Dear Neighbors,
This week, I visited Power Solutions International in Wood Dale. They create engines used in forklifts and make 220,000 units per year. I toured their manufacturing facility and learned about their efforts to make our environment cleaner. I am proud of their work not only in regard to the environment but also on jobs: they have over 500 employees in their Wood Dale facility.
In Washington, I am continuing to gain support of the MOM Act, which would extend Maternity Leave for women in the military from 6 weeks to 12 weeks. The bill will align access to maternity leave for female Service Members with the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) guidelines available to civilian women and federal employees.
I also hosted a roundtable on the importance of preserving Medicare with Representative Schakowsky, Representative Schneider, the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, and constituents from my district. We discussed the flaws in the Ryan Budget, which would end the Medicare guarantee and replace it with a voucher program.
Additionally, I met with employees from Walgreens pharmacy. We talked about the role that pharmacies and pharmacists can play in improving health and wellbeing in our communities.
I ended the week by touring the Fox River Bridge that Metra trains run on every day which is in need of great repair. Metra has applied for federal funding to help replace the aging, single-track bridge. I supported this grant application in 2013, and connected Metra with senior Department of Transportation officials to discuss how to strengthen the project's application for this year's funding. I also sent another letter of support for the project this year.
I hope you are having a great week.
Sincerely,
Congresswoman Duckworth