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Schakowsky excited heading into eighth term
Democratic candidate Jan Schakowsky for the 9th congressional district speaks during a candidate forum at Congregation B'nai Jehoshua Beth Elohim in Deerfield. | Michael Schmidt-Sun-Times Media
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Updated: January 16, 2013 5:52PM
With the new Congress comes new challenges for local representatives in Washington.
Day one of the 113th Congress was the beginning of the eighth consecutive term for Illinois 9th Congressional District Representative Jan Schakowsky. The Democrat said the first day of her latest term remains as exciting as her first day on the job.
“Absolutely (it’s exciting),” Schakowsky said. “Particularly because this is such a consequential moment in history.”
According to Schakowsky, the challenges ahead include a continued path of recovery for the United States, the implementation of new health care legislation, the challenge of protecting Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid and creating more jobs.
After a tense session last year, ending with the country coming to a deal on the “fiscal cliff,” Schakowsky said both Democrats and Republicans need to come back together to tackle the new issues this Congress has ahead, including a deal to raise the country’s debt ceiling.
“What we’re talking about is paying the bills that have already been incurred,” Schakowsky said, adding she is ready to cut government waste as well. “I’m ready, willing and able to look at some important spending cuts, but we cannot associate or make it a condition of raising the debt ceiling.”
Schakowsky hopes the “fiscal cliff” deal will be a launching point for future bipartisanship within both houses of Congress.
“I would hope that would be the principle that can go forward,” Schakowsky said. “This way we could actually move this country forward instead of getting into the gridlock that has really paralyzed the Congress for at least two years.”
With the new Congress came new political boundarie,s and back at home Schakowsky pledges to get to know the new communities she represents.
“My personal goal is to reach out, particularly to the new parts of the 9th district,” Schakowsky said. “We want to make sure our constituent service remains top notch, which I believe it is.” ~.
