Catching Up With Quigley: Week of July 22
Dear Friend,
I hope this email finds you well. I wanted to take a moment to share some of the work I did this week while in Washington.
1. Signed Discharge Petition to Protect IVF
On Wednesday, I signed a discharge petition on the Right to IVF Act, legislation to codify the right to access, provide, and cover IVF (in vitro fertilization) and similar technology. If the petition receives 218 signatures from members of Congress, Speaker Johnson and the House Republican majority will have to bring the legislation to the floor for a vote.
Following the overturning of Roe v. Wade, attacks on reproductive freedom have reached an all-time high. Last month, Senate Republicans blocked the passage of the Right to IVF Act — the second time this year they blocked IVF protections on the Senate floor. So far, 187 currently serving House Republicans have signed their names to legislation that would codify fetal personhood, effectively outlawing IVF treatments. We cannot live in a society that demonizes women and the choices they make about how and when to start a family. I will always be committed to ensuring every woman and family has the right to IVF, abortion, and contraception.
2. Celebrated Climate Pollution Reduction Grants for Illinois
Over the past few years, Chicagoans and Illinoisans alike have experienced some of the worst impacts of climate change from industrial air pollution to extreme heat, lakeshore erosion and high intensity storm surges. The science and the signs are clear, climate change is occurring rapidly and we must take action.
On Monday, I was pleased to see the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) receive a $430,251,378 Climate Pollution Reduction Grant. This grant will work to implement community-driven solutions that tackle the climate crisis, reduce air pollution, advance environmental justice, and accelerate America’s clean energy transition. The funding for this grant is all thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, which I was proud to help pass and see signed into law. In total, the EPA awarded over $4.3 billion in Climate Pollution Reduction Implementation Grants to states across the country.
3. Voted to Pass the Bipartisan All-American Flag Act
On Monday, I voted in favor of the All-American Flag Act, which will require the federal government to only purchase flags that are entirely produced and manufactured in the United States. Under current law, the federal government can buy flags that contain only 50 percent American-made materials. Having passed the House unanimously, the All-American Flag Act now heads to President Biden's desk to be signed into law. I was proud to help pass this common sense, bipartisan legislation that will uplift American workers tasked with manufacturing our nation's most important symbol.
Don't forget, our office is always here to help.
You can call my DC office at (202) 225-4061 or my Chicago office at (773) 267-5926. You can also email me through my website at Quigley.house.gov/contact.
Sincerely,
Mike Quigley