114th Congress
Joliet, IL – Today, Congressman Bill Foster announced that Joliet Junior College (JJC) will receive a $413,956 grant through the Strengthening Institutions Program of the United States Department of Education.
The grant funding will support JJC's Progressive Pathways to Student Success, an initiative aimed at increasing student retention and completion by investing in technology, customizing outreach to students, and enhancing support systems to assist students in developing a career path.
Washington, DC – Following Speaker Boehner's announcement of his retirement, Congressman Bill Foster (IL-11) is calling on the Speaker to use his last weeks in office to take action on immigration reform.
Brother James Gaffney and Rep. Bill Foster
Washington, DC—Today, Congressman Bill Foster (IL-11) voted against H.R. 3134, Republican legislation that would defund Planned Parenthood. Foster releases the following statement:
"I am disappointed that instead of tackling the many important issues we face, House Republicans are continuing to focus on their divisive, partisan agenda. Not only are they bringing our government to the brink of another shutdown, but they are putting women's health care on the line.
Washington, DC—Today, Congressman Bill Foster (IL-11) and Congresswoman Janice Hahn (CA-44) introduced the "Safer Officers and Safer Citizens Act of 2015," legislation to provide federal grant funding to outfit law enforcement officers with body cameras. The bill is the House version of a Senate bill recently introduced by Senators Cory Booker and Tim Scott.
Aurora, IL – Today, Congressman Bill Foster announced that Brother James Gaffney, FSC, will be his guest during Pope Francis' historic address to the United States Congress on September 24, 2015. Gaffney will sit in the Gallery of the House Chamber for the Pope's speech.
After serving as President of Lewis University in Romeoville, Illinois, for nearly 30 years, Brother Gaffney recently announced his retirement effective on June 30, 2016.
Washington, DC—Today, Congressman Bill Foster (IL-11) spoke in favor of the Iran nuclear agreement on the House floor.
Video of Foster's speech is available here.
Text of Foster's remarks is below:
As the only Ph.D. physicist in Congress – in fact, the only Ph.D. scientist of any kind – I have taken very seriously my responsibility to review the technical aspects of the proposed agreement.
As U.S. lawmakers today begin debating the agreement the United States and five other nations have reached with Iran to limit its nuclear weapons program, the only physicist serving in Congress has announced he will support the deal.
On Tuesday, Representative Bill Foster (IL-11) declared his support for the Iran nuclear agreement. Foster, the only physicist in Congress, announced his position in a news conference that also included statements from Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz and physicist Richard Garwin, an arms control expert who worked on the design of the first hydrogen bomb.
Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz, Congressman Bill Foster, Richard Garwin