Hello.  This is Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky.  This week I wanted to share with you a story that illustrates the health care crisis in the United States.

A week doesn’t go by in my district offices without some constituent, often several, calling in a panic about a personal health care crisis.  These calls come not only from people who aren’t insured, but increasingly from those who are – or think they are.  Most of the time, they are shocked and furious that, now that they actually need the coverage, their policies don’t seem to apply.  

Two weeks ago, the House passed the 2009 Intelligence Authorization Act.  For the first time, the bill contained oversight measures calling for an inspector general, and strict restrictions on the use of contractors in interrogations.  Unfortunately, the very reform measures that I sponsored are cited by the Administration as examples of why they would veto the bill.  Currently, the bill is languishing in the Senate, and serves as a reminder of not only why we need to elect a Democratic President, but how important it will be to elect members of the House and Senate to help key progressive legislation from getting scuttled.

No sooner did the House of Representatives pass the 2009 Intelligence Authorization Act, the Administration threatened to veto it.  As a member of the Intelligence Committee I found the “Statement of Administration Policy” a rather tidy compilation of all the reasons that I was able to vote for it.

The bill passed on July 16 by a voice vote and was the product of bi-partisan agreement in the committee.

I have the great privilege of Representing Illinois' 9th District in Congress.  The 9th District is one of the most diverse in the country, stretching along the Northern part of Chicago's lakefront, including my home of Evanston, and west through suburbs North of Chicago, like Skokie, Niles, and Hillary Clinton's hometown of Park Ridge.  The 9th district could serve as a microcosm of the UN, with new Americans and immigrants from all over the globe speaking many languages, and practicing many faiths.  

I'm also proud to say that the 9th District is "Solid Blue," going 68% for Both Gore and Kerry.   In the 2004 contest, my Campaign organization, working with the Kerry Travelers, a group of grassroots volunteers, worked to capitalize on all that Democratic energy in the district by organizing bus loads of volunteers to travel to nearby Wisconsin.  While Illinois was a relatively "Safe" state for John Kerry, the state of Wisconsin was a crucial battleground state, where more boots on the ground would could translate to a Kerry victory, and it did.

As Election Day approaches, we're going to be working hard to elect Barack Obama.  We also have an incredible opportunity to elect Daniel Biss, an exciting and young Progressive running for Change here at home, in Illinois, to the office of State Representative.

Recently, I had the honor of sitting down with Daniel and discussing our ideas for progressive change in Illinois and across the country.  I hope you’ll take a moment to view it view it .  I believe you’ll come to the same conclusion I have – Daniel, and the kind of campaign he has built and the kind of leader he will be, represent the future of the Progressive movement.  Please join me in supporting him.

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This is my first DailyKos posting and I’m really pleased to be joining this vibrant on-line community.  I wanted to share with you some of the work that I'm doing in Congress on the important issue of military contractors.  

One of the more disturbing developments nurtured by the Bush Administration has been the outsourcing of the “business” of war.  The truly big winners of the “War on Terror” and the U.S. occupation of Iraq are military contractors like Halliburton. Cheney’s former company is raking in billions of dollars for various service contracts in Iraq, including food that was never served, water that was contaminated, tents that made soldiers sick.