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President Obama’s new chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, told the New York Times this week, “Rule one: Never allow a crisis to go to waste. They are opportunities to do big things.” And that’s just what the country needs right now. Although Rahm and I certainly have different political styles, I think he’s exactly right about the opportunity we have to make big changes for the country. And that is why I’m running to fill his seat in Congress representing Illinois’s 5th district.
My mother, widowed when I was eight, raised my brother and I in this district. She worked as a doctor serving women and children in a local hospital at a time when it was rare for hospitals to hire women doctors. But she didn’t only work at the hospital. My mother often welcomed parents from the neighborhood into our home to provide care for their children when they had nowhere else to turn ‐ sometimes examining sick children right on the kitchen table. When she saw families in crisis, she stepped in and did big things. She believed, as I do today, that healthcare is a right, not a privilege, which has been my inspiration for public service.
I’ve spent the last 14 years as an Illinois state legislator working to honor my mother’s ideals by passing the bill that provides every child in Illinois with comprehensive, affordable healthcare. I stood up to special interests to require insurance companies to cover contraception and annual mammograms. And, I worked with members of both parties on a bill for stem cell research funding. I passed a bill that expands access to breast and cervical cancer screenings to low-income women. I sponsored a bill with then-State Senator Barack Obama which gives uninsured working families in Illinois access to the health care, and I hope to have the opportunity to work with him again in Washington to make health care a reality for all Americans.
At this time in our history, as we struggle through this economic crisis, we have the opportunity to bring quality, affordable healthcare to all Americans, invest in job growth, and break down the barriers that divide parties and keep legislators from getting things done that help people. To that end, we need to ensure that the economic stimulus package before Congress includes a healthy investment in human infrastructure jobs and services, an industry that employs mostly women and provides people in need with critical services. Please visit my website and read my letter to my home state senators, Dick Durbin and Roland Burris. This is an issue I will continue to talk about over the coming days and if I go to Washington, human infrastructure will continue to be one of my top priorities as it has been over the last 14 years.
I’ll report back over the next three weeks to share with you more of my thoughts on these big issues facing our country and my experiences on the campaign trail. If you’re in Chicago, I’d love your help. Our website, www.saraforcongress.com, has information about events, volunteer opportunities, and other ways you can help our campaign. And, I welcome your comments and questions, so ask away!
