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

I travel around Illinois in a converted school bus that I’ve taken to all 102 counties. Transportation is a key driver of economic mobility, and the poor state of our public infrastructure is holding back growth in too many small towns. As a New Deal Democrat, I’ll fight for robust federal investment in public infrastructure, including mass transit and high speed rail, so every community has a real shot at development and opportunity.

What are some transportation challenges in Illinois?

Illinois’ transportation problems mirror challenges across the country. In Chicago, congestion on the interstates makes driving more dangerous, and while public transit is mostly functional, too many neighborhoods still aren’t served by the CTA rail system. With so much service funneled through the Loop, it can be surprisingly hard to get from one neighborhood to another without a long detour. Downstate, the stakes look different but just as serious. Many small-town economies depend on reliable interstate traffic, and in places like Cairo, weak transportation links can make it extremely difficult to attract investment or build a stable local economy.

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

I believe Congress has a direct role in setting transportation priorities because it has always played that role. The transcontinental railroad and the interstate highway system that followed were made possible by federal legislation and major federal investment. There’s no reason Congress shouldn’t be just as involved in funding and guiding the next generation of transportation improvements.

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 believe we need New Deal–style programs with direct federal appropriations to rebuild and improve rural transportation infrastructure. Too many small towns depend on safe, reliable highways, bridges, and freight routes, and decades of deferred maintenance have made that a barrier to growth. At the same time, we should make major investments in public transportation nationwide so people can get to jobs, school, and healthcare without needing a car. Done right, these investments boost economic mobility, reduce costs for families, and strengthen local economies across Illinois.

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

I support expanding passenger rail service, including high-speed rail. Reliable public transportation is one of the strongest drivers of economic mobility because it connects people to jobs, education, and healthcare without forcing them to own a car. Stronger rail networks also take pressure off our highways, improve safety, and help communities across Illinois attract investment and talent.

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?

If the administration is freezing transit dollars to play politics, we can’t just complain, we have to box them in. First, we make them put the justification in writing and show exactly what law authorizes the freeze and what steps, if any, are required to cure it. Second, we use every oversight and legal tool available to challenge an unlawful withholding of funds that Congress appropriated, including aggressive action with our congressional delegation and, if needed, in court. At the same time, we keep the projects moving by securing bridge financing and phasing contracts so contractors stay mobilized and costs don’t spiral. Chicago deserves infrastructure decisions based on safety, jobs, and mobility, not partisan retaliation.

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?

ICE has become a core driver of the DHS militarization we’re seeing, and I don’t think it’s salvageable. I support abolishing ICE and ending street-sweep style operations, while restricting Border Patrol’s authority to a narrow zone at the border (within 10 miles) with clear limits and oversight. Recent congressional action has poured tens of billions into ICE expansion and detention capacity, and I oppose that approach because it incentivizes mass enforcement rather than due process and public safety.