Candidate Q&A
Why are you running?
The current political moment is one of extreme urgency and danger, especially for the most vulnerable communities among us. Fascism is breaking through in the cracks of our democracy, which has come a long way but still is a work in progress. The people at the margins – racial minorities, LGBTQ+ people, survivors of systemic poverty and racism – have never been fully represented in America’s political system, and are now being scapegoated as the subject of national fearmongering. As an elected official, it is our job to know and use the real power that our offices hold. I also strongly believe that as a Black and LGBTQ+ state senator who grew up poor in the communities of the 9th Congressional District, and as the son of an Ethiopian asylum seeker, I bring a level of representation that is desperately needed in this current political moment. Too many communities – particularly here in the 9th Congressional District – have never had representation in Congress. I’m proud to be running a strong, competitive race to be the first Black person to represent Illinois’ 9th District, where I was born and raised and have deep roots. I am poised to make history as the first African-American elected to represent the 9th District, and the first Ethiopian-American to be elected to Congress. My candidacy gives a voice to so many Black and low income communities across the 9th, but to so many more whose lives and experiences mirror my own.
What do you think is the most pressing issue facing your constituents and how do you plan on addressing it?
In every corner of the 9th District, families are getting priced out of their neighborhoods and being squeezed for every dollar on the way out. Housing is a basic, universal, human right: in the richest country in the world, chronic homelessness and mass displacement cannot be the status quo. My life story begins in public housing, where my family integrated Lincoln Square after a 1976 desegregation decision. I bring lived experiences to the housing debate and know what is needed to push bold housing policy so that everyone is housed with dignity. We need creative investments in cooperative, social, and green housing, and Community Development Block Grants that increase our housing supply. Scarcity is a policy choice: Congress must take on the generational housing shortage in too many communities across the country. We also need to confront bad actors in the housing market. That means breaking up private equity firms and hedge funds that are buying up scores of buildings in communities across the 9th District, including in Rogers Park. It means investigating how artificial intelligence is used to fix and inflate rental prices. It means limiting the ability and profitability for offshore owners of housing that stays vacant, degrades in quality and safety, and doesn’t serve any social purpose. It means cracking down on junk fees that leasing companies and landlords use to gouge their renters for routine services. I have pushed for this kind of legislation already, and will bring that same fire to housing policy in Congress.
What is one unique challenge your district faces and how do you plan to address it?
My district was one of the hardest hit by Operation Midway Blitz, which is related to one of the biggest challenges facing Congress at the moment: protecting our democracy. Fascism is breaking through in the cracks of our democracy, which has always been incomplete and has become increasingly unresponsive. But now these cracks are being burst open with political retribution, a Supreme Court captured by the right-wing, and Congressional inaction from the opposition party. I am gravely concerned about where our democracy is headed and how our Constitution is being abused. The proper firewall to these threats is to identify them and hold people responsible for them. Within the first 10 days of taking office in Congress, I would call for and strongly support investigations into the federal mismanagement of the Trump Administration. I would also call for a trial of the ICE agents who blatantly broke the law during Operation Midway Blitz across Chicagoland and the 9th District. When you violate Americans’ constitutional rights, you need to be held accountable. Enforcing our democracy at the state and national levels is crucial, like limiting corporate influence in campaign finance or ending partisan gerrymandering. But this starts with enforcing the democratic rights at the individual level, like the right to protest and speak out. We need a wholesale, top-to-bottom audit of the ways this Administration has violated the law, especially against members of my district, and then we need to pursue justice against them for each of those violations.
What do you think federal immigration reform should look like?
Our plan for immigration needs to be built on inclusion, not deportation. As one of the most multicultural and diverse areas of the country, Illinois’ 9th District represents the best of America: this is the Ellis Island of the Midwest. This district deserves a champion who is rooted in that diversity. Especially following the results of Operation Midway Blitz, it is clear we absolutely must Abolish ICE. Within my first 10 days of taking the oath of office in Congress, I would introduce legislation to terminate this violently out-of-control agency. I have significant concerns about the free reign that ICE has been given, including the $170 billion that was added to the agency’s budget last summer, their cooperation with Illinois State Police, and their continued brutality at the Broadview detention center. Right now, in the State Senate I’m advancing bills to create restoration grants for the effects of Midway Blitz on our small businesses and our collective mental health – in Congress, I would bring that same spotlight to the lasting impact of this trauma and do everything I can to make sure it never happens again.
How should Congress address the rising costs of health care?
Healthcare is a human right and Congress needs to act like it. It’s not just a matter of principle, but a reflection of the lived experiences of me and my loved ones. One of the first bills I introduced in the Senate proposed the expansion of Medicaid eligibility to 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Level, one of the first real steps toward Medicare for All in Illinois. In the Senate, I have fought continuously for legislation that would bring sweeping expansions to coverage for those who are underinsured or who make too much to qualify for Medicaid but not enough to buy on the Affordable Care Act exchanges. Healthcare costs should not be sending Americans into bankruptcy: that’s why I am a champion for expanding Medicaid access, extending ACA subsidies at the federal level, and using all avenues to expand the number of people who get care. My vision for universal health care is not just about increasing the number of people covered, but also the types of care covered. Preventative, diagnostic, and specialty care are all healthcare. Dental care and vision care are healthcare. Reproductive care and gender-affirming care are healthcare. Prescription drugs should be affordable, not an opportunity for corporate greed.
What approach would you take on tax policy and what is your top priority?
I support progressive taxation and will advocate for federal policies to tax the ultra-wealthy. While basic needs are not being met for millions, our tax code is structured to incentivize corporate greed and hoarding wealth. It’s time to reckon with this. I also support restoring and expanding the Child Tax Credit. The new state level child tax credit in Illinois was the first bill I introduced after being sworn into the Senate in 2021. It took 3 years of coalition building and movement organizing with groups, Senator Omar Aquino, and the Governor's Office but now that policy is putting hundreds of dollars back into the hands of working parents every year. This is how our tax policy needs to be structured: preventing the ultra-rich and corporations from getting out of paying their fair share, and easing the burden on working people.
Is the House currently using its oversight powers in the way it should be? What areas of government need more or less oversight?
The House is not taking full advantage of their oversight powers and needs to hold the Trump Administration accountable for all of the many ways they are breaking the law. In Congress, I would use my office to lead on aggressive and assiduous oversight to hold the line on the Trump Administration’s federal overreaches, from the illegal actions of ICE and federal agents in our streets, to the illegal invasion of Venezuela for their resources, to the extortion of Northwestern and other universities by holding their federal funds hostage.
What is the most pressing foreign policy issue facing the country and what role should the House play in dealing with it?
The most pressing foreign policy issue in the country is taking back war powers from the President. Congress needs to get off of the sidelines and reclaim that authority, so that we are not endangering our military members or using taxpayer dollars for unpopular military actions, like secret operations in Venezuela, threats against leaders in Iran, or funding the genocide in Gaza. The House must support the repeal of the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMFs) because the American public is sick and tired of these forever wars that only lead to loss of life and waste of resources.
How do you view AI and the role the government should play in its regulation?
Artificial intelligence holds great power for solving big problems. However, governments must exercise vigorous oversight to ensure it is not abused. In Congress I would introduce legislation to create a federal agency within the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (which should absolutely be re-established to full strength after being gutted by Trump) to identify risks in our economy from misuse of AI. The agency will be charged with bringing forward legislation annually to protect Americans from AI uses that for example: drive up rents and health care costs, lead to worse consumer outcomes, and otherwise lead to negative experiences. I am concerned over the significant water and power needs to run AI data centers, driving up utility costs for consumers while detrimentally affecting the environment. I believe all data centers need to publicly report their water and energy usage on a monthly basis. In addition to regulating the operational uses of AI in the coming years, we need to be regularly evaluating the ethical uses of AI in all industries, most notably healthcare. Until we can answer these important questions about what AI is doing to our health, our water, and our economy, I support Senator Sanders' moratorium on the construction of new AI data centers.
How would you describe the current state of your party and what changes or new approaches would you like to see your party adopt?
The Democratic party is woefully out of touch with the people they represent. We need more people in elected positions who represent those communities’ lived experiences and disastrous impacts of policies they’ve been forced to survive and navigate for too long. This is a larger problem, but it starts at the level of representation. If you want people in elected roles who actually understand personally the ramifications of the housing crisis, we need more people sitting in Congress who grew up in public housing like I did; if you want people in power who talk about affordability and connecting with community members over the cost of items, you need people like me who have grown up in households where the choices were paying the heating bill, buying groceries, or paying overdue medical bills. It’s going to take more authentic representation in Congress to respond to and navigate the current political moment.