolly was joined by Representatives Jim Langevin, Steve Israel, Gregory Meeks, Bill Foster, Ami Bera, Kathleen Rice, Dan Kildee, John Delaney, David Cicilline, and Richard Hanna.

Washington, DC –Today, Congressman Bill Foster spoke on the floor of the House of Representatives about the failure of US weather forecasting to correctly predict the path of Hurricane Joaquin and the real life consequences of underinvesting in scientific research and development.

Video of Foster's speech can be found here.

Text of Foster's remarks is below:

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss an example of the real life consequences of underinvesting in scientific research and development.

Washington, DC–On October 6, 2015, Congressman Bill Foster spoke on the floor of the House of Representatives recognizing the RoboGals, a student robotics team from Aurora who won the national championships in Detroit and will be competing in the World Robotic Olympiad in Qatar this November

Video of Foster's speech can be found here.

Text of Foster's remarks as prepared is below:

Aurora, IL –On Friday, October 2, 2015, Congressman Bill Foster toured the Planned Parenthood of Illinois Aurora Health Center in Aurora, Illinois. Foster toured the facility with Yolanda Valadez, Regional Director of Health Center Operations, and Carole Brite, President and CEO, Planned Parenthood of Illinois, to learn more about the essential health services they provide. Recently, Foster voted against legislation blocking Planned Parenthood from receiving federal funding.

Washington, DC – Today, Representatives Bill Foster (IL-11), Donna Edwards (MD-4), Elizabeth Esty (CT-5), and Sean Patrick Maloney (NY-18) reintroduced two pieces of legislation to combat heroin abuse, the Opioid Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act and the Expanding Opportunities for Recovery Act.

Washington, DC – Today, Congressman Bill Foster (IL-11) voted for H.R. 719, Continuing Appropriations for FY2016. The legislation will allow for continued government funding through December 11, 2015.

"While I voted to avoid another costly government shutdown, I am disappointed that House Republicans continue to govern from crisis to crisis. This bill will only fund the government through December 11, setting us up for yet another potential shutdown at the end of the year.

The House Rules Committee has rejected an amendment authored by U.S. Reps. Ted Deutch (FL-21) and Bill Foster (IL-11), along with Reps. Adam Smith (WA-9), Watson Coleman (NJ-12), Joaquin Castro (TX-20), and Jared Polis (CO-2) that would have struck the costly and inhumane immigrant detention bed quota from the short-term Continuing Resolution for Fiscal Year 2016. The detention bed quota, which requires U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to maintain an average of 34,000 immigrant detainees each day, comes at a great cost to taxpayers, families, and communities.

Washington, DC – Today, Congressman Bill Foster congratulated May Watts Elementary School and Meadow Glens Elementary School, both of Naperville, Illinois, on being designated as National Blue Ribbon Schools for 2015 by the United States Department of Education.