Press Releases
Congressman’s ‘Tradeable Performance Standard Act’ Eradicates 40% of US Greenhouse Gas Emissions by 2040
Washington, D.C. —Today U.S. Representative Sean Casten (IL-06) introduced the Tradeable Performance Standard Act, which would eliminate emissions from the electricity and industrial thermal energy sectors by 2040. In 2018, those sectors combined to emit roughly 2.7 billion tons of greenhouse gases - roughly 40% of all US emissions. Casten said, "After a year when we've seen wildfires rage across the West, a derecho tear through Illinois, and a polar vortex leave communities in Texas and … Continue Reading
March 04, 2021
CASTEN, DINGELL, SCHAKOWSKY, NEWMAN HOLD PRESS CONFERENCE ON THEIR WORK TO GET $1,400 RESCUE CHECKS TO MIDWESTERNERS
Downers Grove, IL – U.S. Representatives Sean Casten (IL-06), Debbie Dingell (MI-12), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), and Marie Newman (IL-03) today held a press conference after they passed the American Rescue Plan in the House last week to help crush the COVID-19 virus and get the economy moving again with shots in arms, money in pockets, children in schools and people in jobs. The American Rescue Plan will get money in the pockets of Midwesterners with rescue checks of up to $1,400 for … Continue Reading
March 04, 2021
Casten, Feinstein Introduce Bill to Reduce Climate Change Risk in Financial System
Washington—U.S. Representative Sean Casten (D-IL) and Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today introduced the Addressing Climate Financial Risk Act, a bill that would improve the ability of federal regulators to understand and mitigate risks from climate change within the financial system.Climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of wildfires, flooding, droughts and other natural disasters and extreme weather events. The damage and risk generated by these events - in addition to … Continue Reading
March 03, 2021
Casten Joins House Democrats in Passing Historic Voting Rights, Anti-Corruption and Ethics Reforms
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Rep. Sean Casten (IL-06) tonight joined House Democrats in passing H.R. 1, the For the People Act, a sweeping anti-corruption package to clean up Washington, protect and expand voting rights, restore integrity, and put the needs and priorities of the American people ahead of special interests."In Illinois and across the country, the overwhelming majority of Americans agree that it's past time we get dark money out of politics, protect the right to vote, and ensure the … Continue Reading
March 03, 2021
Rep. Casten Votes to Pass George Floyd Justice in Policing Act
WASHINGTON, DC - Tonight, Congressman Sean Casten (IL-06) voted to pass H.R. 1280, the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, Democrats' bold, transformative legislation to reimagine the culture of policing in America with unprecedented reforms to curb police brutality, end racial profiling, eliminate qualified immunity for law enforcement and build greater trust between law enforcement and our communities. "Last summer, our state and the nation were rocked by a reckoning around the horrors of … Continue Reading
March 02, 2021
Casten’s Climate Risk Disclosure Act Included in E&C’s Newly Introduced CLEAN Future Act, Comprehensive Legislation to Combat the Climate Crisis
Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Congressman Sean Casten (IL-06) announced the inclusion of his Climate Risk Disclosure bill in the Climate Leadership and Environmental Action for our Nation's (CLEAN) Future Act, ambitious new climate legislation introduced by Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), Environment and Climate Change Subcommittee Chairman Paul Tonko (D-NY) and Energy Subcommittee Chairman Bobby L. Rush (D-IL) that will ensure the United States acts … Continue Reading
February 27, 2021
Casten Statement on House Passage of the American Rescue Plan of 2021 Act: $13.2 billion for Illinois
Washington, D.C. - Early Saturday morning, U.S. Representative Sean Casten (IL-06) voted to pass H.R. 1319, the American Rescue Plan Act, life-saving legislation that will provide urgently-needed resources to defeat the virus, get vaccines in people's arms, help families stay afloat, return children safely to the classroom, and put people back to work. Last Sunday, we passed the tragic milestone of having lost 500,000 lives as the economic crisis is rapidly accelerating: over 18 million … Continue Reading
February 25, 2021
Casten Statement on House Passage of Equality Act After Scathing Condemnation of GOP Rep’s Transphobic Attack Against Member of Illinois Delegation
WASHINGTON, DC - Today, U.S. Rep. Sean Casten (IL-06) voted to pass the Equality Act in the 117th Congress after a scathing condemnation of a GOP colleague's transphobic attack against Rep. Marie Newman (IL-03) and her daughter. The bill, which Rep. Casten was proud to cosponsor in 2019 and help introduce in 2021, extends protections against discrimination to members of the LGBTQ community. "Across America, our kids are taught the Pledge of Allegiance, which ends with a promise of liberty and … Continue Reading
February 25, 2021
Casten Questions Chairman Powell on Climate Risk in Hearing on U.S. Economy
Washington, DC –U.S. Representative Sean Casten (IL-06) questioned Federal Reserve (Fed) Chairman Jerome Powell in the House Committee on Financial Services (FSC) about the systemic risks climate change poses to the U.S. and global financial sector and what, if any, action the Fed is taking to mitigate that risk. Under current projections, the overall social, environmental, and economic impacts of climate change could rise to catastrophic levels—from risk of more severe weather … Continue Reading
February 19, 2021
Casten Grills Robinhood CEO, Vlad Tenev, in Financial Services Committee Hearing on GameStop, Seeking Answers on How Their Business Profits off Its Users -Not Protects Them
Washington, DC –U.S. Representative Sean Casten (IL-06) questioned Robinhood CEO, Vlad Tenev before the House Committee on Financial Services ?Committee(FSC) hearing entitled, "Game Stopped? Who Wins and Loses When Short Sellers, Social Media, and Retail Investors Collide." In his questioning, Casten exposed the ?conflict in Robinhood's business model and its failures ?to protect its users including the death of Alexander Kearns. Both are symptoms that Robinhood's business model puts its … Continue Reading
February 16, 2021
Casten, DelBene Introduce Bill to Boost Non-Profit Unemployment Insurance
Downers Grove, IL - Last week, U.S. Representative Sean Casten (IL-06) and U.S. Representative Suzan DelBene (WA-01) introduced the Emergency Unemployment Relief for Nonprofits Act, which would extend a CARES Act provision that provided a 50 percent subsidy for non-profits that offered unemployment benefits, and increase that subsidy to 75 percent beginning after March 31. This bill ensures that the subsidy is reimbursable. The subsidy would remain available through October 3, 2021 at the 75 … Continue Reading
February 11, 2021
Congressman Casten Introduces Bill to Support Seniors Access to COVID-19 Treatment Under Medicare Part D
Downers Grove, IL - Today, U.S. Representative Sean Casten (IL-06) introduced the Ensuring Seniors' Access to COVID Treatments Act, which would require Medicare Part D plans to cover drugs to treat COVID without cost-sharing, prior authorization, or other utilization management barriers. While previous pieces of legislation covered COVID testing and waived cost-sharing for Medicare beneficiaries under Part B, Casten urges that the same needs to be done for COVID treatments under Part D.Casten … Continue Reading
February 11, 2021
Congressman Casten Hosts Town Hall with Bipartisan Panel of Leaders on the Crisis Facing Illinois Communities without Federal Funding For Essential Services
Downers Grove, IL – U.S. Rep. Sean Casten (IL-06) hosted a Virtual Town Hall featuring a bipartisan panel of municipal leaders and local mayors to discuss the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on local government budgets and the dire need for Congress to pass funding sufficient to ensure states and localities can continue providing essential services. Casten said, "While I'm proud of the work we've done in Congress to get relief to small businesses, we've got to recognize that this crisis … Continue Reading
February 05, 2021
Casten Slams GOP Hypocrisy on Budget Reconciliation
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Congressman Sean Casten (IL-06) at this week's Financial Services Committee (FSC) hearing on the Urgent Need for Congress to Act on Providing Pandemic Relief questioned expert witness, Dr. William Spriggs, Chief Economist, The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) on the economic ?necessity for Congress to deliver immediate relief for families and communities bearing the brunt of the crisis—including provisions to … Continue Reading
February 04, 2021
Congressman Casten Statement on Vote to Remove ?Conspiracy Theory Peddling Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene from her Committee Roles
Washington, D.C. - Congressman Sean Casten (IL-06) released the following statement after he voted to remove Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene?, who has previously denied school shootings were real and pushed anti-Semitic falsehoods about the causes of wildfires, amongst others troubling conspiracy theories, from Committee roles."If ?supporting calls for the assassination of political leaders, asserting that 9-11 was a hoax, claiming that wildfires were caused by Jewish-funded space lasers and that … Continue Reading
January 28, 2021
Treasury Pauses Disastrous OCC Rule Limiting Climate Risk Policies By Banks After Casten Led Members of Congress Calling for its Reversal
Washington, D.C. - The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) today announced it has paused publication of a rule finalized under the Trump administration that would serve to limit banks' ability to account for climate-related financial risks and discourage banks from adopting risk-based policies prohibiting lending to certain lines of business. Today's reversal comes after Congressman Sean Casten (IL-06) led Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Sharrod Brown … Continue Reading
January 28, 2021
Congressman Casten Appointed to the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis on the Heels of Biden’s Historic Climate Actions
Washington, D.C. - Congressman Sean Casten (IL-06) released the following statement after being reappointed to the U.S. House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis as President Biden took unprecedented executive actions to tackle the climate crisis and restore scientific integrity across the federal government. Casten said, "I am honored to be reappointed to the U.S. House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, and I am thrilled to see the unprecedented climate action coming out of the … Continue Reading
January 21, 2021
Congressman Casten Statement on Waiver Vote for General Austin
Washington, D.C. - Congressman Sean Casten (IL-06) released the following statement after he voted against granting General Lloyd J. Austin, III a waiver to serve as United States Secretary of Defense. Casten said, "General Austin is eminently qualified for this job. His historic nomination as the first African American Secretary of Defense is even more consequential in light of the scourge of white supremacy that has grown like a cancer in our nation and quite nearly ushered in the final … Continue Reading
January 21, 2021
Congressman Casten Statement on President Biden Rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement
Washington, D.C. - Congressman Sean Casten (IL-06) released the following statement after President Biden rejoined the Paris Climate Agreement hours after being sworn into office. Casten said, "As someone who's devoted my career to fighting climate change, I spent much of my first term in Congress pushing back on the rampant climate denialism and disdain for science exhibited by the Trump Administration. After four years of backsliding on climate policy, I am thrilled that President Biden … Continue Reading
January 20, 2021
Congressman Casten Statement on Inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris
Washington, D.C. - Today, Congressman Sean Casten (IL-06) released the following statement following the inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.Casten said, "After four years of corruption, cruelty, and deadly incompetence in the White House, today marks the beginning of a new day for America. With today's swearing-in of President Biden and Vice President Harris, glass ceilings will be shattered, and a new era of truth-telling and integrity will begin. "As … Continue Reading