Illinois House Republican members of the Illinois House Veterans’ Affairs Committee are demanding answers following news of frightening COVID-19 outbreaks at state-run veterans’ homes.
State Rep. Randy Frese (R-Paloma), spokesperson for the Illinois House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, released the following statement regarding House members being excluded from today’s hastily planned hearing:
“On November 10, 2020, Republican members of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee signed on to a letter urging Chairperson Kifowit to convene the Illinois House Veterans’ Affairs Committee as soon as possible to investigate the spread of COVID-19 and related deaths happening in frightening numbers at Illinois run veterans’ homes
Rep. Kifowit assured me shortly after she received the letter that she was working to get a meeting together as soon as possible. Unfortunately, the next piece of news we received was a notice that the Illinois Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee will be meeting today.
Despite this all-to-familiar ‘go-it-alone’ approach by supermajority Democrats, we stand ready and willing to participate in a socially-distanced, in-person hearing in Chicago and/or Springfield as soon as possible. We are committed to ensuring top-quality healthcare and providing safe living facilities for America’s heroes living in our care.
Democratic and Republican members of the Illinois House Veterans’ Affairs Committee have a responsibility as a co-equal House and a co-equal branch of government to provide oversight, call witnesses, and get to the bottom of what exactly happened that caused the sickness and deaths of veterans living under the care of the Pritzker Administration and the State of Illinois.”