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

I am a proud rider of the CTA. Whether I’m jumping on the Blue Line to get downtown or catching the bus along Madison or Chicago Avenue, I see the heartbeat of our district in transit. But I also see the neglect.

Using our system daily has taught me that transportation policy is not just about concrete and steel, it’s about time. When a bus is 20 minutes late in Austin or West Garfield Park, that’s time stolen from a parent who needs to get home to their kids. It has shaped my view that we must treat transit as a public good, like libraries or parks. We cannot continue to demand that the working class pay the highest "time tax" for a system that isn't working for them

What are some transportation challenges in your district?

The 7th District is a study in transportation inequity. We have "transit deserts" where residents are miles from a train line, forcing them to rely on infrequent bus service. We face:

The Safety Gap: Our seniors and students often feel unsafe on platforms that are under-lit and under-staffed.

Accessibility Hurdles: Too many of our "L" stations remain inaccessible to neighbors with disabilities. An elevator that is "out of service" isn't an inconvenience; it’s a barricade.

The "L" Gap: The historic disinvestment in the Red and Blue lines on the South and West sides compared to the North Side is a policy choice we must reverse.

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

Congress must be the engine of equity. For too long, federal priorities have prioritized highway expansion that carves up Black and Brown neighborhoods while starving the transit systems those same neighbors rely on.

I believe Congress’s role is to mandate universal accessibility and to fund fare-free pilot programs. We need to move toward a "Freedom to Move" model, legislation like the Freedom to Move Act, which treats transit as a fundamental right. Congress should also set strict federal standards for climate-resilient infrastructure, ensuring our rail and bus systems are electrified and ready for the future.

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

Our current transportation spending is a reflection of outdated priorities that favor fossil fuels and highway expansion over the working-class people who keep this city running. In Illinois, and across this country, we are still operating under a "concrete-first" mentality that has historically paved over Black and Brown neighborhoods and left our transit systems, the very lifelines of the 7th District, fighting for scraps.

I believe that federal and state spending must undergo a fundamental shift toward equity. Right now, we are seeing billions poured into widening highways that only lead to more congestion and more pollution in our lungs. If I could change our approach, I would implement a "People-First" Funding Formula.

My Proposed Changes:

Currently, for every federal dollar spent, the vast majority goes to roads and bridges while a fraction goes to transit. I would fight for a mandatory 1:1 match, ensuring that for every dollar we spend on a highway, we invest an equal dollar in public transit, passenger rail, and pedestrian safety.

We must aggressively fund the electrification of our entire bus fleet. I would push for federal grants to transition the CTA to a zero-emission fleet, starting in the neighborhoods most impacted by environmental racism and high asthma rates.

I would prioritize funding for high-frequency service and dedicated bus lanes. It is an injustice that a worker in Austin or Maywood has to wait 30 minutes for a bus while the downtown corridor enjoys constant service. We need to fund the operational costs of our transit agencies, not just the "ribbon-cutting" capital projects.

I would mandate that any federal transportation dollar spent in Illinois must include a Community Benefits Agreement (CBA). This ensures that the jobs created, whether they are repairing the Blue Line or building new bike lanes, go to the residents of the 7th District, with a focus on union apprenticeships for our young people.

We don't have a lack of resources; we have a lack of imagination. We can afford a world-class, green, and free transit system if we stop prioritizing the profits of the oil and gas lobby and start prioritizing the dignity of the commuter.

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

Investing in passenger rail is not just about moving people from point A to point B; it’s about economic justice, environmental survival, and regional connectivity. I am 100% committed to expanding passenger rail service in Illinois and finally bringing high-speed rail to the Midwest.

For too long, our federal transportation priorities have been skewed toward a car-centric model that leaves working-class families in the 7th District behind. If you live in Austin or Maywood and don't own a car, your world shouldn't be limited to where a local bus can take you. High-speed rail is the "Great Equalizer."

My Position on Rail Expansion:

We should be investing hundreds of billions into a national network that rivals Europe and Asia. Chicago is already the rail hub of the nation; we should be the heart of a high-speed system that connects the South Side and West Side to the rest of the country with clean, lightning-fast transit.

Passenger rail is a cornerstone of my commitment to climate justice. High-speed rail can significantly reduce our carbon footprint by providing a viable alternative to short-haul flights and highway congestion. We cannot "green" our economy without moving our people onto electrified rail.

Expanding rail means thousands of high-paying union jobs right here in Illinois. I will fight to ensure that federal rail grants include "Buy America" provisions and Community Benefits Agreements so that the folks in our district are the ones building, maintaining, and operating these systems.

I support expanding state-supported Amtrak routes. We need more frequent, reliable service between Chicago, Springfield, and St. Louis. It shouldn't be a "once-a-day" luxury; it should be a high-frequency service that functions like a regional "L" train.

We have the resources. Every time we find another $100 billion for the Pentagon, we are choosing not to have high-speed rail. I am running to change those choices. We need a government that invests in care, not conflict, and that includes the care of our infrastructure and our environment.

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?

This is not just a "policy disagreement"; it is a political shakedown of the people of Chicago. We have seen this administration freeze $2.1 billion in transit funding for the Red Line Extension (RLE) and the Red-Purple Modernization (RPM) program, using "oversight" as a smokescreen to attack our commitment to equity and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) programs.

As your Representative, I will not stand by while the federal government holds our transit hostage. To shore up our funding, I will prioritize these specific federal tactics:

The President does not have a "line-item veto" over the will of Congress. I will work with the Illinois delegation to invoke the Impoundment Control Act of 1974, ensuring that once Congress appropriates funds, the Executive Branch must release them. If this administration continues to illegally "pause" funds, I will join the fight to take them to court, and we will win, just as the courts have ruled against similar illegal impoundments in the past.

I will use my seat in Congress to haul Department of Transportation officials before committees to explain why they are violating the law. We will demand accountability for why $2 billion in lawfully designated funding is being used as a pawn in a culture war.

I support passing legislation to ensure that federal grants cannot be withheld based on a city's "sanctuary" status or its commitment to civil rights in contracting.

While we fight at the federal level, I will work closely with Governor Pritzker and the Illinois General Assembly to utilize the $50.6 billion multi-year infrastructure plan already in place. We must ensure that our state "Rebuild Illinois" funds are protected and leveraged to fill any temporary gaps created by federal obstruction.

The RLE and RPM projects are more than just tracks and trains; they are about 12,000 construction jobs, access to healthcare, and righting the wrongs of decades of disinvestment on the South Side. I am going to Washington to be a fighter for our community’s survival, and that starts with making sure we get every single dollar we are owed.

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?

The current state of immigration enforcement in our country has moved beyond a policy failure, it has become a moral crisis. I called for the abolition of ICE in 2019 and I'm calling for it now. I vehemently condemn the recent militarized actions of federal agents in Illinois and collaboration between ISP, CPD and ICE.

I support a Public Health and Human Rights framework for immigration. This includes:

Abolishing ICE and deportation mandate and redirecting that nearly $40 billion budget toward an asylum system that works. We should not be funding a "slush fund" for mass deportation while our schools and clinics are starved for resources.

Ending the 287(g) agreements and any collateral assistance from local law enforcement. I stand with Attorney General Kwame Raoul in his fight to block the illegal deployment of National Guard troops in our state.

We must mandate that federal agents display proper identification, stop using chemical irritants against peaceful protesters, and strictly adhere to the Posse Comitatus Act, which prohibits the use of the military for domestic law enforcement.

I support a broad and inclusive amnesty program that recognizes the dignity and contributions of our undocumented neighbors. Our focus must be on family reunification and economic stability.

A pathway to citizenship must be accessible and immediate for DACA recipients, TPS holders, and essential workers.

We must remove the "wealth tests" and bureaucratic barriers that treat citizenship as a luxury for the few. We cannot allow the "largest immigration operation ever" to define our city or our country. We must choose the path of sanctuary and justice over the path of fear and militarization.