Today, Congresswoman Cheri Bustos (IL-17), a member of the powerful House Appropriations Committee, announced that she secured $10 million for the Quad Cities Manufacturing Lab and $400,000 for small business-focused programming at Western Illinois University’s (WIU) Quad-Cities campus in a major funding package. The package has passed the House and will be voted on by the Senate and signed into law by President Biden in the coming days. “As a member of the House Appropriations Committee, my top priority is bringing taxpayer dollars back home to support our communities,” said Congresswoman... Read More

Over the weekend, Congresswoman Cheri Bustos (IL-17) traveled to Birmingham, Montgomery and Selma, Alabama with colleagues and civil rights leaders as a part of the annual Faith and Politics Institute Civil Rights Pilgrimage. Bustos was among the nearly 20 members of Congress in attendance. Yesterday, Vice President Kamala Harris joined the lawmakers on the Edmund Pettus Bridge to commemorate the 57th anniversary of Bloody Sunday. “Fifty-seven years ago, my late colleague Congressman John Lewis and hundreds of peaceful civil rights activists began a march from Selma to Montgomery to demand an... Read More

Today, Congresswoman Cheri Bustos’ (IL-17) bipartisan, bicameral legislation to end forced arbitration for sexual harassment and assault survivors was enrolled by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and officially sent to the White House for President Joe Biden’s signature. President Biden is expected to sign the bill into law during a ceremony at the White House tomorrow. “It was such an honor to join Speaker Pelosi this morning for an enrollment ceremony to officially send my bill to end forced arbitration for sexual assault and sexual harassment to the White House for President Biden’s... Read More

Today, Congresswoman Cheri Bustos (IL-17) announced that she has nominated five Illinois students for admission to United States Service Academies for the class entering in the fall of 2022. Each year, Congresswoman Bustos has the honor of nominating qualified young people from Illinois’ 17th Congressional District for attendance at four service academies: the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, NY; the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD; the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO; and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, NY. Nominees must now be accepted by the academies... Read More

Today, Congresswoman Cheri Bustos (IL-17) recognized National Public Schools Week which runs from February 21st through the 25th. The American Rescue Plan, which Bustos helped pass, secured more than $595 million for public schools in Northwest and Central Illinois K-12 schools to stay open safely and make up for lost learning time. “All students should have access to safe, welcoming, and well-funded public schools,” said Congresswoman Bustos. “Thanks to the historic investment from the American Rescue Plan in K-12 education, our primary and secondary schools are better equipped to safely... Read More

Today, Congresswoman Cheri Bustos (IL-17) joined her colleagues on a letter to the Department of Defense urging Secretary Lloyd Austin to make at-home COVID-19 tests available to service members and their families at no cost and without unnecessary medical requirements. In the letter, the Members encourage the Department of Defense to provide the more than 9.6 million TRICARE beneficiaries with the same access to at-home tests afforded to other Americans. “At this time, at-home COVID-19 tests are not a TRICARE-covered benefit and are not reimbursable unless it is ordered by a TRICARE-authorized... Read More

BREAKING NEWS: Today, Congresswoman Cheri Bustos (IL-17) and U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) announced that Rock Island County will receive $1,850,000 in federal funding to expand MetroLINK’s passenger ferry service. The funding, awarded by the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) Passenger Ferry Grant Program, will support the construction of a terminal near the newly developed “Bend District” on the Mississippi River in East Moline, Illinois. The new terminal will address safety and accessibility accommodations. “The Quad-Cities MetroLINK Channel... Read More

Today, Congresswoman Cheri Bustos (IL-17) announced that her office delivered more than 300 valentines across Northwest and Central Illinois as part of her ninth annual “Valentines for Veterans” drive. Bustos, who organized this effort to thank our Veterans for their service and sacrifice, spearheaded the effort to collect valentines from Illinois families and then deliver them to the VA hospitals that serve her constituents. “I’m so grateful to everyone who took the time to participate in this year’s Valentines for Veterans program to show support and express appreciation for those who... Read More

SAL Family & Community Services (SAL), home to Skip-A-Long Child Development Services, is launching a major new initiative intended to transform the lives of low income expectant families and children until four years of age. Through the first and only Early Head Start Child Care Partnership Program (EHS CCP) serving the Illinois Quad-Cities, SAL continues its deep commitment to further the Q-C’s regional vision of cultivating a community that is both equitable and inclusive. The program is made possible thanks to a new annual $3.8-million grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human... Read More

Quad Cities Chamber President and CEO Paul Rumler released a video today calling on the United States Congress to pass a new stimulus bill of covid-19 relief measures to help struggling local businesses and employees. (Paging Cheri Bustos…) The Chamber released the following statement: At the Quad Cities Chamber, we believe it is essential to protect the health of all Quad Citizens as well as our livelihoods, and we need legislation that does both. In response to recent input from business leaders and new mitigations in Illinois and Iowa, the Chamber is urging Congress to pass COVID-19... Read More