First lady Dr. Jill Biden visiting Chicago for 2-day trip
CHICAGO - West Side Congressman Chuy Garcia is expressing his disappointment that top Democrats in Washington are shrinking a $3.5 trillion spending proposal that Garcia strongly favored.
"I’m not a ‘Yes’ vote by any stretch," Garcia said.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Tuesday warned Garcia and other progressive Democrats of big cuts to come.
First lady Dr. Jill Biden may have been trying to win over the congressman, visiting Garcia today in his district.
A trio of musicians serenaded Jill Biden as the first lady toured the Pilsen neighborhood's Museum of Mexican Art, including a Day of the Dead memorial to hundreds killed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Among those at her side was the area's congressional representative, Chuy Garcia. An outspoken progressive, he's upset moderate Democrats are forcing President Joe Biden to shrink his so-called "human infrastructure" proposal down close to $2 trillion, far from the $6 trillion Garcia and Speaker Pelosi wanted.
"If there is fewer dollars to spend, there are choices to be made," Pelosi said.
"One of the items I greatly value and treasure is immigration reform," Garcia said in Pilsen on Tuesday.
But it's far from certain Congress will approve the path to citizenship Garcia seeks for migrants who have violated US immigration law.
"I hope that we can have more of a conversation with the first lady in the coming hours and through tomorrow morning. But I remain optimistic that Democrats will come together," Garcia said.
The first lady is spending the night in Chicago. She is a veteran community college teacher and on Wednesday morning, she plans to visit a satellite campus of the City Colleges of Chicago.