News, articles and information about Congress from Shaw Local
A tariff is a tax levied on imported goods. Reports estimate tariffs put in by the Trump administration have cost the average American household at least $1,000 over the past year. What happens now that the Supreme Court has struck down a wide swath of the tariffs?
March 17 marks the 2026 primary, where voters can pull a Democratic or Republican ballot to pick who appears on the ballot come November. All voters, partisan or not, can weigh in on referendum questions.
March 17 marks the 2026 primary, where DuPage County voters can pull a Democratic or Republican ballot to pick who appears on the ballot come November. All voters, partisan or not, can weigh in on referendum questions.
March 17 marks the 2026 primary, where Ogle County voters can pull a Democratic or Republican ballot to pick who appears on the ballot come November. All voters, partisan or not, can weigh in on referendum questions.
March 17 marks the 2026 primary, where Whiteside, Lee and Carroll county voters can pull a Democratic or Republican ballot to pick who appears on the ballot come November. All voters, partisan or not, can weigh in on referendum questions.
March 17 marks the 2026 primary, where La Salle, Bureau and Putnam county voters can pull a Democratic or Republican ballot to pick who appears on the ballot come November. All voters, partisan or not, can weigh in on referendum questions.
March 17 marks the 2026 primary, where Kankakee County voters can pull a Democratic or Republican ballot to pick who appears on the ballot come November. All voters, partisan or not, can weigh in on referendum questions.
March 17 marks the 2026 primary, where Grundy County voters can pull a Democratic or Republican ballot to pick who appears on the ballot come November. All voters, partisan or not, can weigh in on referendum questions.
March 17 marks the 2026 primary, where Kendall County voters can pull a Democratic or Republican ballot to pick who appears on the ballot come November. All voters, partisan or not, can weigh in on referendum questions.
March 17 marks the 2026 primary, where Will County voters can pull a Democratic or Republican ballot to pick who appears on the ballot come November. All voters, partisan or not, can weigh in on referendum questions.
March 17 marks the 2026 primary, where Kane County voters can pull a Democratic or Republican ballot to pick who appears on the ballot come November. All voters, partisan or not, can weigh in on referendum questions.
Dillan Vancil: Congress should stop using band‑aid bailouts and fix trade policy so farmers are not collateral damage every time there’s a trade war. Read Vancil's full questionnaire here
March 17 marks the 2026 primary, where DeKalb County voters can pull a Democratic or Republican ballot to pick who appears on the ballot come November. All voters, partisan or not, can weigh in on referendum questions.
March 17 marks the 2026 primary, where McHenry County voters can pull a Democratic or Republican ballot to pick who appears on the ballot come November. All voters, partisan or not, can weigh in on referendum questions.
The eight candidates in the Democratic primary for the 8th Congressional District seat debated the role Congress should play in resolving the conflict in Gaza at a recent forum.
Rep. Sean Casten (D-Downers Grove) recently secured more than $9 million in federal funding for local projects in Illinois’ 6th Congressional District through government funding bills passed by the House of Representatives
Ellen Corley on a top priority for Congress: To be on the House Oversight committee to get an official Truth and Reconciliation Hearing on all those who colluded with the Epstein cabal’s plan for world domination
From Capitol News Illinois: None directly criticized President Donald Trump, but each signaled differences on tariffs and rejected his call to “nationalize” elections, backing voter ID while keeping election administration in state hands
R Cary Capparelli: AI is scary and Congress needs to control its use in both the private and public sectors by instituting protective laws.
House Republicans rushed to approve legislation on Wednesday that would impose strict new proof-of-citizenship requirements ahead of the midterm elections, a long shot Trump administration priority that faces sharp blowback in the Senate
Raja Krishnamoorthi: I intend to address the affordability crisis head-on. President Trump and his Administration have hurt working families through reckless policies like blanket tariffs that have fueled rising prices. Read Krishnamoorthi's full questionnaire here
Besieged by questions over Epstein and accusations of a weaponized Justice Department, Attorney General Pam Bondi aggressively pivoted in a speech in which she mocked her Democratic questioners and praised Trump over the performance of the stock market
Todd Lyons, the acting head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, defended his agency’s officers before Congress on Tuesday, standing behind their tactics and saying they would not be intimidated as they carry out the president’s mass deportation plans
Neil Khot: There are serious concerns that warrant congressional investigation, including potential ethics violations, failures to comply with court orders, and unconstitutional actions by ICE and other federal law enforcement agencies. Read Khot's full election questionnaire
Under questioning from Democrats Tuesday, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick acknowledged that he had met with Jeffrey Epstein twice after his 2008 conviction for soliciting prostitution from a child, reversing Lutnick’s previous claim that he had cut ties with Epstein
Julie Bickelhaupt: Rising property taxes, declining affordability, rural hospital access, local agriculture, and the need for reliable infrastructure are constant concerns I hear across the district. Read Bickelhaupt's full election questionnaire here
During the closed-door deposition Monday, Maxwell’s attorney David Oscar Markus said in a statement to the committee that “Maxwell is prepared to speak fully and honestly if granted clemency by President Trump.”
Skylar Duensing: On day one of my time in office, I will immediately work to lower taxes and make life more affordable, secure our borders and enhance public safety, and promote job growth and American manufacturing. Read Duensing's full questionnaire here
Don Tracy on top priorities for the U.S. Senate: I will push for common sense solutions that make life more affordable for working families. This includes lowering energy and gas costs, health care costs, taxes, and inflation. Read Tracy's full election questionnaire here
Steve Botsford, U.S. Senate candidate: Allowing large financial firms to buy up large numbers of single-family homes distorts local markets and makes it harder for families to buy or rent at reasonable prices. Read Botsford's full election questionnaire here
Pamela Denise Long on immigration priorities: 1. No amnesty. 2. Change the “nation of immigrants” rhetoric. 3. Change the “legal good/illegal bad” narrative: Mass immigration both legal and illegal hurts the American citizen. Read Long's full election questionnaire here
Bryan Maxwell, a senate candidate on his top priority: Passing Medicare for All, to begin gradual transition of Americans to the Medicare program. Read Maxwell's full election questionnaire here
Jonathan Dean on a top priority for the U.S. Senate: Addressing the affordability crisis by temporarily allowing folks to use pretax dollars for everyday necessities, such as groceries, child care, and student loan payments. Read Dean's full questionnaire here
Robin Kelly: People are paying too much for healthcare. I will never give up fighting for Americans to have access to quality care. As a member of the Medicare for All Caucus, I am working to make Medicare for All the law of the land. Read Kelly's full questionnaire here
Willie Preston on a top priority for the Second District: Appropriate money for a new Level II trauma center within the starved 2nd District
Marcus Lewis on top priorities for Congress: Revitalization of the first district with the infusion of new business investment with MAGA/America First Policies. Read his full questionnaire here
Sean Casten: At the end of Biden’s administration, GDP was growing, job creation was surging, unemployment was low, and prices were coming down. All of those trends have slowed or reversed under Donald Trump. Read his full questionnaire here
Niki Conforti, congressional candidate: "I support expanding ICE and deporting violent criminals." Read Conforti's full questionnaire here
Phil Andrew: We are witnessing a dangerous concentration of executive power that undermines the checks and balances our democracy depends on. Read Andrew's full election questionnaire here
Sam Polan: My priorities are simple: make life more affordable, protect our democracy and the rule of law, and restore competence and trust in our government. Read Polan's full election questionnaire here
John Elleson on his top legislative priorities: "Addiction and mental health services, immigration reform, fiscal responsibility." Read Elleson's full election questionnaire here
Mike Simmons: I will advocate for major federal investment in public transit, including CTA and regional rail, because reliable transit is essential to economic opportunity in Chicagoland. Read his full election questionnaire here
Bushra Amiwala on top priorities for Congress: In Illinois’ 9th District, three urgent challenges shape daily life: affordability, education, and healthcare. My first year in Congress will focus on delivering real relief in each of these areas. Read Amiwala's questionnaire here
Laura Fine on a top priority for Congress: Grocery prices and overall inflation remain unacceptably high for most Americans, and families are feeling the strain every single day. To improve the economic outlook, we must take decisive steps. Read Fine's full questionnaire here
Jeff Walter: I support strong border security and the continued mission of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, because a nation without secure borders cannot enforce the rule of law or protect public safety. Read Walter's full election questionnaire here
Yasmeen Bankole: Our rail infrastructure has lagged behind that of other advanced nations. It’s time to treat passenger rail not as an afterthought, but as a vital government service. Read Bankole's full election questionnaire here
Sanjyot Dunung: If elected, my top three legislative priorities in my first year in the U.S. House will focus on restoring affordability, strengthening economic security, and defending our democracy through competent, responsible governance
Mark Rice on top priorities for the district: Restore and strengthen the middle class, Crackdown on government waste and corruption, Apply a “liberty litmus” test to legislation and policy. Read Rice's full election questionnaire here
Dan Tully: My Trump Accountability Plan will ensure that we protect the institutional mechanisms necessary to pursue those solutions. As such, the top three legislative priorities are to enact the policies under each of the three Articles in my Trump Accountability Plan
Should private equity and hedge funds be allowed to purchase so many homes? Congressional candidate Barry Wicker: "Yes." Read his full questionnaire here