A crowd of about 60 people listens to US Rep. Raja Krisnamoorthi (D-8th) demand no funding cuts to Social Security, Medicare, or federal funding for education at Elk Grove Village’s Belvedere Banquets, on Thursday, Feb. 16. (Tom Robb/Journal photo)
Two representatives in Congress, Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-8th), and Delia Ramirez (D-3rd), both of whom represent parts of Elk Grove Village, joined local, state, and county Democrats at Belvedere Banquets in Elk Grove for a rally to protect Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and federal funding for education on Thursday, Feb. 16.
The rally comes as the United States recently reached its statutory debt limit leading Republicans to call for cuts in overall government spending.
Speaking to a crowd of about 60 at a rally at Elk Grove Village’s Belvedere Banquets, about protecting federal entitlement programs and education funding, US Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-3rd) (right) thanks her fellow representative in Congress, US Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-8th) (left) for helping to organize the event, on her 35th day in office. (Tom Robb/Journal photo)
“The GOP thinks that nobody’s going to stand up for their Social Security when they go after them,” Krishnamoorthi said at the rally. “We have to hold their feet to the fire and to make sure that every elected official, regardless of party, commits to their promise at the State of the Union to protect our Social Security and Medicare.”
Krisnamoorthi said, “Republicans say they won’t touch Social Security,” then asked the crowd, “Do you believe them?” To which the crowd responded with a resounding, “No!”
An angry US Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-8th) rails against what he said are Republican efforts in Congress to defund Social Security, Medicare, and federal funding for education before a sympathetic crowd of about 60 Democrats at a rally at Elk Grove Village’s Belvedere Banquets, on Thursday, Feb. 16. (Tom Robb/Journal photo)
Ramirez said she would, “fight tooth and nail” to protect the funding for education, Medicare, and Social Security.
Others speaking at the event included Jane Russell, former secretary-treasurer of the Illinois Federation of Teachers, and a candidate for Township High School Dist. 211; Samreen Khan, a candidate for Elgin-based Unified School Dist. 46, and Julee Mortensen, a member of the Elk Grove Township Democrats and Indivisible.
Also attending the rally were Cook County Commissioner Kevin Morrison (D-15th), Elk Grove Township Democratic Committee Ted Mason, who is also Morrison’s chief of staff, and State Sen. Diane Pappas (D-45th).
Democrats, including Cook County Commissioner Kevin Morrison (D-15th) (center left), US Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-3rd) (center), and Ted Mason, Elk Grove Township Democratic committeeman, and chief of staff to Morrison, before the start of a rally to protect federal funding for Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and education on Thursday, Feb. 16 at Belvedere Banquets in Elk Grove Village. (Tom Robb/Journal photo)
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