The Duckworth Diary but first, the weather...

Every now and then we will be featuring blogs and info picked from the websites of our Democratic officials who now proudly represent DuPage county.

Our first installment is from Congresswoman Duckworth's weekly message:

The Duckworth Diary is a weekly note from Congresswoman Duckworth that updates constituents on her work in Congress. It will include recent meetings, important votes, and other information designed to make our office more transparent and accessible to the people of the 8th district. Check back each Friday for the latest news! http://duckworth.house.gov/media-center/duckworth-diary

Dear Neighbors of the 8th District,

Our district has been hit hard by severe flooding over the past couple days. Storms may be continuing today in some areas. Please visit the Ready Illinois website for the latest flood updates and additional severe weather warnings.

I’m working closely with other local and federal officials to ensure that 8th District residents have the resources they need to recover from the floods and repair any damage. If you have any flood-related questions or need assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact my office. My staff and I are ready to help in any way we can.

In other news, each year, Congress sponsors an art competition to showcase talented high school artists from around our nation. The deadline for this year’s competition is NEXT WEEK, Friday, April 26. If you know any 8th District high school students with a talent for art, please encourage them to apply! More information about the art competition is available here.

I spent the weekend in the district, and held a Congress at Your Corner event at the Gail Borden Public Library. While at the library, I also stopped by Elgin’s Center for Economic Progress tax help site to learn about the tax resources they provide for Elgin families.

Back in Washington, I had two important hearings for the House Committee on Oversight & Government Reform this week. The first was on reforms to put the Post Office on sounder financial footing. At the second, I questioned a defense contractor about improper billing practices. I’m very concerned about waste in defense contracting and on Monday, I voted yes on the Contracting and Tax Accountability Act, which would prevent companies with seriously delinquent tax debt from winning government contracts.

Finally, a few highlights from my meetings this week: I spoke with Holly Petraeus, head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s Office of Servicemember Affairs, about protecting our service members from harmful or illegal financial practices. I had a meeting about Illinois Small Business Development Centers, which provide advice and resources for small businesses. Finally, I had two great meetings about ways to improve commuting options for 8th district residents, with the Association for Commuter Transportation and with Illinois township officials.

Best,

Congresswoman Duckworth