116th Congress
Today, the Democratic members of the Illinois Congressional Delegation sent a letter to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar expressing strong concerns regarding the racial disparities that exist in COVID-19 cases and deaths in Illinois and across the nation. The members cited that while black residents make up nearly 15 percent of the state's total population, they account for 43 percent of all COVID-19 deaths.
After the CARES Act was passed by both the House and Senate, the President signed the legislation into law on Thursday, March 27, 2020. Below you will find answers to some frequently asked questions to help you unpack the over 800-page, $2 trillion funding package.
Today, U.S. Representatives Mike Quigley (D-IL) and Michael McCaul (R-TX), along with U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC), both members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, led more than 60 of their Senate and House colleagues in urging leading international health and wildlife organizations to take aggressive action toward a permanent global ban of live wildlife markets, also known as "wet" markets, as well as a ban on the international trade of live wildlife.
Representatives Mike Quigley (IL-05), Bobby Scott (VA-03), and Jerry McNerney (CA-09) led 75 Members of Congress in sending a letter to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler urging him to extend deadlines to allow for informed rulemaking.
Today, U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05) introduced legislation to direct the FBI to report the number of "default proceeds" during the COVID-19 public health emergency. The reporting of this information will enable Congress and the public to better understand how many prohibited individuals may be gaining access to firearms during the current pandemic.
U.S. Representatives Mike Quigley (IL-05), Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01), and Nita Lowey (NY-17) urged the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to include education and distance learning opportunities for children in USAID's response to COVID-19. In a letter to USAID Administrator Mark Andrew Green, the lawmakers argued that 1.5 billion student's education has been interrupted by the pandemic.
I hope you, your family, and loved ones are staying safe and healthy as we continue our collective effort to slow the spread of the virus. I wanted to email you today to let you know about some of the most recent actions Congress has taken to address the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.
Today the leaders of the House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC) sent Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler a letter condemning the Agency's March 26 memorandum announcing that the EPA will cease all enforcement actions during the coronavirus pandemic.
The letter sent today reads in part:
Today, U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05) introduced the Mobilizing America to Help Act, which would direct President Trump to invoke his existing authority to detail Peace Corps volunteers who have returned to the US from their posts, to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to support emergency relief in the wake of COVID-19.
U.S. Representatives Mike Quigley (IL-05) and Rick Larsen (WA-02) urged the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to overturn the FDA's outdated and discriminatory guidance on blood donation by men who have sex with men. In a letter to FDA Commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn, Larsen and Quigley outlined the critical need for blood donations from all healthy donors, regardless of sexual orientation. Quigley has long championed a change in MSM blood donor policy.