BY RAY LAHOOD Member of Congress, 18th Congressional District 1995-2009 Secretary of Transportation 2009-2013 I am writing my final column for Community Word after receiving an email from Clare Howard inviting me to comment on the passage of the much…
Author Archive for Ray LaHood
Ray LaHood: I am voting for Joe Biden for President
by Ray LaHood • • Comments Off on Ray LaHood: I am voting for Joe Biden for President
Election Day Nov. 3 will soon be upon us. My first presidential election was November 1968. I voted for Richard Nixon mainly because he promised to heal the country after the assassinations of Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy. Also,…
Views & Perspectives | December is time to be reflective and full of joy and happiness
by Ray LaHood • • Comments Off on Views & Perspectives | December is time to be reflective and full of joy and happiness
As I write my last column for 2019, I am grateful to Clare Howard and the entire team at COMMUNITY WORD for the opportunity to sound off on issues of importance to me and I hope from time to time…
Views & Perspectives | Impeachment a waste of time
by Ray LaHood • • Comments Off on Views & Perspectives | Impeachment a waste of time
I have written previously in this column that I believe attempts to impeach President Trump are a waste of time by the U.S. House of Representatives and will not lead to a conviction in the U.S. Senate. As someone who…
Views & Perspectives | Congress should debate and pass laws to protect innocent, law-abiding citizens
by Ray LaHood • • Comments Off on Views & Perspectives | Congress should debate and pass laws to protect innocent, law-abiding citizens
As Congress returns from the August break to Washington, there is an urgency to seriously protect innocent, law-abiding citizens from those who are mentally ill or just simply intent on killing fellow citizens. New laws that significantly fund mental health…
Views & Perspectives | A new book about the life and leadership of Bob Michel
by Ray LaHood • • Comments Off on Views & Perspectives | A new book about the life and leadership of Bob Michel
“Robert H. Michel: Leading the Republican House Minority” was just published through the auspices of Frank Mackaman who directs the work of The Dirksen Congressional Center. The book includes a number of authors who researched and wrote about the extraordinary…
Views & Perspectives | Hooray! Illinois has a $40 billion capital bill
by Ray LaHood • • Comments Off on Views & Perspectives | Hooray! Illinois has a $40 billion capital bill
Thanks to the extraordinary leadership of Illinois legislators both Republicans, Democrats and Gov. JB Pritzker, Illinois is finally on a course to fixing our pothole-filled roads, crumbling Illinois interstates and structurally deficient bridges. The $40 billion capital bill is long…
Views & Perspectives | Impeachment a waste of time; Pass legislation to solve our most pressing problems
by Ray LaHood • • Comments Off on Views & Perspectives | Impeachment a waste of time; Pass legislation to solve our most pressing problems
Now that the Mueller Report is complete, it is time for Congress to begin debating and solving the country’s most pressing problems. More to follow further in this column. It seems the House of Representatives under the control of the…
Views & Perspectives | We deserve better than “acting” secretaries
by Ray LaHood • • Comments Off on Views & Perspectives | We deserve better than “acting” secretaries
Seven of the sixteen Trump cabinet positions have “acting” secretaries. Defense, Homeland Security, Interior, Chief of Staff, Office of Management and Budget, Small Business Administration. On April 10, President Trump told Americans that he was running the Department of Homeland…
Views & Perspectives | Randy Simmons and leadership
by Ray LaHood • • Comments Off on Views & Perspectives | Randy Simmons and leadership
Ordinarily, I write this column on one topic. This month I’m writing on three topics. One of the saddest phone calls I received from my son Darin was to tell me of Randy Simmons passing. I have known Randy for…