Rep. Robin Kelly marking first year in office

WASHINGTON–Rep. Robin Kelly D-Ill. was elected one year ago this month to replace disgraced former Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr.–who is now in prison–and she is marking her first anniversary in office in a speech Monday night to the South Suburban Mayors and Managers Association in East Hazel Crest.

“So now that we’ve hit the one-year mark, it’s only fitting that I update you on the progress we’ve made together as well as give you an idea of what you can expect to see from my office in the years ahead,” Kelly will say, according to the prepared text of her remarks.

Kelly can safely talk about her future House plans because she faces only nominal November GOP opposition in the overwhelmingly Democratic Illinois Second congressional district. She won a contentious primary on Feb. 26, 2013 with the help of a pro-gun control SuperPAC bankrolled by former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and cruised to a general election victory on April 9, 2013 with 70.7 percent of the vote.

The sprawling district takes in parts of Chicago’s South Side and runs all the way to Kankakee. Kelly opened offices in south suburban Matteson, in Chicago’s Pullman community and in Kankakee.

Though Kelly has stayed on the gun control issue, Congress has shown no interest in moving on any measures.

“I’ve also introduced legislation to recognize gun violence as a public health epidemic by requiring the U.S. Surgeon General to submit an annual report to Congress on gun violence and its impact on society.I believe that the only way to find real solutions to gun violence is for Congress to have an honest and courageous conversation about the true nature of the problem,” her speech text said.

“And that includes getting a real sense of the impact of gun violence from the people who grapple with it every day. Last fall, I brought a group of Chicago families of gun violence victims to DC to tell lawmakers their stories and to lobby for common sense gun reform.

“The families joined with the families of victims of the Newtown school shootings to show that gun violence isn’t an urban problem, it’s an American problem and that we must come together as a nation to stop it.

“Ours is a grassroots coalition that grows each day, a national movement for gun reform that will not give up until the epidemic of gun violence is brought to an end.”