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Economy
Quick Hit
by Ellyn Fortino
6:59pm
Wed Apr 3

Duckworth, Seniors & Vendors Discuss Ways To Preserve Medicare & Social Security

Constituents in the 8th congressional district want Social Security and Medicare preserved, costs on prescription drugs lowered and promises made to veterans protected,  U.S. Rep. Tammy Duckworth (D, IL-8) said at a roundtable discussion held this morning at Elk Grove Village's Kenneth Young Center.

“I have never had a senior who was on Medicare or on Social Security come up to me and say, ‘Oh, please get rid of the program,’” Duckworth said to the 19 others at the table.

“I’ve never had a senior tell me, ‘You know what? I really want that $600 voucher.’ They tell me, ‘Do not privatize it.’” Read more »

PI Original
by Ashlee Rezin
5:07pm
Tue Apr 2

Major Infrastructure Needs Along Mississippi & Illinois Rivers Prompt Bipartisan Legislation

Congress

Outdated and deteriorating locks and dams along the Mississippi and Illinois rivers have contributed to a backlog of projects for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), amounting to $60 billion in unfunded, but necessary, upgrades. Prompted by this statistic, Illinois congressional delegates sponsored bipartisan legislation earlier this month that would encourage private investment in improving the nation’s water infrastructure.

Quick Hit
by Ashlee Rezin
6:23pm
Thu Mar 28

Foster Introduces Bill Aimed At Boosting Manufacturing Job Training

Kids don’t make stuff anymore, according to U.S. Rep. Bill Foster (D, IL-11). That thought motivated him to sponsor legislation that would establish a charter of Fab Labs across the nation.

Fab Labs are open-to-the-public digital fabrication laboratories where products can be invented, designed and manufactured by adults and children alike. First instituted in 2008 by the Media Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), there are approximately 160 Fab Labs nationwide with 150 more in development.

“A city grows when its manufacturing base grows,” said Foster at a roundtable discussion on the legislation today. “As a country, you can only consume what you create.”

Read more »

PI Original
by Ellyn Fortino
8:40pm
Wed Mar 27

A Closer Look At TANF's Impact On The Needy In Illinois

Federal Government

The federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, what most people know as welfare, is set to expire at the end of the month and will need to be renewed. In the meantime, some anti-poverty advocates and welfare experts have raised questions about what impact the program has had in reducing poverty in Illinois and across the country and what can be done to reform it. Progress Illinois takes a closer look at the issue.