April 26, 2023

Duckworth Hosts SouthCom Mayors Coalition to Discuss Priorities for the Chicagoland Region

 

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today met with several members of the SouthCom Mayors Coalition, a group of elected officials and stakeholders who advocate for the Chicago south suburban villages of Park Forest, Richton Park and Matteson. Duckworth and the leaders discussed their shared legislative priorities for the region, including affordable housing access, infrastructure improvements and economic development. The Senator also highlighted her work in delivering federal infrastructure and job investments to Chicagoland through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. A photo of the meeting is available here.

“Day after day, we’re seeing the ways the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is at work benefitting Illinoisans, fixing roads and bridges across the state, creating career opportunities and more,” Duckworth said. “Over the coming months and years, Illinois will continue to feel the impacts of this legislation through safer roads, cleaner drinking water and more good-paying jobs. It was great to discuss these benefits with these south suburban leaders today, and I look forward to continuing to support the region so our local economies can recover and thrive.”

Duckworth was joined in today’s meeting by Village of Park Forest Mayor Joseph Woods, Village of Richton Park Mayor Rick Reinbold, Village of Matteson Mayor Sheila Chalmers-Currin and several more local officials and stakeholders.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has been at work helping improve the lives of working Americans by allowing infrastructure projects to implement local hiring initiatives and protecting roadside responders, among many other benefits for workers. The law is helping Illinois and Illinois communities improve roads, bridges, highways, public transit, airports and more throughout the state to allow for more good-paying jobs, better accessibility and needed investments. The Law also fully authorized Duckworth’s Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Act, which includes the most significant federal investment in water infrastructure in history, with a focus on disadvantaged communities.

Earlier this year and amid historically high housing costs, Duckworth joined U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and U.S. Representative Jamaal Bowman (D-NY-16) in sending a bicameral letter urging President Biden to pursue all possible strategies to address rent inflation, end corporate price gouging in the real estate sector as well as ensure that renters and people experiencing homelessness across this country are stably housed.

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