Weekly Update | June 13, 2020
Advocating for America's Infrastructure
Introducing the One Federal Decision Act
This week I introduced the One Federal Decision Act (OFDA) to make the federal permitting and environmental review processes more efficient for major infrastructure projects by enacting sensible reforms. With this bill we can move projects along quicker, save taxpayer dollars, create good paying jobs, and protect the environment all at the same time. As the Ranking Member of the House T&I Subcommittee on Highways and Transit I know how critical it is to get these projects moving. Read more about my bill and what stakeholders are saying at the links below.

Helping American Workers Keep Health Insurance
I'm working to make sure furloughed and laid off employees can keep their health insurance during these challenging times. My bipartisan bill, the Health Care Protection Act , would cover the employer contribution for COBRA health insurance and allow people to keep their same healthcare providers.
Watch my interview w/ Mike Miletich on WGEM by click above or here .
Constituent Service Update
IRS Economic Impact Payment Update
The IRS has now issued 159 million Economic Impact Payments worth $267 billion. The IRS reports that payments have been sent to all eligible Americans for whom the IRS has the necessary information to make a payment. If you have not yet received a payment click here to check your payment status on the Get My Payment tool. If it says payment was issued, but you never received it follow this IRS guidance:

If Get My Payment shows your Payment was issued but you have not received it and it has been more than 5 days since the scheduled deposit date (or more than 4 weeks since it was mailed by check (6 weeks if you have a forwarding address on file with the local post office; 9 weeks if you have a foreign address)), you should initiate a trace on your Payment by calling the IRS at  800-919-9835  or you may submit  Form 3911 (PDF) . If you call, please be advised that you may experience long wait times or recorded assistance due to limited staffing. If you submit the form and you are Married Filing Joint, both spouses must sign the form.

More questions? Visit the IRS' EIP Information Center or call them IRS at 800-919-9835.

Healthcare Information for Unemployed Seniors
Seniors who become unemployed due to the coronavirus pandemic may qualify for a Medicare Part B special enrollment period. You may use the below online enrollment application if you are 65 or older and you have or had group health plan (GHP) coverage within the last 8 months through your or your spouse’s current employment. Click here to apply.

C onstituent Service Spotlight
Helping Constituents Cut Through Red Tape in Champaign
“She [your staffer] is so good and wonderful, she is kindness and I have much respect, love for her...thank you."

-Alice in Champaign, IL
More Important Updates
U.S. Economy Beats Recovery Expectations
The American economy gained a record 2.5 million jobs in May. The jobless rate fell from 14.7% to 13.3%, signaling the start of a recovery from the fallout of the coronavirus pandemic. This stands in stark contrast to what analysts had expected to see in May - near 20% unemployment and 8 million jobs lost. We have much work to do to get back to the record low unemployment levels we were seeing pre-pandemic, but this is an encouraging start.
June is PTSD Awareness Month
June is PTSD Awareness Month with the goal of helping our heroes in need. According to the National Center for PTSD at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs 8 million Americans have PTSD. Visit www.ptsd.va.gov to learn more and find out how to get help. Treatment works.
Announcing Grant Funding for America's Central Port
This week I joined my colleagues Reps. Mike Bost and John Shimkus to announce a $1,268,800 grant to America's Central Port to improve their cargo container handling capabilities. This funding will improve the flow of goods down the Mississippi River, bolstering our regional economy. Read more by clicking below:

Applauding NSF Grant for UI NCSA
Congratulations to NCSA at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign on a $10 million award from the National Science Foundation (NSF). The funded project will focus on launching Delta which is an advanced computing and data resource. Learn more about the award and what it will be used for here:

Advocating for Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area
This week I signed onto a bipartisan letter to House leadership urging them to include COVID-19 relief for National Heritage Areas, including the Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area, in a future recovery bill. This action followed a request from Looking for Lincoln, the non-profit dedicated to supporting the heritage area. The letter requests that the National Park Service be allowed to temporarily waive the local matching requirements. Read the letter here or the full announcement below: