What types of transportation do you use during an average week, and how has this shaped your view of transportation policy?

I ride CTA trains and buses regularly, walk my neighborhood, and use a car for meetings or site visits. Riding transit daily and representing communities that rely on it has made me clear, transit is lifeline infrastructure. It must be frequent, affordable, accessible, safe, and prioritized like other public goods so working people can get to jobs, school, healthcare, and child care.

What are some transportation challenges in your district?

My district faces chronic underinvestment and aging infrastructure that leaves stations and tracks in poor repair and service unreliable; many neighborhoods are transit deserts with limited routes and weak first/last-mile connections, making commutes long and unpredictable for working families. Accessibility remains a major barrier for people with disabilities, and safety concerns at stops and on vehicles undermine rider confidence. Funding flows too often prioritize wealthier suburbs over communities like Englewood and Back of the Yards, where I am from, so projects that would directly benefit Black and working-class residents are delayed or sidelined. These challenges are exacerbated by economic and public‑safety issues, so transportation policy must be equitable, reliable, and focused on serving the people who depend on it every day.

How do you view Congress’s role in setting priorities for public transit, passenger rail, and strengthening accessibility in transportation?

Congress should lead by funding and setting standards: robust, recurring federal investment for transit operations and capital; enforceable accessibility (ADA) upgrades; grants that prioritize equity, climate resilience, and job creation; and labor standards (which include prevailing wage, local hire, union neutrality) on federally funded projects. Federal policy should center riders, climate goals, and economic justice.

What’s your position on the Federal government and Illinois’ current transportation infrastructure spending, and if you could change anything, what would it be?

I support increasing federal investment and changing how funds are allocated so high‑need urban corridors receive their fair share; that means more ongoing operating support for transit (not just one‑time capital), prioritizing projects that serve underserved communities, strengthening oversight to ensure projects create good union jobs and meet accessibility and climate standards, and requiring transparent community input in project selection.

What is your position on investing to expand passenger rail service in Illinois, including the development of high-speed rail?

I strongly support expanding passenger rail and pursuing high-speed rail where feasible. Rail expansion advances equity, climate goals, and good union jobs in construction and operations. Investments must include community benefits, labor protections, and ensure affordability for riders.

Federal funding for Illinois transportation projects – such as the Red Line Extension and Red-Purple Modernization projects – has come under threat from the Trump administration. How do you plan to shore up funding for critical infrastructure projects under a hostile federal climate?

I believe in a multi-pronged strategy:

Build broad coalitions (local leaders, unions, riders, environmental groups) to pressure Congress and federal agencies.

Secure alternative funding: state bonds, local revenue tools (with protections and oversight), and regional partnerships while protecting affordability.

Leverage competitive federal grants (USDOT programs) and fight to preserve formula funding; use every oversight and appropriations tool once in office to defend projects.

Attach strong community benefits and accountability clauses so projects maintain public support. Mobilize constituents to make noise, grassroots pressure matters.

Our streets have become increasingly militarized in the past several months as the Trump administration has ramped up DHS and ICE activity in our cities. This past summer, Congress voted to increase the ICE budget larger than most of the world's militaries.

What is your position on ICE and related immigration enforcement?

I support abolishing ICE (including holding ICE officers accountable), ending for-profit detention, a moratorium on deportations, full due process with publicly funded counsel, and a clear roadmap to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. Enforcement priorities must center human rights, family unity, and community safety rather than militarized immigration policing.