Government Affairs Roundup
“Your Timely Roundup of Local, State, and Federal Updates”
Chamber members:
We are two years into the COVID-19 pandemic (and starting year three if you can believe it) and we know your business has faced challenges and choices you may have never imagined. The omicron variant has caused a surge of cases, leading to the question of when this uncertainty end will. While our community takes measures to combat this surge in the short term, the business community must apply long-term strategies to recover fully from this pandemic. These strategies include prioritizing economic and regulatory relief for the business community.
We have joined the Chambers All In for Economic Recovery coalition to call on the Illinois General Assembly to take action for Illinois’s businesses. The alliance continues to grow, with nearly 50 chambers representing every region of Illinois.
In the coalition’s second year, Chambers All In has developed an updated platform. This year’s platform focuses on critical items that, if enacted, will bring further relief to the business community. The platform includes items to address holistic economic recovery while addressing the devastating impacts of the pandemic. Please see the entire platform on our web page at www.jolietchamber.com .
The coalition will work this platform with legislators and call for action in the coming weeks. We urge you to get involved and spread the message with us during this time. We commit to being a voice for our members, and our partner chambers will collectively work for tangible relief for our communities’ businesses.
Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to me at 815.727.5373 or mpaone@jolietchamber.com. The platform is attached to this message as a PDF.
*Government Affairs Roundup brought to you by CITGO & Silver Cross Hospital*
Gov. Pritzker Advances Vision to Rebuild I-80, Announces Next Phase of Houbolt Road Project in Joliet
Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) were joined by local officials today to announce the next phase of construction on the new Houbolt Road bridge and interchange, a critical piece of the governor’s $1.2 billion commitment to improve and modernize Interstate 80 through the bipartisan Rebuild Illinois capital program. The entire project, funded by an estimated $200 million in public and private funding, will create hundreds of construction and permanent jobs while improving safety and intermodal activity throughout the region.
“The next phase of I-80’s modernization begins today at Houbolt Road, giving new life to one the interstate’s most critical interchanges and a key access point for Joliet,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Our state investment of $32 million right here in Joliet will help widen Houbolt Road and reconfigure its interchange into a high-capacity, diverging-diamond design. These improvements are making it safer and more efficient for truck drivers, but also for the tens of thousands of commuters and families who drive this interstate as they navigate their daily lives.”
Under a unique public-private partnership between IDOT, the City of Joliet and CenterPoint Properties, the city is overseeing the $33.5 million project to widen Houbolt Road and reconfigure its interchange with I-80 to a high-capacity, diverging-diamond design. The state is providing $32 million in capital funding for the project.
The state and city investments have also leveraged a CenterPoint investment of up to $170 million to build a new tolled bridge on Houbolt Road over the Des Plaines River. Already under construction, the new bridge will connect I-80 and CenterPoint’s intermodal facilities. As the country’s largest inland port, the facilities are home thousands of jobs and $75 billion in freight activity annually, including 65 million bushels of agricultural products exported each year, making it one of North America’s largest agricultural hubs.
Advance work on Houbolt Road is anticipated to begin with the relocation of utilities this winter, weather permitting, with construction starting soon afterward. The project is estimated to reach completion by 2023.
“Under Gov. Pritzker, IDOT is leveraging public resources to advance projects across all modes throughout the state in new and exciting ways,” said Illinois Transportation Secretary Omer Osman. “The Houbolt Road improvements are going to bring much-needed relief to I-80 while delivering a crucial piece of the governor’s larger vision to remake one of the country’s major interstate corridors.”
Improving access to CenterPoint’s intermodal facilities via Houbolt Road will reduce congestion on I-80, as well as significantly reduce traffic near the entrances to Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery and Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie along Illinois 53. Another element of the project will extend the Forest Preserve District of Will County’s Rock Run Greenway Trail from north of I-80 to the Lower Rock Run Preserve and the I&M Canal Trail.
“I’m happy to see the progress being made on the construction of the Houbolt Road Bridge. We know, moving forward, the critical role this will play as development continues around the two intermodal ports in our region,” said Joliet Mayor Bob O’Dekirk. “The public-private partnership we have forged is a model for major capital improvements moving forward. Thank you, Governor Pritzker and our state officials, for your commitment to Joliet.”
The Houbolt Road improvements are key elements of Gov. Pritzker’s vision to restore 16 miles of I-80 from Ridge Road to U.S. 30 and replace the Des Plaines River bridges — a cornerstone project of the governor’s historic, bipartisan Rebuild Illinois capital program. Construction is already underway on the overhaul of I-80, replacing more than 50-year-old infrastructure on a corridor that carries 80,000 vehicles a day, about 25% of which are trucks.
“The Houbolt Road Interchange Project is a game changer for this community. This project will deliver a much-needed modernization of our infrastructure and give our community space to grow while addressing constituent concerns like volume of trucks and safety. I look forward to seeing the direct benefits of the project with the U.S. Route 6 completion this October,” said Assistant Majority Leader Natalie Manley (D-Joliet).
“This interchange is part of a historic investment in Will County infrastructure by Illinois. The return on this infrastructure investment will be enjoyed by generations of Will County residents. This is how Illinois moves forward,” said State Senator John Connor (D-Lockport).
“Will County is a major transportation hub for the region, and this project will continue to allow our communities to grow,” said State Senator Meg Loughran Cappel (D-Shorewood). “From job creation to improving traffic flow, the Houbolt Road project will help spur economic development in our county for years to come.”
“I am extremely pleased to see this project begin, one that is a result of local and state advocates and a successful public-private partnership,” said State Representative Dagmara Avelar (D-Bolingbrook). “This investment in our community will improve efficiency and safety on our roads, create jobs and spur economic development. I look forward to seeing the project’s completion.”
“This needed investment in our infrastructure reflects our area’s economic growth and better prepares us for additional capacity,” said State Representative Lawrence Walsh, Jr. (D-Joliet). “This project brings good jobs to our community and will make travel safer and more efficient for all of us.”
Passed in 2019, Rebuild Illinois is investing $33.2 billion into the state’s aging transportation system, creating jobs and promoting economic growth. Rebuild Illinois is not only the largest capital program in state history but also the first one that touches all modes of Illinois transportation: roads and bridges, transit, waterways, freight and passenger rail, aviation, and bicycle and pedestrian accommodations. For more information on the Houbolt Road improvements, visit www.houboltroadextension.com.
Judge Blocks Biden Covid-19 Vaccine Mandate for Federal Workers
A federal judge blocked the Biden administration’s Covid-19 vaccine requirement for federal employees, the latest legal setback for the president’s push to inoculate workers.
U.S. District Judge Jeffrey V. Brown in Texas said President Biden didn’t have the broad, unilateral authority to mandate “that all federal employees consent to vaccination against Covid-19 or lose their jobs.” The judge’s ruling Friday said that the case wasn’t about whether people should be vaccinated.
“It is instead about whether the President can, with the stroke of a pen and without the input of Congress, require millions of federal employees to undergo a medical procedure as a condition of their employment,” Judge Brown, an appointee of former President Donald Trump who is based in Galveston, wrote. “That, under the current state of the law as just recently expressed by the Supreme Court, is a bridge too far.”
The Supreme Court last week blocked the administration’s Covid-19 vaccine-or-testing rules for large private employers. The high court, however, allowed the administration to require vaccinations for more than 10 million healthcare workers whose facilities participate in Medicare and Medicaid.
The Justice Department said it was filing an appeal. White House press secretary Jen Psaki noted that 98% of federal workers are vaccinated and referred additional questions to the Justice Department. “Obviously we are confident in our legal authority here,” Ms. Psaki said.
Manchin, Sinema join GOP to sink filibuster change for voting bill
Senate Democrats failed to change the legislative filibuster for a voting bill on Wednesday night, after Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) voted with Republicans to oppose the rules reform, handing President Biden and the party a stinging defeat.
Senators voted 52-48 to defeat the rules change, which would have nixed the 60-vote hurdle for the election bill. To have been successful, Democrats would need total unity from all 50 of their members, plus Vice President Harris to break a tie.
The outcome of the vote was telegraphed, but it marks a defeat of Democrats’ months-long push to pass voting rights legislation, even if it meant changing the rules so they could do it alone. Even as the effort appeared poised to fall short, Biden and Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) poured time and political capital into the fight. Biden went to Georgia earlier this month to urge Senate Democrats to pass voting rights legislation, and change the Senate’s rules if necessary, and made a similar pitch to the caucus during a closed-door meeting last week.
In a statement after the vote, Biden said that he was “profoundly disappointed” in the Senate. Schumer has talked up the issue both on the Senate floor, during a blitz of TV appearances and back in New York this week for Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebrations. Democrats were under pressure to hold the vote, regardless of the outcome, to show that they were all-in on voting rights.
Schumer made a final plea to his own party after Republicans blocked a voting bill on Wednesday night that would have combined the Freedom to Vote Act, which overhauls elections and campaign finance laws, and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, which would expand and strengthen the 1965 Voting Rights Act.
Under the rules change proposal, Democrats would have gotten rid of the 60-vote hurdle currently required for most legislation, but only for the voting rights bill. Instead, opponents could delay the election legislation by holding the floor but after that it could pass by a simple majority. Schumer picked up support for the proposal, which he announced on Tuesday night, throughout Wednesday.
What is the Filibuster?
It is always good to hear feedback from our members about information contained in this roundup. The other day was a welcome conversation about the filibuster and why we’re hearing so much about it now, almost like it hasn’t been used frequently in the past. So here is a filibuster recap.
The Senate tradition of unlimited debate has allowed for the use of the filibuster, a loosely defined term for action designed to prolong debate and delay or prevent a vote on a bill, resolution, amendment, or other debatable question. Prior to 1917 the Senate rules did not provide for a way to end debate and force a vote on a measure. That year, the Senate adopted a rule to allow a two-thirds majority to end a filibuster, a procedure known as “cloture.” In 1975 the Senate reduced the number of votes required for cloture from two-thirds of senators voting to three-fifths of all senators duly chosen and sworn, or 60 of the 100-member Senate.
In a classic example of unintended consequences, however, this reform led to yet more frequent use of “extended debate” or the threat of a filibuster. Senate leaders no longer required filibustering senators to hold the floor for hours, so the drama of all-night sessions that might last for weeks has faded into memory. Senators in both parties came to embrace the filibuster, or the threat to filibuster, as just another tool.
The filibuster hasn’t been immune to change — though doing so is exceptionally controversial given the power it wields. It used to be a rare and powerful tool for lawmakers when they wanted to hold up the normal course of business. But as rules changed to require fewer votes to shut one down, senators began to invoke it as a regular threat. And as the Senate came to accept the “virtual” or “silent filibuster,” it became the normal course of things. It also became the chief weapon empowering the minority party and, just as important, the individual senator.
Why does it differ from the normal majority vote? It’s a senator or group of senators exercising their right to unlimited debate. If pursued in earnest, it can keep a piece of Senate business off the floor indefinitely. The chamber’s majority leader can either remove the issue at hand from consideration or file a motion to invoke cloture.
That motion takes 60 votes to succeed. That is why you constantly hear that it takes 60 votes to get anything done in the U.S. Senate. If 60 votes or more are available, cloture is invoked and a set period of debate ensues — followed by a debate on the issue itself.
For the first 50 years it existed, the cloture motion was only filed a few times a year at most (never more than seven times in a two-year cycle). But in the last 50 years, cloture motions have gone from dozens to scores per year. Thus far in this Senate cycle, after a little more than a year, there have been 181 cloture motions filed. It can be debated whether the filibuster makes the chamber more or less partisan, but it surely empowers the minority party and even the individual senator.
The filibuster has been used by both Democrats and Republicans, almost always while occupying the Senate minority. While filibusters are used frequently, they are only recorded when a cloture vote is called by the majority party, which can end debate with 60 votes. During the 2019-2020 Congressional term, a record-breaking 328 filibusters were recorded with Democrats in the minority. Since 2009, 657 filibusters were recorded under Democratic minorities while 609 filibusters were recorded under Republican minorities. Research by Slate on filibusters between 1991 and 2008 found that Democrats successfully filibustered 63 times while Republicans successfully filibustered 89 times.
After President Biden recently proposed floor speaking necessity, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) set in motion a plan to require senators to speak on the floor if they want to block Democrats’ elections bill, a proposed change to the chamber’s filibuster rule intended as a last-ditch effort to pass the legislation. Filibuster rules may be changed by a simple majority vote, as they are not mentioned in the Constitution or legislation.
Facing Republican opposition to the elections bill, Democrats have been weighing various proposed changes to the current Senate procedures, which require 60 votes for most legislation to proceed to a final vote. While all 50 members of the Democratic caucus have united behind the party’s elections overhaul, Sens. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona and Joe Manchin of West Virginia have said they would reject partisan attempts to weaken the filibuster, dooming the effort.
The scope of the filibuster was narrowed in 2013, when a Democratic majority used a controversial parliamentary procedure to exempt presidential appointments from the longstanding “extended debate” mandate and the 60-vote rule. When they exercised this so-called “nuclear option,” they explicitly did not include presidential nominations to the U.S. Supreme Court, which remained subject to the filibuster.
Then, in 2017, after former President Trump had taken office, a Republican majority in the Senate used the same “nuclear option” procedure to exempt Supreme Court nominations from the filibuster as well. That cleared the way for Trump to fill three vacancies over the course of his term.
Five big takeaways from Biden’s White House news conference
President Biden held a rare formal news conference Wednesday, one day before the first anniversary of his inauguration. The event came with the president’s poll ratings at a low ebb and as he is enduring one of his most difficult stretches to date. His legislative agenda has stalled, and he faces challenges ranging from inflation to Russian aggression. But the president, speaking amid the grandeur of the East Room of the White House, had a chance to reset the agenda with the midterm elections just 10 months away.
Here are the five biggest takeaways:
A big misstep on Russia
Biden’s loquaciousness has a history of getting him in trouble. So it proved again on Wednesday. A predictable question on a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine produced an odd and damaging response. Biden suggested that a “minor incursion” by the Kremlin’s forces might not receive much aggressive pushback from the United States.
The comment lit up social media, and a second reporter asked Biden about it later in the news conference. Offered a second bite at the cherry, Biden missed yet again, this time implying that a limited Russian action would make it difficult for him to drive a unified response from NATO. White House aides immediately scrambled to try to clear up the confusion. They had little success. The core of the problem is that Biden’s remarks sounded weak and timid — liabilities that Putin will try to maximally exploit. The Russian leader has form. He annexed Crimea in 2014 and, for all its noble-sounding words of protest, the international community has not been able to reverse the move.
The entire thrust of Washington’s approach in its negotiations with the Kremlin has been to show seriousness this time around. But Biden put a hole in his own strategy on Wednesday, for no obvious reason.
The news conference was long — very long
President Biden spent almost two hours in the East Room, and even joked about the longevity of the event in its closing stages. “How many more hours am I doing this? I’m happy to stick around,” he said.
There were pluses and minuses to the marathon approach. On one hand, the briefing’s duration was proof of Biden’s stamina and mental acuity — a retort to conservative critics who suggest that, at 79, he is not up to the job. In fact, that issue was explicitly — and somewhat pompously — brought up at the news conference by a reporter for Newsmax, and Biden swatted it aside.
But the length of the news conference also played to two Biden-related weaknesses — an eagerness to talk at considerable length and a propensity for inexact language. Those aren’t functions of his age. They are traits that have marked his entire political career.
In the later stages of the event, for example, Biden suggested he might not consider the midterm elections legitimate under certain circumstances— but the wording of his answer was rather unclear. Some commentators complained the event grew dull because of its length. But that critique is not likely to matter much with the general public, relatively few of whom are likely to have watched the presser in its entirety.
Biden kicked off his midterm campaign
Next to the Russia gaffe, the most politically significant aspect of the briefing was Biden’s shift to a midterm election strategy. He is not — yet — going full, scorched-earth negative. But he clearly wants to put a contrast between his party and the GOP in the front of voters’ minds
He claimed several times that Republicans were happy to position themselves against him but unwilling to state in plain terms what they favor. “What would be the Republican platform right now?,” he asked rhetorically, citing issues including taxation, the cost of prescription drugs and human rights. “I honestly don’t know what they’re for.”
An old political dictum holds that elections are either a referendum on the incumbent or a choice between two options. Biden is doing what he can to make the 2022 midterms a choice — surely seeing this approach as his party’s most realistic chance to cling onto its razor-thin congressional majorities.
Relatedly, Biden also promised to hit the road more, talking wistfully about how he has not been able do more of the old-school politicking he relishes because of the pandemic. “I don’t get a chance to look people in the eye, to go out and do the things I’ve always been able to do,” he said at one point. “Connect with people, let them take the measure of my sincerity.”
A bite-sized approach to his goals
Biden bowed to the inevitable on his legislative agenda — sort of. In effect, he accepted that his Build Back Better plan, which he had hoped would be the capstone of his legislative agenda, would not pass in its current form. He acknowledged the same of voting rights legislation, more or less. But he emphasized the fight for those goals was not over. Instead, he said he would move on to trying to achieve the same big objectives in bite-sized chunks over time.
“It’s clear to me that we are going to have to probably break it up,” he said of Build Back Better, noting as one example that even Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) was in favor of some of the big bill’s provisions on early childhood education.
He made essentially the same argument on voting rights and asserted that change happens incrementally. “I don’t know many things that have been done in one fell swoop,” he said.
Whether that approach is enough to satisfy a restive Democratic base remains to be seen.
Did it move the needle?
It’s tough for any single event these days to shift the political realities of a deeply polarized nation. Biden’s press conference was no exception. The extent of the damage done by the Russia-related gaffe will only become clear after several days.
Right now, it’s impossible to tell whether it will fade from relevance or instead come to be seen like other infamous verbal miscues. On the flip side, Biden supporters can take heart from the vigor with which the president pressed the case against the GOP. They have been wanting more of that from Biden for a while and he delivered in spades on Wednesday.
His remarks hitting Republicans were a reminder that the presidential bully pulpit still holds power. Whether that power will be enough to reverse Biden’s current low fortunes remains to be seen.
Springfield News
The big agenda item in Tuesday’s House Democratic Caucus meeting was how to handle the governor’s State of the Budget address planned for Feb. 2. Governor JB Pritzker would like to present it live in House chambers before lawmakers and reporters. But the pandemic is putting a damper on the plan. There are obvious concerns about meeting in person, Covid and all. Should everyone be there? The media, too?
A new House budget negotiating team was also announced. House Majority Leader Greg Harris, the current House budgeteer, isn’t running for reelection so this group will help guide a new set of leaders.
Lawmakers also talked about the current legislative session and when they might return to in-person meetings in Springfield. For now, that’s up in the air. Committee meetings are being done virtually.
Finally, hanging over yesterday’s virtual gathering was a deadline. Lawmakers have until Jan. 28 to introduce new bills.
Gov. Pritzker Announces $111 Million in Back to Business Grants Distributed to Support Small Businesses
Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) today announced that more than $111 million in relief funds have been distributed to businesses – a key milestone to accelerate small business recovery through the Back to Business (B2B) program. Since the program’s first round of grantees last September, 2,913 grants totaling more than $111 million have been provided to small businesses in over 300 cities across the state, with almost eighty percent of awards delivered to businesses in disproportionately impacted communities and hard-hit industries. Businesses will continue to be notified of their application status throughout the next few weeks until all the funds are exhausted. A list of grantees can be found here.
“The men and women of the General Assembly worked with me to craft the Back to Business program. It’s $250 million in grants to help small businesses rehire staff, cover operating costs, and afford additional customer safety precautions. These are not loans, so businesses getting help won’t owe a cent back to the state,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “I’m proud to announce that as of today, $111 million of those grants are already out the door, reaching nearly 3,000 businesses in over 300 cities, towns, and communities across Illinois.”
In total, the B2B grant program will award $250 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars to help small businesses rehire staff, cover operating costs, and afford additional customer safety precautions. Grants will continue to be awarded to applicants on a rolling basis until the full $250 million is allocated. The awarded dollars will range in size from $5,000 to $150,000, based on the losses each business experienced during the pandemic.
“Small businesses are the backbone of our economy and under Governor Pritzker’s leadership DCEO is committed to helping those most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic through our Back to Business grant program,” said DCEO Acting Director Sylvia I. Garcia. “As of this week, we have provided nearly 3,000 small businesses with grants to cover their operating losses due to the pandemic. We will continue to process applications on a rolling basis until all funds are awarded, delivering recovery dollars as quickly as possible to communities across Illinois and reinvigorating our economy.”
The latest wave of B2B grants prioritizes businesses most in need of support due to the pandemic, including hard hit sectors such as hotels, restaurants, arts and cultural organizations, barbershops and salons, dry cleaners, and fitness centers. It also makes allocations for disproportionately impacted areas (DIAs) and businesses who applied for Business Interruption Grants in 2021 but did not receive funding. On average, recipients of B2B grants experienced revenue declines of 41 percent throughout the pandemic.
The breakdown of the grants made thus far includes:
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43 percent to businesses which applied to the Business Interruption Grant (BIG) program last year but did not receive funding.
79 percent to businesses in disproportionately impacted areas (DIAs), or low-income zip codes that experienced high rates of COVID-19.
71 percent to hard-hit industries, including restaurants and taverns, hotels, arts organizations, and salons.
Grants have primarily gone to the smallest businesses:
o 62 percent going to businesses with revenue under $500,000 in 2019
o 79 percent going to businesses with revenue under $1 million
Of the B2B grants deployed thus far, more than half of grants have gone to businesses owned by people of color. This includes 25 percent of grants to Asian American or Pacific Islander-owned businesses, 17 percent to Black-owned businesses, and 13 percent to Latinx-owned businesses. This builds upon BIG award grants, approximately 40 percent of which were given to businesses owned by people of color.
To ensure B2B grants reach businesses most in need, DCEO launched a community navigator program that leveraged the support of over 100 trusted, local organizations to connect with businesses owned by people of color in hard-hit areas, rural communities, and other hard-to-reach populations. In addition to releasing a new, easy-to-use applicant portal, the program worked to remove other barriers to application – including providing language support, assistance gathering documents, and guidance while completing the application. To date, DCEO, partners in the state legislature, community navigators, and Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) have conducted outreach to a total of 120,000 unique businesses and hosted more than 500 events to provide information and application assistance.
The application window for this program closed on October 13, 2021. Businesses who applied before the deadline can use the program’s online portal to track their application status in real-time.
Since the onset of the pandemic, the Pritzker administration has focused on deploying assistance to Illinois’ hardest-hit businesses and communities, with DCEO providing over $1 billion in relief across the state in fiscal year 2021. B2B builds on the success of 2021’s Business Interruption Grant (BIG) emergency relief program, which provided $290 million to more than 9,000 small businesses in 98 counties statewide. The largest of its kind economic support program at the time, the BIG program also provided more than 4,000 childcare business provider grants.
B2B is part of Governor Pritzker’s continued commitment to support comprehensive and equitable economic recovery, leveraging $1.5 billion in federal ARPA funds during the fiscal year 2022 to invest in childcare providers, bars and restaurants, entertainment venues, hotels, beauty salons, laundry services, arts organizations and other hard-hit small businesses across the state.
In addition to the administration’s business relief efforts, funds have been invested in programs to support working families and their communities, including:
$44 million in combined workforce training and youth employment efforts in under resourced communities;
Providing three months of childcare to unemployed parents looking to return to the workforce;
And, $45 million to revitalize the infrastructure of main streets and commercial corridors across the state.
For more information on the B2B program, please visit DCEO’s website.
Stay well,
Mike Paone
Executive Vice President
Joliet Region Chamber of Commerce & Industry
mpaone@jolietchamber.com
815.727.5371 main
815.727.5373 direct