116th Congress
America is experiencing a moment of national anguish, as we grieve for those killed by police brutality and racial injustice. George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery should all still be alive today. Black Americans have spent decades demanding change and despite this, we continue to see unarmed African Americans killed time and time again. Going for a jog, a walk, a drive, going bird watching, or simply being in your own home should not be a death sentence for black Americans.
The past few weeks have shown that civic engagement is more important than ever. A small but meaningful action that you can take right now is completing the 2020 Census yourself or encouraging others to do so if you already have. The 2020 Census became available for response in March at my2020census.gov but as of today, only 53.7% of the Chicago area has responded so far.
Today, U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05) sent a letter calling for the resignation of Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Ben Carson and lambasting his Department's years long campaign of discrimination against LGBTQ Americans. Last week, media reports indicated that HUD is preparing to announce a proposed rule that would enable homeless shelters to discriminate against trans individuals based on whether shelter staff suspect an individual's biological sex may be different from the way they self-identify.
President Trump signed into law Tuesday the Law Enforcement Suicide Data Collection Act, the bipartisan bill Senate companion to U.S. Representative Mike Quigley H.R.3735, after receiving a unanimous vote in the House of Representatives. This legislation will establish a government data collection program to track suicides within law enforcement departments at the local, state, and federal levels.
Today, U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05) released the following statement after the Supreme Court announced their decision in Bostock v. Clayton County, Georgia, ruling that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects gay and transgender workers from workplace discrimination:
"Today, the Supreme Court chose equality over bigotry. This decision marks a historic victory for LGBTQ rights activists across the country and a momentous step forward in the fight to ensure that all Americans are treated fairly.
U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05) led members of the Illinois House Delegation in a letter to Secretary of the Illinois Department of Transportation Omer Osman urging for the modification and reprioritization of transportation projects and programs in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. As Illinoisans are traveling differently and federal funds are limited for transportation systems, the letter calls for changes to the state's Rebuild Illinois capital program to adjust to the new reality.
Today, U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05) sent a letter to Acting Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Chad Wolf calling for the release of LGBTQ+ asylum seekers currently detained in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities. Quigley has previously called for the release of LGBTQ+ detainees due to the continued inability of ICE to properly care for these individuals. His current letter criticizes their failure to act and again calls for the release of detainees in light of the current COVID-19 pandemic.
Today, U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05) released the following statement in recognition of National Gun Violence Awareness Day:
"From families who have lost loved ones to students who are afraid to attend school, to individuals who are hesitant about going to their place of worship, too many Americans wake up every day feeling the devastating effects of our nations' gun violence crisis.
U.S. Representatives Mike Quigley (D-IL), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Chris Pappas (D-NH), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Deb Haaland (D-NM), and Katherine Clark (D-MA) introduced a resolution underscoring the need for policies governing blood and blood product donation to be grounded in science and based on individual risk factors that do not unfairly single out any group of individuals so that all those who can safely donate are able to do so.
Today, U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05) released the following statement in honor of LGBTQ+ Pride Month, which is observed every June in the United States: