State Representative Dan Swanson announced he has been appointed by House Republican Leader Jim Durkin to be Minority Spokesperson of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee as well as the Public Safety Appropriations Committee.
“Not only are these topics I am passionate about, but I have served as a member of both of these committees since I began my service in the House in 2017,” said Swanson on Thursday. “With a new Interim Director of the Department of Veterans Affairs, COVID issues in our veterans’ homes leading to dozens of deaths under this Administration, and this administration taking an axe to law enforcement funding in Illinois, it is important the voices of Illinois residents and impacted constituencies be heard on these important issues.”
When Swanson began his service on the Illinois House Veterans Affairs Committee, the Department of Veterans Affairs was tested with dealing with an outbreak of Legionnaire’s Disease at the Quincy Veterans’ Home. Swanson was one of the first legislators to visit the home personally. He educated himself on the protocols being implemented at the facility to contain the outbreak directly. This experience came in critically helpful during the latest contagious outbreak —this time coronavirus— at the LaSalle and Manteno Veterans’ Homes. Putting the pieces back together of the Department will be paramount, as legislators take their departmental review responsibilities seriously in the wake of these most recent outbreaks leading to the deaths of more heroes under the care of the State.
“Nobody is more dedicated to doing the deep dive into issues these committees require than Representative Dan Swanson,” said House Republican Leader Jim Durkin regarding his appointment of Swanson as Minority Spokesperson. “Dan always rolls up his sleeves and gets to work on fixing problems across the aisle. Dan’s clarity of purpose and dedication to improving outcomes on these issues is simply unmatched.”
74th District residents can learn more about legislation sponsored by Rep. Swanson during the Spring legislative session at his website at repswanson.com.