Wish Roskam were in GOP House leadership

With the shake-up in the leadership of the U.S. House of Representatives following the recently announced resignation of Speaker John Boehner, I am writing to offer my regret that Congressman Peter Roskam did not end up standing for one of the leadership positions.

As a longtime volunteer for the Alzheimer's Association, I have worked with Peter Roskam regularly and always found him to be extremely qualified, professional and compassionate. Peter's door is always open to me as his constituent and I can always count on him for a candid conversation on any subject.

Peter Roskam is a true advocate for the Alzheimer's Association, and my family knows all too well how important it is to have a strong supporter on your side when dealing with a devastating illness. I have lost two grandparents and a great-aunt to this awful disease, and my husband's grandmother is currently living with Alzheimer's in an assisted care facility in central Illinois.

I sincerely appreciate Peter's work with the Congressional Task Force on Alzheimer's disease and his cosponsorship of the HOPE for Alzheimer's Act in Illinois.

Peter Roskam has consistently supported increases in funding for the National Institutes of Health's efforts to find a cure and has been a leader in the fight to improve Medicare's response to dementia diagnoses.

The fight against Alzheimer's and our country as a whole would have benefitted from having a public servant like Peter Roskam as a member of the Congressional leadership.

Nancy Reed

Palatine