2021 Year in Review
January 3 marks one year since I was sworn into the United States Congress, representing Illinois' 15th Congressional District. It has been an honor to serve you in 2021 and uphold the America First Agenda!
Throughout the week, I will be sending recaps of my first year in Congress. While there is already so much we have accomplished in just one year, we have only just begun!
In Congress, my number one priority is that my team and I provide the best constituent services possible to the people of Illinois' 15th Congressional District.
This last year, our office resolved over 460 cases and recovered over $5.5 million dollars for constituents including veterans who need help with VA issues, seniors who need assistance with Social Security or Medicare, farmers with questions for the USDA, and anyone who needs assistance with the IRS or federal agencies.
If you haven't been receiving my regular email updates, make sure to sign up here for my Newsletter to stay updated on what I'm doing in D.C. and back home in Illinois.
AGRICULTURE
My family and I run a third-generation family farm, raising corn, soybeans, oats, wheat, hay, and Angus cattle. I know the challenges farmers face, which is why I am honored to serve on the House Agriculture Committee as your voice in Congress.
I introduced the Define WOTUS Act of 2021 this year, which would prevent Biden EPA policies from infringing on the rights of farmers and ranchers through "Waters of the United States" water regulations.
To hear more about dairy and meat processing issues, I hosted roundtables with farmers. These listening sessions are essential for me to best serve you as the House prepares to write the next Farm Bill.
I voted to support the bipartisan Broadband for Rural America Act, which provides funding for much needed broadband infrastructure to support businesses, schools, and telehealth services in rural areas, including the Illinois 15th. You can read more about my Broadband initiatives in a piece I wrote in the Washington Times.
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION
On October 20, 2021, I gave the following speech on the House Floor comparing Trump Administration policies with the Biden Administration, which you can see below:
"Under President Trump, we had a roaring economy, we were energy independent, our border was secure, and our enemies feared America’s resolve. Americans miss President Donald Trump!
Under the Biden Administration, we have a supply chain crisis, an energy crisis, a border crisis, an Afghanistan crisis, and an economic crisis that threatens the value of every paycheck and dollar in your bank account.
The radical left is attempting to destroy our economy and the American way of life, but every crisis created by the Biden Administration is a reminder of how great it was to have a President who put AMERICA FIRST."
THE SECOND AMENDMENT
I will always stand up for your Second Amendment Right to keep and bear arms.
This Congress, I was one of only a few House Republicans who stood up to vote against H.R. 4350, the Biden Defense Authorization, which included "red flag" gun confiscation provisions I strongly oppose as a defender of the Second Amendment.
I spoke with Tony Perkins on his program, Washington Watch, to discuss the radical push for "abortion-on-demand" and the strength of the pro-life movement in Congress. I am proud to be a voice for the unborn and I will always stand up for parental rights.
I also voted NO on H.R. 8 and H.R. 1446, which criminalized private firearm sales and would lead to the creation of a federal gun registry.
This Congress, I joined many conservatives and opposed the nomination of David Chipman to lead the ATF because of his views on gun confiscation. Strong opposition from fellow conservatives in Congress successfully forced the Biden Administration to withdraw Chipman's nomination.
I joined a large group of Members of Congress in supporting an amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn the unconstitutional restrictions on conceal-carry, a case that will now be decided by the Supreme Court (New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Corlett).
MILITARY & VETERANS
I supported our veterans by co-sponsoring the Veterans Access to Direct Primary Care Act which would give veterans the option to choose their own primary care provider and primary care services.
My constituents overwhelmingly opposed federal COVID vaccine mandates which is why I was proud to sign onto the Our Veterans Earned It Act. This bill would prohibit the federal government from denying any benefits to veterans simply because they chose not to disclose their COVID-19 vaccination status.
I will always support our military and all those who have served while opposing President Biden's policies to discharge service members for not taking the COVID-19 vaccine. I will always oppose efforts by the Biden Administration to weaken our national defense with their leftist political agenda. May God Bless our military and their families!
PROTECTING THE UNBORN
All children are created by God with a purpose, and that purpose begins at conception. The Left wants to strip the rights of parents in every way possible and put unrestricted abortion-on-demand at the top of their priority list - even if it puts minors at risk.
I spoke with Tony Perkins on his program, Washington Watch, to discuss the radical push for "abortion-on-demand" and the strength of the pro-life movement in Congress. I am proud to be a voice for the unborn and I will always stand up for parental rights.
This Congress, I helped introduce the Protecting Life on College Campuses Act with Congressman Chip Roy (TX-21) and Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT). This bill prohibits federal funds from flowing to universities that provide unsafe chemical abortion pills to students.
Nearly 40% of abortions are committed with chemical abortion pills and the Biden Administration widely expanded the delivery of chemical abortion pills by mail during the pandemic, without requiring pre-screening or medical oversight. If that wasn't enough, just before the end of the year, Governor Pritzker signed a law eliminating parental consent for minors to receive an abortion. As leftist policies push government control, I will always stand up for parental rights.
Additionally, I co-sponsored the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act and led amendments to ban taxpayer funding for abortion.
This year has been full of crisis after crisis from the Biden Administration's far left policies. However, I remain hopeful that God is in control and I am optimistic that America's best days are still ahead of us!
I look forward to sending you more updates this week about our hard work in 2021 on a wide range of issues!
Blessings to all in the new year.
Sincerely,
Mary E. Miller
Member of Congress
One year ago this week, I took the oath on the Constitution to serve the 15th District of Illinois. Representing you in Congress this past year is the honor of a lifetime.
I am proud of the progress we made in the first year championing conservative values and standing up for an America First Agenda.
I am sending recaps of my first year in Congress throughout the week. If you missed Part One, you can view it on my website here.
If you haven't been receiving my regular email updates, make sure to sign up here for my Newsletter to stay updated on what I'm doing in D.C. and back home in Illinois.
FIGHTING FOR OUR CHILDREN
As a member of the House Education and Labor Committee, I have strongly opposed every effort by radical elites in DC to push racist Critical Race Theory, perverted sex-ed curriculum, and dangerous transgender policies that harm our children into our schools.
I cosponsored the Defending Students' Civil Rights Act, that clarifies that teaching Critical Race Theory is a violation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
The first bill I introduced as a Member of Congress was the Safety and Opportunity for Girls Act, which adds a clear definition of sex to Title IX to clarify that “sex” means biological sex, not gender identity.
On his first day in office, President Joe Biden signed an Executive Order to interpret Title IX as requiring schools to allow access to bathrooms, locker rooms, and sports teams based on gender identity. Title IX was created for the exact opposite purpose, to enhance athletic opportunities for girls, not to eliminate girls’ sports.
As the Biden Administration continues to push radical gender ideology on our children, parents must draw the line to protect our daughters. No girl or boy should have to feel insecure or unsafe in the bathroom or locker room at school because of the presence of a member of the opposite sex and no girl should be robbed of athletic opportunities by being forced to compete with biological males in school sports.
My bill was highlighted by the Republican Policy Committee in 2021 and was included in the Republican Study Committee's budget proposal. Below, you can watch me speak more about the Safety and Opportunity for Girls Act.
This year, I questioned President Biden's Secretary of Education on their agency's federally administered guidance that stated teachers could be accused of harassment for saying that there are only two genders.
During the hearing, I asked the Secretary if teachers will be punished for telling their students that there are two genders, male and female. I asked Biden's Secretary to please specify how many genders there are, but he refused to answer. You can watch the full exchange below, and read about it in an article by Fox News.
When the Biden Administration tried to have the FBI silence and intimidate parents, parents stayed strong in defense of their children. The American people will never bow to authoritarianism from Washington.
I led a letter with members of the Illinois Congressional delegation urging the Illinois Association of School Boards to withdraw from the National School Boards Association. Soon after, the Illinois Association of School Boards announced that they would be terminating their membership from the National School Boards Association effective immediately.
I believe that Illinois parents and families should play a central role in their children’s education, not the federal government.
Parents should NEVER be treated as domestic terrorists for showing up at school board meetings to advocate for their kids.
I offered an amendment in the House Education & Labor Committee to require parental consent before children could receive a vaccination from their school. I got in a back and forth with the Democrat leadership on the Committee, who brazenly said, "parents DO NOT know what is best for their children"! You can read more about my fight for parental rights in a piece by Breitbart News, or you can watch the video below.
It is time for parents to take back control of our schools!
BACK THE BLUE
This year, we commemorated the 20th Anniversary of 9/11, and I would like to thank our law enforcement officers and first responders nationwide for everything you do to keep our communities safe. You are on front line of the rising crime wave, often coming face to face with danger and death. Thank you for your sacrifices and God Bless you & your families.
At a time when we need law enforcement the most, we are witnessing politicians on the Left calling to defund the police.
Leftist governors, mayors, and district attorneys across the country engaged in harmful rhetoric against our police officers and implemented policies to eliminate bail, which made our neighborhoods less safe and the job of law enforcement even more dangerous.
In Congress this year, I was proud to support our local law enforcement officers by hosting Law Enforcement roundtables in the 15th District. Together, we discussed the drug epidemic, the crisis at our Southern Border, the rising national crime rate, and more.
I want to give special recognition to the brave officers from our community, Chris Oberheim, and Deputy Sean Riley, who we tragically lost this year in the line of duty. Like so many law enforcement officers, they put the people of their community first and were a true credit to the badges they wore.
The life and service of Officer Oberheim and Deputy Sean Riley will not and should not be forgotten, and their families remain in my prayers.
Below, you can view my tribute earlier this year to Officer Oberheim on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives.
In Congress, I fought back against the Left's push to legitimize the looting and rioting in our country by cosponsoring H.R. 272, which calls for the designation of Antifa as a domestic terrorist organization.
We need to protect our law enforcement, which is why I co-sponsored H.R. 288, the Qualified Immunity Act, which would shield police officers from frivolous litigation when they perform their duty responsibly.
I spoke on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives to address the Left's plans to defund the police and take away your right to own a firearm to defend yourself and your family, which you can watch below.
BIDEN ENERGY CRISIS
President Trump put American First. This meant American jobs first, and American energy independence first.
On President Biden's first day in office, he killed over 11,000 American jobs that were created by the Keystone Pipeline. I cosponsored H.R. 859, the Protecting American Energy Jobs Act, which repeals all of Biden’s job-killing energy executive orders.
It's hard to believe that instead of making it easier for American companies to increase domestic energy production and hire more U.S. workers, President Biden begged OPEC and Russia to increase global output to ease rising prices. I co-sponsored H.Res. 614 Condemning the Biden Administration's Energy Executive Actions.
Americans are now paying over 50% more nationally for a gallon of gas, which is the most Americans have paid at the pump since the Obama-Biden Administration. Home heating costs are also projected to rise by as much as 59% for some American households this winter.
I OPPOSED the Democrats’ Reconciliation bill that allocated billions to the Green New Deal and energy dependence on China. The Biden Administration is subsidizing China’s mining and manufacturing of lithium car batteries instead of supporting American energy production, including renewable biofuels like ethanol. I will always support our farmers and an America First energy agenda!
AROUND THE DISTRICT
Traveling around Illinois' 15th District and meeting so many of you was a highlight of my year. Illinois has so much to offer and has everything it needs to be successful: natural resources, fertile land, and salt of the earth people!
On Veteran's Day, I traveled across Illinois' 15th to meet with our heroes. I encourage you all to spend time with your children and grandchildren teaching them about the sacrifices our veterans made to protect American freedom in the face of so much evil around the world.
Thank you to all of our IL-15 veterans and their families. Your courage is not forgotten, and your sacrifices are valued.
Thank you to the hardworking farmers who produce our nation's food! We collected photos this October of our beautiful Congressional District during harvest season. Thank you to all who participated!
America's best days are still ahead of us!
I look forward to sending you more updates this week about our hard work in 2021 on a wide range of issues!
Blessings to all in the new year.
Sincerely,
Mary E. Miller
Member of Congress
This past week, I sent recaps of accomplishments from my first year in Congress. If you missed Part One or Part Two, you can view them on my website.
We also had a very busy week as America continues to face crisis after crisis under the Biden Administration.
This week, the Chicago Teachers Union refused to show up to teach students, despite federal taxpayers sending $2.8 billion in COVID relief funding to Chicago Public Schools for the purpose of keeping the schools open. I voted no on President Biden’s COVID package because I had grave concerns about the oversight and accountability of the funds, which is clearly lacking in Chicago.
The Supreme Court also heard oral arguments to determine if the Biden Administration has the authority to implement a federal COVID vaccine mandate through OSHA. Thankfully, a majority of justices seemed very skeptical of President Biden’s illegal and unconstitutional COVID vaccine mandate. I joined a Congressional Amicus Brief opposing this massive federal overreach by the Biden Administration. Please join me in praying for wisdom to guide the justices in reaching the right verdict!
Be sure to sign up for my Newsletter to stay updated on what I’m doing in D.C. and back home in Illinois.
Below is Part Three of Three in my update series looking back at 2021 in Congress:
FIGHTING BACK AGAINST VACCINE MANDATES & LOCKDOWNS
There is nothing more hypocritical than the Biden Administration allowing illegal immigrants to freely enter our country with ZERO COVID restrictions while they work to fire Americans from their jobs through an unconstitutional federal vaccine mandate.
This year, I fought back against the Biden Administration and their attempted communist transformation of our country by co-sponsoring legislation like the No Vaccine Passports for Americans Act, which would prohibit the federal government from creating a “vaccine passport system” to monitor or track individuals who have been vaccinated against COVID–19.
Unfortunately, 80 House Republicans voted with Democrats this year to pass the “Immunization Infrastructure Modernization Act,” which creates a federal grant program administered by the Biden Administration to fund vaccine databases. I voted no, you can see the roll call vote here. The bill’s Democrat sponsor said the system would be used to “remind patients when they are due for a recommended vaccine” and identify areas with low vaccination rates to “ensure equitable distribution of vaccines.”
You can read more about this bill in an article by Breitbart News.
I also signed onto an Amicus Brief that asks the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn President Biden’s COVID vaccine mandate. The President, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the federal government DO NOT have the constitutional authority to implement this vaccine mandate.
We must protect individual liberty, ensure privacy, and prohibit discrimination with respect to the vaccination status of individuals. I also signed onto legislation to prevent the Biden administration from withholding or limiting funds based solely on a COVID-19 vaccine mandate. Parents and local school districts should not fear they will lose federal funding if they do not impose a vaccine mandate.
The Biden Administration and Congressional Democrats refuse to investigate the origins of COVID-19 in Wuhan or take action to hold China accountable for the spread of the coronavirus. The American people deserve to know to what extent the National Institute of Health (NIH) funded the Wuhan Institute of Virology with US taxpayer dollars.
CRISIS IN AFGHANISTAN
Our service men and women are truly the best of us. We honor them always, but this year they took a special place in our hearts as we witnessed the deadliest day for US forces in over a decade because of the horrific terrorist attacks outside Karzai International Airport.
President Biden's failure in Afghanistan led to the surrender of tens of BILLIONS of dollars in US military equipment to the Taliban. The Biden Administration failed us. I called for immediate oversight hearings on the mismanagement of the withdrawal from Afghanistan in addition to the Impeachment of President Biden and other top Pentagon officials.
I signed a letter to the Biden Administration urging them to prioritize evacuating Americans safely out of Afghanistan after they abandoned a still unknown number of Americans in Afghanistan.
As Afghanistan fell, President Biden disappeared, first to Camp David and then to Delaware. His Cabinet refused to brief the American people directly, and instead sent spokesmen. Additionally, the Defense Secretary refused to testify before Congress.
Americans watched in horror as the Taliban released thousands of al Qaeda, ISIS, and Taliban prisoners from the prison at Bagram Air Base. Our service members bravely sacrificed to capture those terrorists, and the Biden Administration allowed them to be released. One of the released ISIS-K prisoners led the bombing that killed our 13 service members.
Biden Defense officials then briefed the American people that they had successfully droned terrorists in Afghanistan attempting to attack our service members, but it turned out that was false and they had actually bombed a charity worker and his seven children.
The Biden Administration then flew an estimated 78,000 Afghan nationals to American soil and lied to the American people about the vetting process they were using to ensure that no ISIS, al Qaeda, or Taliban terrorists were brought to our shores.
To this day, no one in the Biden Administration has been held responsible for the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan or the lies that were told to the American people, and no one has been fired or resigned.
BORDER SECURITY
I traveled to the southern border with President Trump in June to meet with Border Patrol and discuss the urgent need to FINISH THE WALL! From his first day in office, President Trump worked to secure the border, combat illegal immigration, and keep our communities safe.
I co-sponsored the Finish the Wall Act to force the Biden Administration to resume building President Trump's Southern Border Wall after President Biden illegally stopped construction of the wall when he took office.
President Biden has a constitutional duty to uphold our immigration laws and defend our national borders.
I am the only member of Congress from Illinois co-sponsoring Articles of Impeachment for President Biden for failing to enforce our immigration laws and protect our border.
My constituents in the 15th District are outraged that President Biden is threatening to fire Americans for not taking the COVID vaccine and implementing unconstitutional vaccine passports while he allows drug cartels and human traffickers to transport foreign nationals across our southern border with ZERO background checks or COVID restrictions.
Reports were released this year that the Biden Administration is flying illegal immigrants from the border to communities throughout the United States. Sadly, the crisis at the border has become a national crisis, and every state is now a border state.
Sanctuary states, like Illinois, send an especially dangerous message that laws will be selectively enforced based on partisan political agendas. I cosigned multiple letters to the Biden Administration to ask for transparency and information about who is entering our country and what background checks are being performed. I also cosponsored the Protect Communities from a Porous Border Act, which would require the Biden Administration to notify governors in advance of releasing illegal immigrants into their respective states.
This year, the US Supreme Court ruled against the Biden Administration in its unconstitutional attempt to end the "Remain in Mexico" program that was created under President Trump. I signed a Discharge Petition to bring back the Remain in Mexico Policy. Easy illegal entry is transforming America into a sanctuary nation.
President Trump was exactly right: extremely dangerous criminals and known terrorists are crossing our southern border. I co-sponsored the Be Gone Act to deny U.S. entry to sexual predators. As a mother of seven and grandmother of seventeen, I am horrified that the Biden Administration has empowered human traffickers and cartels to freely traffic children across our border.
I spoke about the children being used and abused by traffickers and drug cartels on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives. You can listen to my speech below.
This year, the Biden Administration issued a memo calling to dismantle U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). House Democrats have vocally called for the elimination of ICE, and some leftist governors and mayors are refusing to cooperate with ICE to deport criminals.
The government’s primary role and jurisdiction is to keep us safe by protecting our people and our borders. The Biden Administration has failed. I am the only member of Congress from Illinois sponsoring Articles of Impeachment for President Biden’s Secretary of Homeland Security for purposely betraying his oath of office by allowing a dangerous and illegal invasion of our country.
INFLATION CRISIS
Americans are seeing the consequences of the Biden Administration’s radical spending as inflation hit a soaring 6.8% in November, the HIGHEST in nearly 40 years.
I voted against President Biden's $1 trillion "Infrastructure Bill," which included only a fraction of actual infrastructure spending and helped to advance the radical socialist “Green New Deal.”
President Biden and Congressional Democrats are continuing to push for trillions MORE in spending through their “Build Back Broke” legislation. While Americans are making less, Democrats want to keep spending more!
While Congressional Democrats advance legislation that benefits China like the Green New Deal, I co-sponsored H.R. 5649, the Bring Entrepreneurial Advancements to Consumers Here in North America Act, which would provide incentives for manufacturing facilities to relocate to the United States rather than foreign countries.
Labor shortages caused by the Biden Administration’s leftist agenda have caused empty shelves and backlogged ports, with a supply chain that is understaffed and overwhelmed.
I signed a letter to President Biden requesting that his Administration halt their harmful policy initiatives that have led to the Biden supply chain crisis, including their attempt to fire millions of Americans with an illegal and unconstitutional vaccine mandate.
I remain hopeful that God is in control and I am optimistic that America's best days are still ahead of us!
I wish you and your family a blessed New Year in which we cherish the things that are truly important: our faith, our relationships, and our communities.
I look forward to continuing to serve Illinois' 15th District in 2022 and fighting for life, liberty, and our freedom.
Sincerely,
Mary E. Miller
Member of Congress