Danny K. Davis

Fresh Starts for Foster Youth Act

in committee

Dr. William W. Sullivan TRIO Upward Bound Student Stipend Support Act

in committee

Earl N. Williams, Sr., First Chance Act

in committee

“Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I was unable to cast votes on April 27, 2026. Had I been present for Roll Call votes, I would have voted aye on: Roll Call No. 138, On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended, H.R. 7959, IRS Whistleblower Program Improvement Act, and Roll Call No. 139, On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended, H.R. 227, Clergy Act. ____________________”

2026-04-29 · Government Reform

“Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Mr. Thomas Earl Clayton who passed away on April 8, 2026, just one month shy of his 89th birthday. Mr. Clayton was born on May 9, 1937, in the town of Montrose, Mississippi. Tom spent his early years growing up on a farm between Montrose and Raleigh, under the guidance of his grandmother, Mattie Tatum, where he learned the value of hard work, discipline, and resilience. At around sixteen, Tom relocated to Joliet, Illinois, to live with his father, embarking upon a new chapter in his life. From there he enlisted into the United States Air Force where he proudly served for four years. He returned home, got himself a GED, enrolled in Kennedy King College, and earned a degree in nursing. The rest is history. In 1991, he united in Holy Matrimony with Cerra Lang Taylor Smith, and, together, they built a strong partnership which has lasted for almost fifty-five years. He joined Metropolitan Baptist Church under the leadership of his father-in-law, Reverend Jessie Taylor, and, in 1986, was a Charter Member of the Greater Love Missionary Baptist Church where he has served faithfully in several leadership roles, Chairman of the Deacon Board and of the Joint Board. It has been my personal joy to know of Mr. Clayton's great life, wonderful works, and just how much he, his family, and church connections have meant to our community. I thank Mr. Clayton and now may he rest in peace. ____________________”

2026-04-21 · Government Reform

“Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the month of April as Sarcoidosis Awareness Month. Sarcoidosis is a rare inflammatory disease characterized by the formation of granulomas--tiny clumps of inflammatory cells--in one or more organs of the body. When the immune system goes into overdrive and too many of these clump's form, they can interfere with an organ's structure and function. When left unchecked, chronic inflammation can lead to fibrosis, which is the permanent scarring of organ tissue. This disorder affects the lungs in approximately 90 percent of cases, but it can affect almost any organ in the body. Despite increasing advances in research, sarcoidosis remains difficult to diagnose with limited treatment options and no known cure. Sarcoidosis is considered chronic in people whose disease remains active for more than 2 to 5 years; in this population sarcoidosis can be debilitating and life-threatening. It is estimated that the prevalence of sarcoidosis in the U.S. ranges between 150,000 and 200,000 with an estimated 1.2 million individuals with sarcoidosis worldwide. I am proud to have the Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research (FSR) based in my district, in the city of Chicago. I have had the chance to meet wonderful patient advocates and hear their stories. FSR is committed to advancing pivotal research and improving the lives of all impacted by sarcoidosis and has funded over 10 million dollars to support academic research to better understand the cause, mechanisms of progression, and the effective and efficient path to better patient outcomes. Over the past couple of years, I worked with FSR to address a lack of clarity from the Department of Labor regarding whether or not clinical trial participation was a permissible use of leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). Like other chronic and rare disease patient populations, clinical trial access is critically important for patients with sarcoidosis, as there is no cure and there is a lack of treatment options. When requesting time off to participate in clinical trials, some patients have been denied as HR departments have not interpreted clinical trial participation as a permissible use of leave under FMLA. I, along with other Congress members and leading stakeholder organizations such as FSR, reached out to the DOL to get this clarification. Fortunately, the DOL responded confirming that they interpret clinical trial participation, when medically necessary, is a permissible use of leave under FMLA. It further clarified that both patients and caregivers are guaranteed job protection under FMLA, when meeting the necessary requirements and choosing to participate in clinical trials. This effort extends beyond sarcoidosis and extends to all those seeking to participate in clinical trials. I am now working to spread awareness of this finding, so employers, employees, HR departments, and patients are aware of proper use of leave under FMLA. Last year, I was able to join in celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the establishment of the Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research. In celebration of this accomplishment and years of innovation, empowerment and progress, I call on my colleagues to recognize the goals and ideals of Sarcoidosis Awareness Month by supporting federal activities that improve the lives of patients impacted by Sarcoidosis, and to raise awareness and shine a light on the 1.2 million people living with Sarcoidosis.”

2026-04-21 · Healthcare