Democrats stress immigration, health care with choice of guests to Trump speech

Suburban Democratic members of Congress are making political statements on Republican President Donald Trump's stances on immigration and health care by their choices of guests to the president's address to a joint session of Congress Tuesday.

Trump has pledged to repeal the Affordable Care Act and in his first days in office, signed an executive order that temporarily banned refugees and people from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the U.S. It was blocked by a federal judge, but Trump is expected to sign a new order this week.

Meanwhile, Republican U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam of Wheaton is bringing his wife Elizabeth to Trump's address, as has been his custom in past years, spokesman David Pasch said. The speech begins at 8 p.m.

Among Democrats, U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky of Evanston is bringing Suzanne Akhras Sahloul of Chicago, the founder and executive director of the Syrian Community Network, a Chicago-based refugee support network.

U.S. Rep. Bill Foster of Naperville will bring Naperville North High School student Samia Abdul-Qadir. Abdul-Qadir was a participant in Foster's community discussion at the Islamic Center of Naperville on the impact of Trump's travel ban.

U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider invited Tracy Trovato, a Chicago resident who credits the Affordable Care Act for her husband being alive today. In 2013, Tracy's husband Carlo was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of leukemia, Schneider's office said Monday. The family's employer-provided insurance would have capped lifetime medical services at a level which might not have been enough to cover the necessary treatment, Schneider's office reported. The Affordable Care Act prohibits such caps and Trovato's husband received the care he needed to enter into remission, according to Schneider's office.

"If my husband had been sick before the law took effect, our family could have been bankrupted by the cost of the care he needed," Trovato said in a news release.

U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi of Schaumburg's said his guest will be Debbie Trueblood of Carol Stream. Trueblood has a rare, potentially life-threatening genetic condition that can lead to swelling of the airways. Krishnamoorthi's office said the Affordable Care Act allowed Trueblood to get the treatment she needs.