* First, some background from WTTW…
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson on Tuesday declined to respond to a request from the Republican chairperson of the U.S. House Oversight Committee about the city’s self-proclaimed status as a sanctuary city.
Instead, Johnson referred questions to the city’s top lawyer, Corporation Counsel Mary Richardson-Lowry, who said the letter sent by U.S. Rep James Comer (R-Kentucky) was under “legal review.”
The letter from Comer, which does not have the legal force of a subpoena, also invites Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston and New York City Mayor Eric Adams to a hearing of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on Feb. 11. […]
Comer’s letter also requests all documents and communications related to Chicago’s sanctuary status, including those between each city, non-governmental organizations and state officials. State law also prohibits law enforcement agents from assisting federal immigration agents.
* OK, on a related note, I received a few of these releases today from the House Republican Organization…
Harry Benton Must Stand with Taxpayers, Not Illegal Migrants
Springfield, IL – While Illinois taxpayers shoulder the hundreds of millions of dollars wasted on sanctuary city policies, Rep. Harry Benton has remained silent. This week, Mayor of Chicago Brandon Johnson was invited to testify before Congress and provide documentation on Chicago’s “sanctuary city” policies. Chicago’s mayor is pushing back, showing an unwillingness to be transparent. Benton has been silent.
The people of Illinois are paying the price for Mayor Johnson’s radical agenda, and Harry Benton refuses to ask where the money is going. If Brandon Johnson won’t testify in Washington, then Benton must stand up and demand hearings in Springfield to bring transparency and accountability to this mess.
While Illinois families struggle with rising taxes, crime, and underfunded services, Benton continues to protect the failed policies draining state resources. Instead of demanding real solutions, he’s choosing to bury his head in the sand while taxpayers foot the bill.
The people of Illinois deserve answers. Will Benton deliver them, or continue protecting Chicago’s radical sanctuary city policies?
The 97th District comprises portions of Will and Kendall Counties.
* Similar one for Rep. Stuart. Excerpt…
The people of Illinois deserve to know just how much they’re paying for Chicago’s sanctuary city chaos. If Mayor Brandon Johnson refuses to answer questions in Washington, then Katie Stuart should demand hearings in Springfield to find out exactly what’s happening, how much it’s costing taxpayers, and who is paying the price.
* And Rep. Ness…
Taxpayers have already spent hundreds of millions of dollars covering the costs of Mayor Johnson’s disastrous immigration policies, yet Suzanne Ness refuses to ask where that money is going. If Johnson won’t testify in Washington, then Ness must stand up and demand hearings in Springfield. People across Illinois deserve answers.
* Meanwhile, Marter is already running again…
Congressional candidate Jim Marter released the following statement today, denouncing U.S. Representative Lauren Underwood’s repeated failure to support the safety and well-being of American women. Marter emphasized Underwood’s recent votes against key bipartisan legislation designed to protect women from violence, particularly crimes committed by illegal immigrants.
“In the first month of 2025, Lauren Underwood voted against the Laken Riley Act and the Preventing Violence Against Women by Illegal Aliens Act, both of which had broad bipartisan support,” said Marter.
“She even refused to support the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act. That’s three major votes in a single month that prove Lauren Underwood is not for women; she is for radical ideologies. She continually votes against the safety of American citizens, disregarding the victims of violence, perpetrated by criminal illegal aliens.
“Underwood has demonstrated an alarming lack of concern for the safety of women in her district. She has shown she is even unwilling to deport the most dangerous criminals—including rapists, pedophiles, and murderers. She is putting American women, our wives and daughters, neighbors and loved ones, in harm’s way. Additionally, her votes disproportionately endanger marginalized communities, where many of these violent criminals continue to victimize innocent people.”
Underwood defeated Marter by 10 points in November, doubling Kamala Harris’ five-point winning margin in the 14th District.
- JS Mill - Friday, Jan 31, 25 @ 1:21 pm:
My reaction to the HGOP: Snoor.
- H-W - Friday, Jan 31, 25 @ 1:25 pm:
=== hundreds of millions of dollars wasted on sanctuary city policies ===
Show me the spreadsheet. Then let’s talk.
- Frida's Boss - Friday, Jan 31, 25 @ 1:27 pm:
Meh dog whistles that don’t bring much. The people that are getting activated by this type of message already didn’t vote for them nor will they vote for them in the future.
- Homebody - Friday, Jan 31, 25 @ 1:37 pm:
Standard GOP “do nothing useful to anyone while your party burns everything down” approach. They don’t deserve the respect of being taken seriously. Zero reason any elected dem at any level should play along with the GOP circus.
And I say that as a Chicago resident who is deeply unhappy with Johnson despite having voted for him.
- Three Dimensional Checkers - Friday, Jan 31, 25 @ 1:48 pm:
The only way MBJ could stay in power is if his opponents try to court these losers.
- Pot calling kettle - Friday, Jan 31, 25 @ 2:08 pm:
I think that most of the voters in Congresswoman Underwood’s district know who shows “an alarming lack of concern for the safety of women” (Hint: it is not Marter or Trump or, apparently, the GOP)
- politico - Friday, Jan 31, 25 @ 2:16 pm:
Maybe this is a dumb question but why are Benton, Ness, Stuart specifically being targeted by HRO? They don’t even have any of the city in their districts. I know the funding issue affects the whole state but still why those three?
- Rich Miller - Friday, Jan 31, 25 @ 2:24 pm:
===why those three? ===
Benton is a Tier One target. They’d love Ness and Stuart to be the same, but that likely isn’t happening.
- Manchester - Friday, Jan 31, 25 @ 2:29 pm:
The HGOP can demand all they want. They’re a super minority with a shrill voice and thus not likely to be successful with much of anything. They might want to reflect on why that is.
- TNR - Friday, Jan 31, 25 @ 2:29 pm:
I don’t know if it will work (I think it was tried last year with little success,) but it would be malpractice for the GOP not to repeatedly try to tie Dems to Brandon Johnson given his gobsmacking unpopularity.
- TheInvisibleMan - Friday, Jan 31, 25 @ 2:36 pm:
“Benton is a Tier One target”
I’m sure more of the exact same tactics which helped swing the district to him in the first place will surely help their targeting succeed this time around.
BJ has made himself an easy ‘guilt-by-association’ piece for the GOP to use. Fortunately Benton is nothing like BJ, just like he is nothing like Madigan which is why their last cycle targeting against him trying to link him to Madigan didn’t work very well either. At the local level, this is a meaningless comparison for people and could even damage the GOP in that area more than it could help them.
- Demoralized - Friday, Jan 31, 25 @ 3:22 pm:
Republicans have a boogeyman in undocumented immigrants and will continue to use that to bolster their creds to their base. This is the new normal. Trump has made it acceptable to do this kind of hatemongering so this is what you’ll get.