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

I’m on Illinois roads constantly meeting voters. When in the city, my team also uses transit and rail because that’s how you see what people are facing. That includes delays, safety concerns, broken accessibility, cleanliness, and homelessness. Transportation policy should be judged the same way families judge it: Is it safe, on time, affordable, and accessible.

What are some transportation challenges in Illinois?

Despite it's interdependency, Illinois has a two-state reality: Chicago-region transit reliability and safety problems, and downstate needs around roads, bridges, and intercity connections. All rail leads to/from Chicago. Class I freight railroads convergence in Chicago contributes to bottlenecks for both cargo and rail passengers as they compete for rail access/timing. We also have persistent ADA/accessibility gaps. The human service goal is an efficient and reliable system that works for working people where they live, without wasting money.

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

Passenger and freight infrastructure and process are matters of national security and public safety. Most U.S. freight rail infrastructure is privately owned and operated. Passenger rail often operates over privately owned track. My "American Rail Integrity and Economic Resilience Act" does not federalize private railroads, alter ownership structures, or impose new operational mandates outside federal funding streams.

It conditions federal dollars (where used) on structural certification, lifecycle maintenance planning, ADA guidelines, and fiscal transparency. If private entities choose not to seek federal funding under this Act, the conditions do not apply, EXCEPT ADA compliance is required regardless of ownership. My bill does not expand the ADA. It ensures that when federal funds are used, modernization plans incorporate accessibility in a disciplined and transparent way.

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

Illinois benefits from federal infrastructure spending only when it delivers structurally sound, on-time, on-budget results. I support current investment levels to the extent they prioritize state-of-good-repair, bottleneck reduction, and measurable performance, especially in the Chicago freight hub and major transit corridors. What I would change is the federal approach to delivery: require independent structural certification, 30-year lifecycle maintenance plans, real-time public cost reporting with audit triggers, and legally durable grant/contract compliance so Illinois projects don’t get delayed, politicized, or wasted. This integration is essential to protecting taxpayers while strengthening supply chains, reliability, and economic resilience that will sustain state and national economic growth.

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

Illinois benefits from federal infrastructure spending when it delivers structurally sound, on-time, on-budget results. I support current investment levels to the extent they prioritize state-of-good-repair, bottleneck reduction, and measurable performance, especially in the Chicago freight hub and major transit corridors. What I would change is the federal approach to delivery: require independent structural certification, 30-year lifecycle maintenance plans, real-time public cost reporting with audit triggers, and legally durable grant/contract compliance so Illinois projects don’t get delayed, politicized, or wasted. This integration is essential to protecting taxpayers while strengthening supply chains, reliability, and economic resilience that will sustain state and national economic growth. We should pursue high-speed rail grants that remove real constraints and advance corridor readiness: environmental clearance, right-of-way, grade separation, signaling, and Chicago hub capacity. Grants that improve reliability and capacity today while positioning us for higher speeds tomorrow are smart investments since Illinois is not ready for full HSR at this time.

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?

Federal infrastructure funding must be governed by law, not politics. My approach is to work with local/state stakeholders to make Illinois projects structurally and procedurally defensible so that funding cannot be delayed or politicized.

That means airtight procurement compliance, transparent cost reporting, and real-time documentation aligned with federal grant requirements. As a U.S. Senator, I would use oversight authority to require timely federal determinations and written justification for any delay in congressionally authorized funds.

Critical infrastructure projects like the Red Line Extension and Red-Purple Modernization strengthen interstate commerce and workforce mobility. They should be protected through compliance discipline, bipartisan framing, and vigilant oversight, not partisan escalation. Learn more about my perspective on the connection between rail investment and economic growth: https://longforsenate2026.com/issues/economicgrowth/

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 federal government has clear constitutional authority to enforce immigration law, and I support lawful, orderly enforcement at our borders, within our interior, and within statutory limits. Enforcement must be conducted professionally, within the bounds of civil rights protections, and without unnecessary disruption to commerce, public infrastructure, or community safety. Strong borders and professional enforcement are compatible with protecting civil liberties and maintaining the integrity of our transportation infrastructure.