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“Illinoisans elected Congressman Bill Foster because they trust his common sense leadership and know he will work with anyone to level the playing field for middle-class families. In Congress, that’s exactly what he’s done, bringing his background as a businessman, job creator, and scientist who knows what it takes to lower costs and increase economic prosperity in Illinois. It’s a sharp contrast to extreme MAGA Republican Catalina Lauf, who is running to push forward an anti-worker agenda in Congress which would set Illinois families back. IL-11 voters will reject Lauf’s toxic positions and proudly re-elect Bill Foster in November,” said DCCC Chairman Sean Patrick Maloney.
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To: Interested Parties
From: Elena Kuhn, DCCC Regional Press Secretary
Date: June 29, 2022
Subject: The Case For Bill Foster
Congressman Bill Foster is a workhorse and independent-minded leader who is laser-focused on leveling the playing field for middle-class families in Illinois’ 11th Congressional District. Last night’s primary sets up a clear contrast between Foster’s proven leadership and results-driven, bipartisan problem solving and his opponent, Catalina Lauf, who has proven herself too extreme for this district and wholly unfit to represent Illinois’ working families’ interests in Congress.
Bill Foster has spent his career committed to working with anyone to make meaningful progress and putting forward policy that ensures Illinoisans have the same opportunities to thrive that he had. It’s a call to service that is informed by his lived experience as a scientist and a businessman who built a successful manufacturing business that employs 600 Midwesterners and refused lucrative offers to outsource those jobs to China. While extreme Washington Republicans put divisive rhetoric ahead of results, Foster has always prioritized leading with facts and science to address some of our toughest challenges, like protecting public health and clean air and water.
In Congress, Rep. Foster is a consensus builder who knows that we have to work together to make progress on lowering costs for families, keeping our communities safe, and building a more level playing field for Illinoisans. It’s why Rep. Foster has made reforming Wall Street and putting an end to tax breaks for companies that outsource jobs overseas a cornerstone of his agenda.
He’s also worked across the aisle to fight the opioid epidemic and to improve Medicare by paying doctors based on the quality of care. And as inflation is hitting Illinoisans where it hurts, he’s fighting for manufacturing more steel, automobiles, computer chips, and consumer goods right here in America, starting with using one hundred percent Made in America products on all federal infrastructure projects.
But all of that is on the line this November, as Catalina Lauf is running to be a rubber stamp for Washington Republicans’ extreme, anti-worker agenda that would leave Illinoisans behind. Catalina Lauf is a hardline ideologue who cannot be trusted to serve Illinoisans – and the more IL-11 voters learn about Lauf’s extreme positions, the less they’ll like.
In the wake of the Supreme Court’s deeply unpopular decision to take away Illinois women’s right to make their own health care decisions, Lauf has made clear she stands with extremist Republicans’ push toward banning abortions.
To Catalina Lauf, your vote isn’t sacred – she’ll gladly question the integrity of elections if she doesn’t agree with the outcome. Lauf has repeatedly embraced Donald Trump’s “big lie” that the 2020 election was stolen and perpetuated unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud which are undermining our democracy. Lauf agreed that the deadly January 6th riot at the U.S. Capitol was “legitimate political discourse,” and as the Illinoize’s Patrick Pfingsten writes, Lauf has “attempted to seed doubt in the outcome of the presidential election” despite the fact that “there was no widespread fraud.”
The last thing Illinoisans need is a hardline partisan who would be an easy yes vote for their Washington party leaders’ most extreme anti-worker and anti-democracy agenda. Instead, they’ll send Bill Foster, a consensus builder who puts lowering costs and strengthening our economy for middle class families first, back to Congress this November.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING
Daily Herald: Foster announces millions in federal money for Joliet area [Daily Herald, 3/10/22]
Herald News: Federal lawmakers highlights infrastructure benefits for Will County [Herald News, 2/1/22]
“U.S. Rep. Bill Foster, D-Naperville, was in Joliet last Friday to meet with local officials and discuss what infrastructure investments can do for the city and state. He said billions of dollars were included in the infrastructure law to improve highways and bridges, drinking water infrastructure, public transportation and broadband internet in Illinois. […]
Joliet Mayor Bob O’Dekirk pointed out that significant federal investment into the local infrastructure is long overdue, especially considering the continued growth and new businesses coming to the county.
“We really thank you,” O’Dekirk said to Foster. “It’s much needed here.”
NBC 5: Reps. Foster, Casten Discuss Investments in Electric Vehicles [NBC 5, 4/21/22]
Herald-News: Foster wants more transparency on corporate political spending [Herald-News, 2/25/21]
“Investors deserve transparency when it comes to the political spending of the companies they invest their hard-earned money in,” Foster, D-Naperville, said in the release. “The political contributions of publicly-held companies should not be a secret. This bill is a commonsense step to providing investors with the facts necessary to make informed decisions about where to invest.”
Beth Rotman, the director of money in politics and ethics at the non-partisan watchdog Common Cause, lauded Foster for pushing the legislation. She argued the shareholders of public companies deserve to know how their money is being spent.
Financial Regulation News: Bill seeks to bolster cybersecurity in financial services industry [Financial Regulation News, 5/20/22]
Daily Herald: U.S. Rep. Bill Foster regains fundraising crown in 11th District [Daily Herald, 4/19/22]
PATH TO VICTORY
Bill Foster’s path to victory in Illinois’ 11th Congressional District is clear. This is a largely suburban and educated district anchored in the Chicagoland suburbs and includes a diverse electorate with over 9.7% Hispanic voters and over 6% of voters who identify as AAPI. While this district got slightly more competitive after redistricting, Democrats would have won this seat in 2018 and 2020 with more than 55% of the vote, and President Joe Biden would have won this district with nearly 58% of the vote. Cook Political Report ranks this seat as likely Democratic.
Congressman Bill Foster has a proven track record of results on the economic issues that matter most to Illinois’ working families and has put together a strong campaign aided by a $4.5 million warchest. Illinoisans will proudly re-elect him in November.
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