Jan's Plans & Pans - April 10, 2025

Dear John xxxxxx,

The energy I felt last weekend at the Chicago Hands Off rally was off the charts. The American people made it loud and clear: they want stability, freedom, and fairness, not a wannabe dictator.

Today, in the House of Representatives, under the direction of President Trump, the Republicans pushed through a budget blueprint that sets the stage for another round of tax cuts for the rich, paid for in part by slashing Medicaid, federal nutrition assistance, and other critical programs. This budget plan imposes the largest Medicaid cut in history. The only winners in the Republican budget are billionaire donors like Elon Musk, who bankroll Republican politicians and are now looking for their kickback. With this budget, Republicans are giving the wealthy tax breaks worth trillions of dollars.

House Democrats stood united against this reckless Republican budget and are fighting each day to protect hardworking American taxpayers. We will never stop working to lower costs, protect Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security, and build an economy that works for all, NOT just billionaires and corporations. We will not stop fighting against this administration’s harmful agenda, and we will work to hold them accountable for their violations of our laws and constitution.

Keep the faith,

Schakowsky Leads Effort to Protect Medicare

Medicare Advantage is not Medicare, it is private insurance. These private insurers sacrifice patient outcomes for higher corporate profit. Along with Reps. Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Rosa DeLauro (CT-03), and Lloyd Doggett (TX-37), I led 74 members in calling on the administration to reform Medicare DisAdvantage. For the full text of the letter, click here.

Schakowsky Advocates for Equal Pay for Equal Work

We are the richest country in the world, yet women still have not achieved full political and economic equality. Every day, millions of women face inequities and discrimination in the workplace. We must raise the wage, implement paid leave, and fully ratify the ERA. 

Schakowsky Joins Thousands at Hands Off Rally 

We do not have kings in America and the people are sick of Trump and his billionaire sidekick prioritizing themselves over hardworking Americans. We are fighting back. Hands off Medicaid, Social Security, and our Constitution.

Schakowsky Pushes Back Against Administration's Reported Efforts to Freeze Funds to Northwestern University

Make no mistake about it: Trump's reported decision to freeze funding at Northwestern University will put life-saving cures and critical research at risk. This freeze will not protect the Jewish students Trump claims to defend, it will instead undermine their academic endeavors. Trump's illegal and unconstitutional actions must be stopped.

Follow Me on BlueSky

During this fraught time, it is more important than ever that we stand together and stay connected. Follow me on Bluesky to keep up with my latest work on behalf of the 9th Congressional District of Illinois. Click here to follow.

Colonel A.W. was a C-130 pilot in the Afghan Air Force. He supported the efforts of U.S. troops in Afghanistan in this capacity for years. As the country was falling to the Taliban in 2021, Col. A.W. risked his life countless times by working tirelessly and covertly to evacuate U.S. service members and Afghan allies to Kabul for evacuation out of the country.

On his final mission, after the country completely fell, his plane was shot at by the Taliban as he flew the plane, full of passengers, in the dark through the mountains. He completed every mission, including this last one, without a single casualty. He was commanded to leave with American service members out of Kabul, with the promise that his wife, daughter, and son were going to be located, taken to the airport, and evacuated on subsequent flights, which, unfortunately, due to the difficult circumstances that followed did not happen. Since then, Colonel A.W. has been working tirelessly to complete the needed documents so he can be reunited with his family. However, his reality is now very different, and because of the new administration’s policies, he does not know if he will ever be able to reunite with his wife and two children.

The man who evacuated thousands to safety could not evacuate his own family, and he and his family now live with the uncertainty and sadness of being separated from each other for years to come.

Since his 2021 resettlement to Chicago, Col. A.W. has been working, and he has dedicated his new American life to helping refugees lead fulfilling and successful lives.

Last Chance! Direct File Open for Taxpayers in Illinois

Last chance! Direct File is open for eligible taxpayers in Illinois! Direct File includes new features this year to make filing taxes quicker and easier. Similar to commercial tax software, a data import tool allows taxpayers to opt-in to automatically import data from their IRS account, including personal information, the taxpayer’s IP PIN and some information from the taxpayer’s W-2. 

This year, Direct File users can try a new chat bot to help guide them through the eligibility checker. Live chat is again available in English and Spanish, and users can opt into additional authentication and verification, which allows customer service representatives to provide more information.

Also, this year, Direct File covers more tax situations. Previously, Direct File supported taxpayers claiming the Earned Income Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit and Credit for Other Dependents. This year, Direct File also covers taxpayers claiming the:

• Child and Dependent Care Credit
• Premium Tax Credit
• Credit for the Elderly and Disabled
•  Retirement Savings Contribution Credits

Changes to Online Social Security Accounts

When the Social Security Administration (SSA) first created mySSA accounts, the logins were managed directly by SSA (i.e., usernames and passwords). 

Over the last few years, SSA has been moving away from this agency-managed login system. This has included offering users of pre-existing mySSA “legacy accounts” the option to instead use Login.gov or ID.me credentials to login to mySSA. According to SSA, since July 2023 over 15 million users have migrated their accounts from the old login option to Login.gov or ID.me.

• However, SSA reports that approximately 8.5 million active mySSA account holders have not yet switched to Login.gov.
• Beginning late March, SSA now requires users who successfully sign in using their legacy account credentials to migrate those credentials to Login.gov before they can access online services. Users will receive an option to sign in with an existing Login.gov or ID.me account.
• According to SSA, if the user opts to create a Login.gov account, they will be transferred to Login.gov, where they will select the ‘create account’ option. After successfully creating their Login.gov account, their SSA account and Login.gov account will be linked, and they must use their Login.gov account to access SSA’s online services. SSA will not require users to re-verify their identity during the transition to a Login.gov account.

Passport Renewal

Remember to check your passport validity before booking any travel plans! Current processing times for passports are: 4-6 weeks for routine and 2-3 weeks for expedited. These times are subject to change and are posted on the Dept. of State Website.  Please apply well in advance of your travel date – if your travel date is sooner than the current processing times, you may not get your passport in time for travel.

Please remember that emergency in-person appointments at the Chicago Passport Agency are intended for emergencies and availability is not guaranteed unless it is a life or death emergency! These appointments are not and have never been intended for routine renewal. If you have upcoming travel you should NOT plan on receiving an appointment at the Chicago Passport Agency. Passport renewals are intended to go through the mail. 

Did you know that many countries require your passport to be valid for several months beyond your date of travel? Depending on your destination, validity requirements can vary from 3 to 6 months beyond the date of travel! You can check the requirements for your destination on the Dept. of State Website under "International Travel" and "Country Information".

If you have planned travel and have a pending application that may not arrive on time, or if you need an emergency appointment at the Chicago Passport Agency, the Constituent Advocates in my District Office are happy to help! Please call the office at 773-506-7100, or you can open a case with my office online.