Jan Schakowsky was elected to represent Illinois' 9th Congressional District in 1998, after serving for eight years in the Illinois State Assembly. She is in her twelfth term.
Schakowsky serves in the House Democratic Leadership as a Senior Chief Deputy Whip. She is a member of the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee, House Budget Committee, as well as the House Energy and Commerce Committee, where she serves as Chair of the Consumer Protection and Commerce Subcommittee, and as a member of the Environment and Oversight & Investigations Subcommittees.
As a first-generation American, I know firsthand the tremendous contributions immigrants have made to our nation. The 9th Congressional District of Illinois is one of the most diverse in the country. Our neighbors come from all corners of the globe, as evidenced by more than fifty languages spoken at many of our schools. As a nation and a community, we are indebted to the immigrants who came here to make a better life for their families, bringing with them their dreams, their culture, and commitment to hard work. Our diversity is our greatest strength.
My office has developed considerable expertise and success in helping constituents who are having problems with immigration issues. We work with our contacts at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to help with any problems with naturalization, work authorization, or other applications, and we regularly contact U.S. Consulates abroad to help with visa issues. We do everything we can to help reunite families and fix errors. The experts on our staff will talk with you and help as much as we can. My office has assisted more than 26,000 constituents since I've been in Congress, many of whom we have helped on immigration-related matters.