Today, Congresswoman Cheri Bustos (IL-17) led the entire Illinois Congressional Delegation in a letter requesting the Department of Defense extend the activations of men and women in the National Guard to continue to assist with the state's fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Illinois previously received approval for 4,000 activations in response to a similar push from Bustos and the Illinois Congressional Delegation. Those activations are set to expire on May 31, 2020. Today's call would extend 2,000 of those activations through June 30, 2020, which Governor J.B. Pritzker has requested from the federal government.
"We have made progress, in no small part due to the Illinois National Guard," the members wrote. "Governor Pritzker, however, must continue to call on our neighbors in uniform: his plan to reopen the state relies on them to help combat the spread of COVID-19 in "hard hit areas such as prisons, nursing homes, and other congregate housing facilities.'"
"This crisis is not yet over, and we cannot let up now. We are indebted to the sacrifices of the men and women of the Illinois National Guard, and grateful for their work yet to be done," the members continued.
The letter was signed by the entire Illinois Congressional Delegation: U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Representatives Cheri Bustos (D-IL-17), Bobby Rush (D-IL-01), Robin Kelly (D-IL-02), Dan Lipinski (D-IL-03), Chuy Garcia (D-IL-04), Mike Quigley (D-IL-05), Sean Casten (D-IL-06), Danny Davis (D-IL-07), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL-08), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL-09), Brad Schneider (D-IL-10), Bill Foster (D-IL-11), Mike Bost (R-IL-12), Rodney Davis (R-IL-13), Lauren Underwood (D-IL-14), John Shimkus (R-IL-15), Adam Kinzinger (R-IL-16), and Darin LaHood (R-IL-18).