Accomplishments — Robin Kelly for US Senate

Take a look at a list of

Robin Kelly's Top Accomplishments

Healthcare

Serves as the Congressional Black Caucus Health Braintrust Chair.
Co-Chair of the Bipartisan Maternity Care Caucus.
Co-Chair of the Digital Health Caucus.
In 2013, voted against the Patients' Rights Repeal Act and therefore upheld the Affordable Care Act.
Authored the first Congressional report on health disparities, the Kelly Report, in 2015.
In 2018, passed the Action for Dental Health Act, which improves access to dental care in underserved communities.
In 2019, passed the Orange Book Transparency Act, which requires the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to include patent information and any drug exclusivity period that has not concluded.
Introduced the first comprehensive Maternal Health legislation to address the maternity mortality crisis.
Introduced several bills and led bicameral efforts to expand Medicare dental coverage.
In 2021, passed Reese's Law, which mandates federal safety requirements for button cell or coin batteries.
Passed a provision that she authored to expand Medicaid post-partum coverage from 60 days to a full year in the Build Back Better Act.
In 2022, helped pass two bills that would improve families' access to infant formula, ensuring that every baby has the nutrition they need to live and develop and ensuring that a crisis like the formula shortage does not happen again.
Introduced the Access to Birth Control Act in 2024, which aimed to ensure timely and barrier-free access to contraceptives at pharmacies.
Introduced the PREEMIE Reauthorization Act of 2025, which attempts to reauthorize and expand programs and research that aims to prevent and treat preterm birth.

Gun Violence Prevention

Serves as Vice Chair of the House Gun Violence Prevention Taskforce.
Introduces the Wear Orange Resolution every year to spread awareness around gun violence and commemorate National Gun Violence Awareness Day and Month
Consistently introduced a bill that amended the Consumer Product Safety Act to remove the exclusion of pistols, revolvers, and other firearms from the definition of "consumer product" in order for gun safety standards to be issued.
Consistently introduced a bill requiring the Surgeon General to submit an annual report to Congress on the effects of gun violence on public health.
In 2014, authored the Kelly Report, which became the first Congressional report on the United States gun violence epidemic.
Planned and led the 2016 House Gun Violence Sit-in with John Lewis that shutdown the House floor to raise awareness of the gun violence epidemic in the United States.
Consistently introduced the Federal Firearm Licensee Act, which enhances background checks, improves dealer licensing, closes loopholes in purchasing guns, increases penalties for some firearm-related offenses, and improves electronic record-keeping requirements on firearms.
Consistently introduced the Keeping Guns from High-Risk Individuals Act, which prohibits the sale, possession, transportation, and shipment of firearms to a larger array of high-risk individuals.
Had provisions relating to Congresswoman Kelly’s bills on gun trafficking and community violence intervention included in the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.

Economic Development

Was elected Ranking Member of the House Oversight Committee’s Information Technology Subcommittee for the 114th Congress (2015-2017).
Consistently voted to protect SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program).
Introduced bills to provide and extend work opportunity tax credits for veterans and youth employees.
In 2017, hosted a Youth Job and Resource Expo with over 300 students in attendance.
In 2018, authored the Kelly Report on the New American Dream, detailing how strategic investments in young people, mature workers, education, manufacturing and the digital sector will create jobs, foster opportunities and empower all families to live their American Dream.
Introduced the Helping to Encourage Real Opportunity (HERO) for At-Risk Youth Act and the Creating Pathways for Youth Empowerment Act, which would increase federal resources for communities seeking to create or grow employment programs and provide tax incentives to business and employers to hire and retain youth from economically distressed areas.
In 2023, introduced the Supply Chain Mapping and Monitoring Act, which establishes the Supply Chain Resiliency and Crisis Response Office to monitor and respond to disruptions in critical supply chains and industries.
Introduced the Promoting Access to Broadband Act of 2023, which provides grant funding to areas for subsidized internet and phone service to low-income individuals.

Education

In 2023, co-established the Congressional Predominantly Black Institutions (PBI) Caucus to support predominantly black institutions across the United States.
In 2013, voted against the Smarter Solutions for Students Act that would force students into loans with skyrocketing interest rates.
Consistently introduced the Community College to Career Fund Act, which would encourage local small business and manufacturers to partner with community colleges to develop workforce training programs.
In 2014, introduced a bill to direct the Department of Labor to establish a program to provide senior citizens training in computer literacy and advanced computer operations.
In 2015, passed an amendment to the Student Success Act that would strengthen adult reading and financial literacy programs across the United States.

Science and Technology

As Ranking Member of the House Subcommittee on Information Technology, hosted an Illinois Field Hearing to hear views from business leaders on how effectively federal cyber laws and regulations have been working since the enactment of the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act of 2015.
Led a 2016 letter objecting to Facebook’s “Ethnic Affinity” feature.
Passed the Connected Government Act, which required federal agencies to create or redesign their websites to be mobile-friendly and became law in 2018.
In 2018, passed the IoT Cybersecurity Improvement Act, which establishes minimum security standards for Internet of Things (IoT) devices owned or controlled by the federal government.
Introduced the Protecting Seniors from Emergency Scams Act to combat fraud and scams targeting senior citizens, which passed the House of Representatives in 2021.
Introduced the Healthcare Cybersecurity Improvement Act in 2024, which protects hospitals from cyberattacks.

Civil Rights and Liberties

Lead Chicago delegation members in sending a letter opposing freedom of speech restrictions by the Chicago Bears and NFL in 2018.
Co-led letter to the President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in response to the high level of scrutiny and penalization that has disproportionately impacted Black women during the 2021 Summer Olympic Games trials.
Voted to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act in 2021.
Voted to pass the Respect for Marriage Act, which requires the federal government recognize same-sex and interracial marriages and repeals the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).

Foreign Policy & Aid

Passed an amendment in the 2015 National Defense Authorization Act that aimed to help rescue more than 200 schoolgirls who were kidnapped in Nigeria.
In 2024, called for a bilateral ceasefire in Gaza.
In 2025, co-led a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio that urged him to restore essential HIV and AIDS services and expressing deep concern about the impact of the foreign aid funding pause on global health programs, particularly PEPFAR (President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief).

Agriculture

In 2017, introduced the Farm Flexibility Act, which is bipartisan legislation that empowers farmers to help combat food deserts by allowing them to grow fruits and vegetables on an additional five percent of their acreage without a crop insurance penalty.
In 2024, introduced a bill directing the Secretary of Agriculture to establish and administer a pilot program to provide grants to support Food is Medicine programs.
In 2025, helped introduce and passed the Precision Agriculture Satellite Connectivity Act to promote precision agriculture.

Environment

Pushed petroleum coke storage facilities outside of the Southside of Chicago to protect neighborhood health.
In 2019, introduced a bill that would reauthorize grants for improving the energy efficiency of public buildings.

Community Investments

Passed legislation to establish a national park in Chicago’s historic Pullman neighborhood.
In her time in Congress, secured more than $245 million for community projects across the 2nd District.

Other Accomplishments

Current Co-Chair of the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee.
Hosted the inaugural 2016 Congressional symposium on Black Women and Girls.
Consistently introduced the Protect Black Women and Girls Act, which would establish a task force to study the issues that black women and girls face and make recommendations for policies and programs that should be implemented.
Consistently introduced the First Responder Resiliency Act, which would aim to provide grants for wellness programs for first responders as a well to address mental health challenges they face on duty.
Introduced the Protect 911 Act, which establishes grant programs for emergency communications centers and develops resources for mental health professionals to better understand the unique stressors and challenges faced by first responders.