Dear Friends,

As your representative in Congress, it is important that I keep you up to date on how I am serving you at home and in Washington.  Back in Chicago for August Work Period, I hosted several community events recently, including a Jobs Resource Fair and “Congress on Your Corner.” The job fair took place at Northside College Prep High School where dozens of employers, government agencies, and educational institutions were on hand to assist nearly 300 job seekers.  Earlier that week, I hosted a “Congress on Your Corner” event at the Jewel-Osco in Franklin Park along with the town’s mayor, Barrett Pedersen. These events are a great way to hear from constituents and get your input on local and national issues.

In Washington news, I recently submitted my detailed budget plan to the newly-appointed Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, commonly referred to as the “Super Committee.”  My proposal, Reinventing Government: The Federal Budget, focuses on sustainability and transparency, and makes 60 recommendations to reduce the deficit by $2 trillion over the next 10 years.

My plan proposes specific areas for reductions in spending and savings, including $800 billion in elimination of tax expenditures; $700 billion in specific cuts to inefficient and ineffective defense programs; and policies to ensure that Social Security and Medicare remain solvent for future beneficiaries. 

In addition to the report, I also joined my colleague Rep. Jim Renacci of Ohio in a bi-partisan effort asking that the work of the Super Committee be done openly and transparently. We requested that all meetings of the committee be broadcast on the Internet, campaign contributions to committee members be reported at least once a week, and all meetings between lobbyists and members of the committee be posted online.

As always, my district staff is here to serve you with any federal issue you might have, including passports, Medicare, veterans’ benefits, and more. Please don’t hesitate to contact our office if there’s anything we can do for you.

I enjoyed spending time with so many constituents this month. Thank you to all of the organizations who welcomed me at their events and introduced me to new neighbors. For more pictures of events throughout the 5th District, please visit www.flickr.com/repmikequigley. I hope you had a happy and safe Labor Day weekend.

It is an honor to serve you.

Sincerely,

Mike Quigley
www.quigley.house.gov