In the midst of her farewell tour, Congresswoman Cheri Bustos is reminiscing the past ten years of serving northern, western, and central Illinois, representing the 17th Congressional District, and shares what she learned throughout her five terms served:
“I’ve really learned a ton. Congress is very different than I thought it was going to be. I really thought that I would go out to Washington and we would sit down, Democrats and Republicans, and hash out legislation. The old image of the smoke filled rooms and I really thought it would be more like that, and frankly it is not. So, I think what I have learned is that even in an era that doesn’t lend itself toward working together bi-partisanship, you can find ways to do that, to build those relationships. More than 90% of the bills I introduced, I am a Democrat, but I have had a Republican co-sponsor on day one.”
During her decade of service, Congresswoman Bustos has served on a variety of committees and held leadership roles, with the most recent being Chair of the General Farm Commodities and Risk Management subcommittee of the House Agriculture Committee. With the new legislation taking office in January, Congresswoman Bustos shares what she would like to see change:
“If there is something that I would love to see change going forward, is that with the new leadership in Congress, we are going to have a whole new leadership structure out there. I hope they recognize the importance of always putting our nation first. Politics, you go through the political parties to get elected, but after that, it is time to govern. My husband who was the Sheriff of Rock Island County, I always loved his bumper sticker; the slogan on that was ‘Professional not Political.’ His view on that is that you got elected, but then after that it is time to be professional, it is time to get the job done. So, if I think I had a wish for Washington, D.C. it would be that; it is just always, always, always put our nation first, put our people first, put our communities first. The politics that is for when you are on the ballot and you can deal with that when that time comes every couple years.”
Congresswoman Bustos’ current term will end January 3, 2023.
Below find the article of Congresswoman Bustos’ Decade of Service Summary:
During the last 10 years, I have been proud to serve Northern, Western and Central Illinois in Congress. Being a voice for Galesburg in Washington has been the greatest honor of my professional life.
Together, we have met many challenges and successes. I’ve helped usher several of the most historic pieces of legislation in modern history through Congress, championed the largest investment in infrastructure our nation has seen in generations, delivered millions in federal funding to our Congressional District, created new jobs and always put the wellbeing of our working families front-and-center.
For more than half my time in Congress, I had the privilege of serving in House Leadership. I first served as co-Chair of the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee responsible for the successful “For The People” message that helped Democrats take back the House. As Chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, I protected the House Majority. Finally, as co-Chair of the Steering and Policy Committee, I helped set the direction of Congress’ agenda.
Throughout my time in leadership, as one of the only members of House Democratic leadership from the Midwest, I have always worked to make sure the Heartland was heard at the highest levels of Congress. That has led to major accomplishments, such as bringing all stakeholders to the table to pass a strong United States Mexico Canada Agreement (USMCA) for labor, agriculture and our manufacturers, and has helped make sure our region of the country is a central part of our nation’s steps forward.
My North Star has always been to serve my constituents and deliver real results, and I have secured significant local wins for Galesburg. One of my greatest honors was when I was named the top Democrat office in the House and Senate in delivering constituent services. As I close 2022, and a decade of service, it is my hope that I leave a legacy of accomplishment and a stronger Galesburg.
For five terms, I have been proud to deliver for the Congressional District I serve and the State of Illinois:
● Throughout my tenure in Congress, I have held my Cheri-on-Shift and Supermarket
Saturdays. Each of these series of events have allowed me to hear from and walk in
the shoes of hardworking men and women from all over our community. I’ve learned
how to drive a forklift, spot weld on cars and even process carp from the Mississippi
and Illinois rivers, and just this month, I completed my 120th Cheri on Shift.
● In the 113th Congress, the Digital Manufacturing and Design Innovation Institute
(DMDII, now MxD) opened after I advocated to Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and
President Barack Obama for Illinois to be chosen as the site.
● In the 114th Congress, I worked to secure $4 million in funding for Galesburg to
replace approximately 2,000 water pipes. Since then, the City of Galesburg has
received $12 million more in forgivable loans from the Illinois EPA and is in the final
stretch of its efforts to replace lead water pipes throughout the community.
● In the 115th Congress, I co-led a bipartisan bill to provide year-round financial
support for students through Pell Grants. Signed into law as part of the FY17
omnibus government funding package, my efforts allow students to apply for and
receive Pell Grants for fall, spring and summer semesters, to ensure students are able
to attend class year-round and get ahead.
● Beginning with my first term, I have been a proud member of the House Agriculture
Committee fighting for rural America and our family farmers and ranchers. I have
worked with our stakeholders to take steps toward a brighter future for agriculture,
such as utilizing E15 biofuels infrastructure, the Next Generation Fuels Act and a
path for Rural America to lead on climate change with my Rural Green
Partnership. I had the honor of serving on the 2018 Farm Bill Conference
Committee. The legislation included four of my bills:
-The Farmers of Tomorrow Act updated and modernized regulations to make
it easier for young farmers to buy land and access U.S. Department of
Agriculture (USDA) loans. This bill also included a provision to ensure more
veterans have the opportunity to begin farming.
-The Rural Health Liaison Act created a new rural health liaison at the
USDA to improve coordination and the delivery of healthcare to rural
America. I later welcomed the first Rural Health Liaison, Betty-Ann Brice, to
the role and advocated with the Liaison for help with rural recovery during the
global pandemic.
-The Addiction Recovery for Rural Communities Act helps rural Americans
better leverage USDA Rural Development programs to combat opioid and
heroin use by setting aside 20 percent of the USDA’s Distance Learning and
Telemedicine Program grant funding for substance abuse treatment. It also
incentivizes new treatment centers through USDA Community and Facilities
Direct Loans and Grants. Finally, it prioritizes USDA Rural Health and Safety
Education grant funding for applicants seeking to improve education and
outreach on opioids and other substance abuse issues.
-The Broadband Connections for Rural Opportunities Act awards loan and
grant combinations for rural broadband projects. No community, student or
business can compete today without access to adequate broadband. By
allowing communities with fewer resources to leverage new grant and loan
combinations, the legislation allows for more rapid deployment of high speed
internet to historically underserved communities.
And most recently, as Chair of the General Farm Commodities and Risk Management subcommittee of the House Agriculture Committee, I have continued the fight to protect crop insurance as we lay the groundwork for the next Farm Bill.
● As a Member of the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, I successfully
passed bipartisan legislation that ensures the operation, maintenance and repair
of federally-owned locks and dams be performed by skilled federal employees.
This was passed as an amendment to the Water Resources Development Act of 2018.
● In partnership with former Congressman Dave Loebsack of Iowa and Senator Dick
Durbin, I worked to establish the Center of Excellence for Advanced and
Additive Manufacturing at the Rock Island Arsenal. A major accomplishment for
the entire region, the Center supports the U.S. Army’s ongoing efforts to integrate
advanced manufacturing techniques into current processes at its arsenals and other
industrial facilities. The Center also engages with the private sector to support
advanced and additive manufacturing within the Army, leading to new partnerships
and job creation throughout our Congressional district. The Center of Excellence has
helped position Army arsenals to be at the forefront of developing new advanced
manufacturing techniques, 3D printing and technologies that better serve our troops.
● During my service, it has been my honor to dedicate four Post Offices to members
of our military who made the ultimate sacrifice overseas: Sgt. Douglas Riney,
Lance Cpl. Jordan Bastean, Cpt. Joshua Steele and Senior Airman Daniel Miller.
In 2018, while speaking with Sgt. Riney’s widow, Gold Star Spouse Kylie Riney, she
shared with me that her landlord refused to allow her to break her lease to return home
to Illinois. That meant Mrs. Riney would be forced to pay fines to break the lease, or
be unable to return home to grieve with her family after the loss of her husband. After
hearing this, I worked to make sure no military family would ever endure this type of
hardship again. My Gold Star Spouses Leasing Relief Act was signed into law as
part of Veterans Benefits and Transition Act that year
● In the 116th Congress, I joined the powerful House Appropriations Committee
and established a first-of-its-kind, $3 million pilot program for communities to
empower communities to address the social factors that harm long-term health,
as part of the FY21 funding bill. In FY22, I was able to secure $8 million to grow this
program. Since its launch, three communities in our Congressional district have
received $125,000 each through my Social Determinants of Health Accelerator
program.
● In 2020, my Stopping Improper Payments to Deceased People Act passed as part
of the year-end funding package. This bipartisan, bicameral bill saves significant
taxpayer dollars by cutting down on government waste in the form of overpayments,
improperly documented payments or payments made to ineligible recipients.
● In the 117th Congress, Democrats brought back Congressionally-directed spending
through the Community Project Funding program. I heard from organizations across
Northwest and Central Illinois who shared their ideas and priorities, and fought to
secure funding for all 10 of my submitted projects. I am proud to have brought
home the most Community Project funding of any Democrat in the House,
totaling $55.7 million.
● Fighting to update our outdated locks and dams on the Upper Mississippi and Illinois
Waterways has been a priority throughout my time in Congress. After voting in favor
of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law in 2021, I worked with a group of bipartisan
lawmakers, including Senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth, to secure
$829 million of that new funding for our locks and dams – the biggest investment
in this system since they were first built during the Great Depression during the
Great Depression in the 1930s and 1940s.
● To help save the lives of our first responders, I worked with Senators Durbin and
Duckworth to introduce the Protecting Roadside First Responders Act. This bill
established vehicle move-over education and compliance as a national highway safety
priority and allows states to apply for grant funding to execute awareness campaigns,
as well as to equip vehicles with digital alert and crash avoidance technology. I’m
proud that this legislation was included in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill, and was
signed into law in 2021.
● I have served on the House Agriculture Committee from my very first term, and will
leave Congress having been a Member of the committee throughout the entirety of my
tenure. This Congress, I was selected to Chair the Subcommittee on General Farm
Commodities and Risk Management, where I have overseen policies, statutes and
markets relating to commodities critical to producers in Illinois, such as corn and
soybeans, and have also overseen the Commodity Credit Corporation and crop
insurance programs. As Chair, I have traveled throughout the country this year,
holding listening sessions with growers and producers. Hundreds have had an
opportunity to officially weigh in on the 2023 Farm Bill in advance of its debate. As
Chair, I have traveled throughout the country this year, holding listening sessions with
growers and producers. Hundreds have had an opportunity to officially weigh in on
the 2023 Farm Bill in advance of its debate.
● Earlier this year, President Biden signed my bill, the Ending Forced Arbitration of
Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act, into law. This new law expands the
rights of sexual assault and harassment survivors to seek justice. Now, forced
arbitration agreements in any contract are voided if a sexual assault or harassment
claim is brought and survivors are provided the freedom to decide what legal path
works best for them.
Just this month, a companion bill, the Speak Out Act, was also signed into law.
Modeled after my law, this bill addresses voiding non-disclosure agreements in sexual
assault and harassment claims. I was proud to work with my colleagues Reps. Lois
Frankel and Ken Buck to support this bipartisan effort.
Together, these bills have been called two of the most significant pieces of
legislation for labor and women’s rights this century.
In Galesburg, further accomplishments include:
● Through community project funding, I secured $1.2 million for updates to the
Galesburg Sanitary District’s Wastewater Treatment Plant. The funding helped to
clean and improve the number four digester for better, more efficient mixing, while
adding biogas monitoring and safety equipment. The funding also supported
converting the secondary digester to a primary digester.
● Introduced and passed bipartisan legislation that will name the veterans facility
in Galesburg, Illinois the “Lane A. Evans VA Community Based Outpatient
Clinic.” Evans – who represented Illinois’ 17th Congressional District for more than
20 years – was known throughout his career in Congress as a champion of veterans’
issues and served as the Ranking Member of the House Veterans Affairs Committee
for a decade. After a long battle with Parkinson’s disease, Evans passed away at the
age of 63. It is my hope that with this dedication, his memory continues to live on in
service to the veterans of Western and Central Illinois
● Introduced and passed bipartisan legislation to rename the U.S. Post Office on
East Main Street in Galesburg as the “Senior Airman Daniel Miller Post Office
Building.” On January 7, 2007, at the age of 24, Senior Airman Miller was killed in
action attempting to defuse a car bomb while protecting our nation in
Al-Mahmudiyah, Iraq. It is my hope that this commemoration will serve as a place for
the Galesburg community to remember this hero and allow the legacy of Senior
Airman Miller to live on for time to come
● Throughout the years, I helped deliver tens of millions of dollars in federal funding to
support small businesses, early education, college education, brownfield clean-up,
substance abuse and more in the Galesburg area.
A Decade of Service By the Numbers
● Over 6,800 constituent cases resolved.
● 1,421 total events throughout the district.
● Over $5,300,000 recovered for the people I serve.
● 436 Congressional Records entered to honor the people I serve.
