Policy Successes of Representative Danny K. Davis
Health:
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I expanded treatment and services for individuals suffering from Sickle Cell Disease and advanced suicide prevention among college students with the passage of key acts.
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I helped develop the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), including key provisions such as the Community First Choice Option and funding for Federally Qualified Community Health Centers.
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I increased trauma services and improved health provider training for children and families exposed to trauma, including establishing grants for trauma support in schools.
Economic Well-Being:
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I played a leadership role in establishing stimulus, unemployment, and employee retention payments, assisting individuals and businesses during the pandemic.
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I temporarily increased the Earned Income Tax Credit for various groups, secured a substantial increase in the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit, and directed investment to economically distressed communities through key legislation.
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I championed laws that encourage charitable giving, improve retirement savings, lower educational debt, provide free tax assistance and financial literacy, and protect student loan borrowers.
Small Business and Underrepresented Workers:
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I helped small businesses compete for defense contracts and advanced diversity in the federal workforce through legislative efforts.
Throughout my 26 years in Congress, I have been dedicated to securing policy wins that strengthen children, families, and communities across Illinois. From education to healthcare, criminal justice reform to economic well-being, and beyond, I am proud of the progress we have made together.
Education:
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I ensured that under-resourced colleges serving high percentages of low-income, Black students received over $374 million in federal aid through the creation and funding of Predominantly Black Institutions.
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I led efforts to advocate for the equitable treatment of African American students, including preschoolers, and for the disaggregation of education data to reveal disparities in educational experiences.
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I fought to increase educational stability for homeless and foster youth, reduce bullying and harassment, and protect educational opportunities for students with disabilities.
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I worked alongside President Obama to establish the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans, focusing on the success of Black students.
Strengthening Children and Families:
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I championed the establishment of the Maternal Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting program, dedicating $5.2 billion to improve mother and child health, family safety, and child development, with Illinois receiving approximately $119 million.
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I helped permanently expand guaranteed child care funding to states to $3.55 billion, supporting working parents and providing the first-ever funding to territories and tribes, along with the first increase in funding in 15 years.
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I secured $485 million in emergency supports during the pandemic for older foster youth, kinship caregivers, and foster care prevention services, along with $1 billion for emergency assistance for low-income families needing cash assistance.
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I transformed federal child welfare funding to strengthen families by addressing root causes of struggles and decreasing the over-representation of Black children in the child welfare system.
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I worked to prioritize kinship caregivers as placement for children entering care and ensure they receive the support they deserve.
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I expanded grants to stabilize families dealing with substance abuse, helping them avoid foster care.
Criminal Justice Reform:
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I helped enact the Second Chance Act, providing over $1.2 billion to improve reentry and reduce recidivism.
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- I led efforts to restore Pell grant eligibility for incarcerated students and remove limitations on federal student aid for students with felony drug convictions.
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- I worked to establish a pilot program for Pre-Trial Services for Women and Children to reduce children entering care due to incarceration.
In addition to these policy wins, I lead the House efforts to secure funding annually for Historically Black Colleges and Universities, the Second Chance Act, education and services for homeless youth and children, and more.
I continue to fight to make children, families, and communities stronger, with many more policy achievements on the horizon. Thank you for your support.
