In the News
Congressman Casten Plans Last 'Tele-Town Hall' Of Year On Tuesday
by Lorraine Swanson
Join Congressman Sean Casten (IL-06) for a telephone town hall at 6:30 p.m. CT Tuesday, Dec. 19. Casten will discuss his work in Washington and the 6th Congressional district throughout 2023 as the year comes to a close, so bring your questions. IL-06 includes all or sections of the suburban Cook Count communities of Alsip, Chicago Ridge, Palos Heights, Worth, Crestwood, Oak Forest, Oak Lawn, Tinley Park, Orland Park, Orland Hills, Palos Hills, Palos Heights, Hickory Hills, Justice, and … Continue Reading
December 13, 2023
House Democrats formally unveil vision for energy policy reforms
by Saul Elbein and Rachel Frazin
House Democrats formally outlined what they want the nation’s energy system to look like in a bill filed early Wednesday morning. “We as Democrats have been too silent on what is Democratic energy policy,” Rep. Sean Casten (D-Ill.) told The Hill. Casten framed the bill as his party’s answer to H.R. 1, the Republican-authored energy plan that sought to repeal tax credits for renewables and make it easier to drill for and export fossil fuels — fuels that America’s domestic grid is slowly … Continue Reading
November 15, 2023
Teachers need higher tax deduction for classroom expenses: Sean Casten
by Rep. Sean Casten
Should a firefighter have to personally pay for the water they use to subdue a fire? Should a librarian have to use their paycheck to purchase books that the public can borrow? Of course not. Then why do we expect teachers to pay for the school supplies necessary to provide an education to our children? Ninety-four percent of public school teachers dig into their own pockets to pay for classroom supplies without reimbursement, such as paper, markers, glue, snacks for students, cleaning … Continue Reading
November 06, 2023
House prepares for more debate on climate
by Manuel Quinones and Nidhi Prakrash
The House will debate a host of climate issues this week as it takes up at least two more fiscal 2024 spending bills. The Financial Services-General Government legislation targets the Securities and Exchange Commission’s proposed rule to require public companies to disclose their climate risks and greenhouse gas emissions. The legislation would also claw back money for the General Services Administration to build green buildings and would block the Consumer Product Safety Commission from … Continue Reading
October 30, 2023
Stopping future crypto-financed terrorism
by Rep. Sean Casten
It’s time to have a serious conversation about the ease of illicit activity in the current cryptocurrency ecosystem. With the ability to anonymously move money around the globe in an instant and a lack of basic regulation in place to prevent illegal use, crypto makes it easy to get significant amounts of money to bad actors for criminal purposes. Last year, illicit crypto use hit over $20 billion. North Korean hackers explicitly targeted crypto to fund their missile program, stealing over … Continue Reading
September 08, 2023
The Democratic battle plan on ESG
by Emma Dumain
When Republicans began trumpeting plans to crack down on green-minded investments following their House takeover, Democrats started preparing a counterattack. The result was the mobilization of the Sustainable Investment Caucus, conceived of as an educational clearinghouse for members of both parties on environmental, social and governance investing, known as ESG. With Republicans wanting to make policy and political gains against the practice, the caucus has become a de facto messaging war … Continue Reading
July 25, 2023
Democrats reintroducing measure to eliminate costs of government IDs
by OLAFIMIHAN OSHIN
A group of Democrat lawmakers have reintroduced a measure that would eliminate the cost barrier to obtaining government IDs, which they hope will help address poverty and unemployment for many Americans. Rep. Sean Casten (D-Ill.), backed by the organization Project ID Action Fund, reintroduced HR8821 on Tuesday, along with Reps. Cori Bush (D-Mo.), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), Dean Phillips (D-Minn.), Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.), Mary Gay Scanlon (D-Pa.). The IDs for an Inclusive Democracy Act will … Continue Reading
July 03, 2023
Casten holds town hall meeting for constituents
by Kyle Garmes
U.S. Rep. Sean Casten (D-6th) is still a relatively new face to the local community, as after the re-drawing of district boundaries last year, his district now includes a large part of the 19th Ward and surrounding suburbs. A scientist from Downers Grove, Casten hosted a town hall meeting in Alsip on June 28, and international news, such as Ukraine’s war with Russia, Congress striking a last-minute deal on a debt ceiling, and the national economy were at the top of his mind. About 75 people … Continue Reading
June 29, 2023
U.S. Rep. Sean Casten tells Alsip town hall manufacturing surging, but employers still have trouble filling jobs
by Mike Nolan
In inheriting a new congressional district that includes communities such as Alsip, with a significant industrial base, U.S. Rep. Sean Casten, D-Downers Grove, said he went from a territory that is mostly residential to a place “where people work.” Casten has been using town hall sessions to familiarize himself with the new 6th Congressional District, and at a stop in Alsip said the U.S. is “seeing an unprecedented surge in manufacturing.” Still, he said, there is a problem of plentiful jobs … Continue Reading
June 13, 2023
Congressional Sustainable Investing Caucus
by Reps. Sean Casten and Juan Vargas
There are $8.4 trillion in U.S. assets under management in funds that prioritize environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors. This represents 13 percent - or 1 in 8 dollars of the total US assets under professional management. Globally, the value of assets engaged in sustainable investing is estimated at $41 trillion. It has grown rapidly and is projected to exceed $53 trillion by 2025, representing more than a third of the $140.5 trillion in projected total assets under … Continue Reading
May 31, 2023
Lawmakers unsure about path forward on permitting
by Kelsey Brugger, Nidhi Prakash, Emma Dumain
Democrats came up short on permitting in the debt ceiling deal, and key lawmakers are casting doubt on whether there’s still a viable path this year to bolstering the nation’s electric grid. The compromise between President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) includes faster reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act but leaves out any mandates on transmission. It’s a clear victory for the GOP. “As it sits right now, I feel like we just lost two years,” said Rep. … Continue Reading
May 19, 2023
Federal bill would give crop insurance discount to farmers who plant cover crops
by Timothy Eggert
Farmers nationwide who plant cover crops could receive a $5-per-acre discount on crop insurance programs under a federal bill introduced Thursday. Titled the "Conservation Opportunity and Voluntary Environment Resilience Program (COVER) Act," the legislation is sponsored by U.S. Reps. Mike Bost, R-Murphysboro; Sean Casten, D-Downers Grove; and Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich. It corresponds with a bill introduced by U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio. "The COVER Act is critical to … Continue Reading
May 18, 2023
The problems — and opportunities — with US energy policy
by Rep. Sean Casten
What is the overarching goal of United States energy policy? Most of my colleagues in Washington would agree it’s to minimize energy cost and pollution, incentivize reliability and innovation, and—as much as possible—rely on domestic supply. And yet, what we actually do is at odds with those goals. Consider: In 2020, when oil prices were falling, former President Trump threatened to withhold military aid from the Saudi government unless they … Continue Reading
May 17, 2023
Lead in Schools’ Drinking Water
by Rep. Sean Casten
I’m glad to see the Tribune’s recent article (“Toxic traces at the tap,” May 7) highlighting the dangerous water in Illinois’ public schools and its investigative attention on that matter. The fact that more than 1,800 schools had some amount of lead is alarming but sadly not surprising. There is no “safe level” of lead that can be in a child’s bloodstream. Any trace amounts can be harmful to health, especially in early childhood. Lead can … Continue Reading
May 11, 2023
Casten is special guest at Special Olympics event at Richards
by Jeff Vorva
Special Olympics Illinois held various competitions throughout the state last week and the Region E Unified event at Richards High School on May 4 had a special guest. District 6 Congressman Sean Casten made the trip to Oak Lawn to greet some of the athletes, watch them in action and to read a proclamation. “It’s an honor to be here,” Casten told the crowd at the school’s stadium while wearing a new Richards Bulldogs baseball cap. “As a congressman I can tell … Continue Reading
May 10, 2023
Experts discuss growth of Constitutional Sheriff movement during Casten forum
by Samantha Malone
U.S. Rep. Sean Casten, D-Downers Grove, hosted a virtual panel over the weekend at which he and four others discussed “rising extremism” and right-wing sheriffs, which he said represents an “incredibly dangerous movement.” The panel featured Casten, Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law Professor Jason DeSanto, lawyer and journalist Jessica ... [Log in or subscribe to continue … Continue Reading
April 28, 2023
House climate hawks plot permitting overhaul
by Emma Dumain
As talk on a permitting overhaul slowly gathers steam in Congress, two House Democrats are moving forward with their own proposal. On Thursday, Reps. Sean Casten of Illinois and Mike Levin of California formally released a discussion draft of their bill, the “Clean Electricity and Transmission Acceleration (CETA) Act,” the details of which were first reported by E&E News last month (E&E Daily, March 31). The hope, as is the case with most discussion drafts, is to get input … Continue Reading
April 27, 2023
House Democrats release permitting proposal focused on electricity, renewable energy
by Rachel Frazin
House Democrats on Thursday released their permitting reform proposal after House Republicans advanced an energy bill that included measures aimed at streamlining the approval process for projects. Whereas the Republicans’ permitting efforts focused on expediting environmental reviews for infrastructure projects, a discussion draft released Thursday from Reps. Sean Casten (D-Ill.) and Mike Levin (D-Calif.) focused largely on electricity infrastructure, renewable … Continue Reading
April 27, 2023
House Democrats release permitting proposal focused on electricity, renewable energy
by Rachel Frazin
House Democrats on Thursday released their permitting reform proposal after House Republicans advanced an energy bill that included measures aimed at streamlining the approval process for projects. Whereas the Republicans’ permitting efforts focused on expediting environmental reviews for infrastructure projects, a discussion draft released Thursday from Reps. Sean Casten (D-Ill.) and Mike Levin (D-Calif.) focused largely on electricity infrastructure, renewable energy and including local … Continue Reading
April 27, 2023
Reps. Casten, Levin unveil permitting proposal
by Maxine Joselow
Reps. Sean Casten (D-Ill.) and Mike Levin (D-Calif.) today will unveil a discussion draft of legislation aimed at accelerating the permitting process for clean energy and transmission lines while ensuring community input, according to a copy of the proposal shared first with The Climate 202. The lawmakers, who co-chair the House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition’s task force on clean-energy deployment, say they’re hoping to juice … Continue Reading