100 days in: Budzinski keys in on bipartisan bills in freshman term
Her eventually successful congressional campaign vowed to bring people together, whether it be a constituent in rural Dorchester or one in the urban reaches of Springfield or Decatur.
U.S. Rep. Nikki Budzinski, D-Springfield, carried that message to a victory over Republican challenger Regan Deering in November in the Illinois 13th congressional district race - a seven-county area slivering up from the Metro East area through the capital city and ending up in Champaign.
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Budzinski, a Springfield resident, was back in her home city during a break from floor action in Washington. Now more than 100 days in office, the freshman congresswoman has introduced three bills and co-sponsored more than 40. At the heart of her work, is working with and forming relationships with fellow Democrats and House Republicans, who now hold the majority in the chamber.
"Bipartisanship is the one thing that I am the number one, most proud that we've been able to accomplish in these first 100 days," she said in a recent interview from her Springfield office, one of four opened in her district.
Working across the aisle
Both of Budzinski's bills introduced in the 118th Congress have the backing of members from the other side of the aisle. In one way, this gives her legislation a greater chance of being passed in the Republican-controlled House, but also to broaden her connections in the nation's capitol.
Her first bill follows up with a prior attempt from former U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis, R-Taylorville, and would create the Leveraging and Energizing America’s Apprenticeship Programs Act. The bill, receiving support from fellow Illinoisan congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi and U.S. Rep. Mike Carey, R-Ohio, would provide $1,500 in tax credits for small businesses that hire pre-apprentices and apprentices.
Budzinski said her bill will be a major plus for community college students in her district, which includes schools such as Lincoln Land Community College and Richland Community College in Decatur. The LEAP Act has since been referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
"I think we should be opening, in Congress, more pathways forward for people who want to get the skills training they need, but don't want to get saddled-down with a debt of a four-year degree," she told The State Journal-Register on Tuesday.
The representative has a focus on more rural-centered issues in both bills she has introduced and co-sponsored. One of those pieces of legislation would create the Rural America Health Corps Act - a test administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration to determine how to recruit and retain medical officials in rural areas.
The bill comes from Tennessee GOP Rep. David Kustoff and could be of assistance to local programs like the Southern Illinois University Medical Center, where it would offer student loan debt assistance to those practicing in a rural area for at least a period of five years.
Her work on the House Committee on Agriculture has brought her to the table with Sangamon County's Republican congresswoman U.S. Rep. Mary Miller, R-Oakland. The two, along with three other Illinois representatives, have been primarily focused on this year's farm bill.
Budzinski made gaining a seat on the committee a priority of hers, perhaps due to her district's leading status in agriculture production. Several of her counties - Champaign, Macon, Piatt and Sangamon - are among the nation's leaders in corn and soybean production.
The farm bill has brought some consensus between the two in particularly with a bill from Budzinski that would increase the presence of ethanol in gasoline - a move she says will lower gas prices while reducing emissions. Miller and Budzinski also found common ground on crop insurance to help farmers experiencing low yields due to flooding and severe storms.
Still, chances of agreement on some of the more contentious items whether that be gun control or abortion appear slim at best.
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Following the recent shooting in Louisville, Kentucky, leaving five dead and nine injured, President Joe Biden called on House Republicans to push some form of gun reform. Budzinski said, while some actions were taken in the prior Congress, that more action was needed.
The weapon used in the Louisville and Nashville shootings was the AR-15, one of the semi-automatic weapons banned in Illinois in its assault-style weapons ban. Previously banned nationwide by President Bill Clinton, Budzinski indicated her support for a new ban in addition to increasing mental health funding.
"I know that the statistics point to the fact that the number one cause of death for children in our country is death by gun violence," she said, accounting for 3,600 deaths per year according to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention. "So, we have to do something about these military-style weapons."
The other capitol
The U.S. House of Representatives is set to be in-session for 117 days collectively in 2023- leaving the remaining near 250 days for time in a representative's home district.
Already holding nearly 200 meetings with constituents, the congresswoman has kept attention on her hometown with special regards to the recent election. The morning after Misty Buscher secured her mayoral victory, Budzinski said she gave the mayor-elect a call and congratulated her on the win.
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Budzinski, along with fellow Illinois lawmakers, previously introduced a bill that would mark the location of the 1908 race riots as a national monument. Federal involvement could also be possible in projects such as the Springfield Rail Improvement Project and the redevelopment of the former Pillsbury Mills site, she said.
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Keeping tabs on the Illinois General Assembly, she has also held conversations with state Sen. Christopher Belt, D-Swansea, on his Senate Bill 850 that would have the state provide assistance to grocery stores to expand ease to healthy food options in food deserts.
The bill is similar to one Budzinski has co-sponsored called the Food Deserts Act. She told Belt that she would be interested in forming a federal partnership to expand its reach.
A Walmart recently closed in Cahokia Heights, a small town in St. Clair County part of the 13th district, which Budzinski said makes the issue of healthy food access in rural areas "ring home" to her and her constituents.
"What that means for a community like Cahokia Heights is yes, there are five other Walmart's within a 15-mile radius of the community, but it might as well be on the other side of the world because, if you don't have access to transportation to get those healthy food sources, you don't have access to healthy food," she said.
Eyes to 2024
With the 2023 consolidated election in the rearview, some voters are already turning their attention to next year's election. The presidential election will turnout many yet will also feature House races, including the Illinois 13th congressional district, and all 434 others.
Budzinski has yet to officially file her candidacy for 2024, but told the SJ-R that she plans to serve again. For now, however, her focus is on her legislative priorities in her current term.
Just prior to the interview, Chicago had been announced as the home site for the 2024 Democratic National Convention. This had long been a push of Gov. JB Pritzker, who Budzinski worked with as a senior advisor to the administration before announcing her congressional candidacy.
The selection of Chicago as the designated site is the first time since 1996 and one she feels will be major for Democrats both in Illinois but throughout the midwest heading into the elections.
"Anything that's going to showcase the great work that we're doing in the middle of America, in the middle of the heartland, to support people - specifically working people - in our communities is a great opportunity," she said.
Contact Patrick Keck: 312-549-9340, pkeck@gannett.com, twitter.com/@pkeckreporter.
This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: 100 days in: Budzinski keys in on bipartisan bills in freshman term
