Participants peppered U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider, D-Deerfield, with questions about Medicare, immigration, abortion, local manufacturing growth and more this week during his first live town hall in 18 months.
Schneider answered those questions and more after giving more than 100 people an update on the work of Congress during a Congress on Your Corner Tuesday at the picnic shelter in Zion’s Shiloh Park.
Connecting with constituents remotely and in smaller controlled gatherings for the last 18 months since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, this was the first in a series of town hall events open to the general public this month since COVID-19 changed the way things operate.
“It feels great,” Schneider said after the event. “Right here in Zion, it feels great to meet with different people and hear what they have to say.”
Maggie Powell, who identified herself as affiliated with the American Cancer Society, wanted to know what was being done to change Medicare’s prescription drug program so people will not be forced to start each year with a hefty copay.
“There is no cap on the copay, and some cancer medication can cost more than $10,000,” she said. “What can be done to fix it?”
Schneider said efforts were being made to create a legislative situation so patients would not have to start paying for their medicine again at the first of each year until they reached the point where Medicare took over.
“No one should have to choose between buying food, or even an ice cream cone for their grandchildren, and paying for medicine,” Schneider said. “Medicare should be able to negotiate directly with the drug companies.”
Julian Romane said he wanted to see Schneider take action to restore the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits the use of federal funds to pay for abortions. It was named for its author, the late U.S. Rep. Henry Hyde, R-Ill.
Schneider said he and Romane would have to agree to disagree. Schneider talked about how prohibiting female members of the military from receiving an abortion flies in the face of the premise of equal health care for all.
“Abortion should be safe, legal and rare,” Schneider said quoting former President Bill Clinton.
A woman wanted to know if the 10th Congressional District Schneider represents is the third-largest manufacturing district in the country. He said at one time it was, but now it is sixth because of faster factory growth in other districts. The 10th continues to add those jobs.
“As long as we’re in the top 10, we’re doing something right,” Schneider said. “We have green manufacturing that creates good, high-paying jobs.”
A third grader reading from a piece of paper said her parents immigrated to the United States from India. She wanted to know what Schneider was doing about proposed legislation known as the Eagle Act. If enacted, it will eliminate country-based caps for family-based visa categories.
Schneider said when the bill came before the House Foreign Affairs Committee, of which he is a member, he voted in favor recently of moving it from the committee to the House floor for a vote.
“I voted for it in committee, and helped move it along,” he said. “Now it has to go to the full House for a vote.”
There were also people there making their making their feelings known in different ways, like a man holding a sign criticizing Schneider for receiving campaign donations from Abbott, AbbVie, Baxter and Medline, four of Lake County’s largest businesses and employers.
Four men held signs indicating their union membership and support for the bipartisan $1 trillion infrastructure plan supported by President Joe Biden and passed by the United States Senate Tuesday by a 69-30 vote. The House will consider it later this month.
Schneider did not comment on the sign showing his donors, but talked about the bill during his opening remarks reviewing legislation which Congress passed since the pandemic forced Americans to shelter in place in March of last year.
“This is how it’s supposed to work,” Schneider said. “It passed overwhelmingly. This is hard infrastructure. We can’t take this all for granted.”
Along with improving roads, bridges, train tracks and other projects which will create good-paying jobs, Schneider said families need support so they can work without worry about their children. He believes increased educational opportunities should be part of the equation, so the next generation can prosper as well.
“The child care tax credit should be made permanent,” he said. “Young people born into poverty deserve a way to rise above it,” he added, saying he supports universal preschool and community college.
