2019

Abortion

1. Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation?
- Pro-choice

Budget

In order to balance the budget, do you support an income tax increase on any tax bracket?
- Yes

Economy

Do you support federal spending as a means of promoting economic growth?
- Yes

Education

1. Do you support requiring states to implement education reforms in order to be eligible for competitive federal grants?
- Unknown Position

Energy

Do you support building the Keystone XL pipeline?
- No

Environment

Do you support the federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions?
- Yes

Guns

Do you support restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns?
- Yes

Health Care

Do you support repealing the 2010 Affordable Care Act?
- No

Immigration

1. Do you support requiring illegal immigrants to return to their country of origin before they are eligible for citizenship?
- No

Marriage

Do you support same-sex marriage?
- Yes

National Security

1. Do you support targeting suspected terrorists outside of official theaters of conflict?
- Unknown Position

Social Security

1. Do you support allowing individuals to divert a portion of their Social Security taxes into personal retirement accounts?
- No

Illinois Congressional Election 2008 Political Courage Test

Abortion

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding abortion.

1. Abortions should always be illegal.
- No Answer

2. Abortions should always be legal.
- No Answer

3. Abortions should be legal only within the first trimester.
- No Answer

4. Abortions should be legal when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape.
- X

5. Abortions should be legal when the life of the woman is endangered.
- X

6. Dilation and extraction or "partial-birth" abortion procedures should be legal.
- No Answer

7. Medicare, Medicaid, and federal subsidies should be prohibited from being used on abortion procedures.
- No Answer

8. Other or expanded principles.
- I believe abortion should be safe and legal, consistent with Roe v. Wade. Late-term abortions should be limited to cases where the life of the mother is in danger or she faces a medically certified risk of grievous physical injury. I support a woman's right to choose the abortion method she and her physician deem most appropriate to her individual needs and I opposed the so-called "partial-birth abortion" bill. I support efforts to reduce the need for abortions, including access to family planning, health care, nutrition, and child care assistance.

Budgetary, Spending, and Tax

Indicate what federal funding levels (#1-6) you support for the following general categories. Select one number per category, you can use a number more than once.

Budget Priorities

1. Agriculture
- Slightly Decrease

2. Arts
- Slightly Increase

3. Defense
- Slightly Increase

4. Education
- Greatly Increase

5. Environment
- Slightly Increase

6. FEMA
- Slightly Increase

7. Homeland security
- Slightly Increase

8. International aid
- Slightly Increase

9. Law enforcement (Federal)
- Slightly Increase

10. Law enforcement (State)
- Slightly Increase

11. Medical research
- Greatly Increase

12. National parks
- Maintain Status

13. Public health services
- Slightly Increase

14. Scientific research
- Slightly Increase

15. Space exploration programs
- Maintain Status

16. Transportation and highway infrastructure
- Slightly Increase

17. United Nations
- Maintain Status

18. Welfare
- Maintain Status

19. Other or expanded categories
- We should eliminate the cut-rate subsidies provided to corporations for oil drilling, mining, grazing, and timber harvesting on public lands; and we should stop waste, fraud, and abuse in Iraq contracting and other government procurement. In agriculture, we should tighten payment limits for corporate farms.

Defense Spending

1. Armed forces personnel training
- Slightly Increase

2. Intelligence operations
- Slightly Increase

3. Military hardware
- Slightly Increase

4. Modernization of weaponry and equipment
- Slightly Increase

5. National missile defense
- Maintain Status

6. Pay for active duty personnel
- Greatly Increase

7. Programs to improve troop retention rates
- Slightly Increase

8. Research and development of new weapons
- Maintain Status

9. Troop and equipment readiness
- Greatly Increase

10. Other or expanded categories
- Our troops have done everything we have asked of them. It is our duty to ensure that our service members and their families have the armored vehicles, protective equipment, pay, and supportive services they need and deserve as they sacrifice for our country. We must do our best to bring them home safely, and stand by those who are injured.

Taxes

Indicate what federal tax levels (#1-6) you support for the following general categories. Select one number per category, you can use a number more than once.

Family Income Taxes

1. Less than $12,000
- Greatly Decrease

2. $12,001-$40,000
- Slightly Decrease

3. $40,001-$100,000
- Slightly Decrease

4. $100,001-$180,000
- Maintain Status

5. $180,001-$350,000
- Slightly Increase

6. $350,001 and above
- Slightly Increase

7. Other or expanded categories
- We need greater tax fairness. America's tax code should draw more from those who are able to pay more and have benefited the most, while asking less from those who are struggling to meet basic needs. I have supported a wide range of tax cuts for families, as well as targeted tax cuts to address special burdens such as the high price of college tuition.

Other Taxes

1. Alcohol taxes
- Maintain Status

2. Capital gains taxes
- Maintain Status

3. Cigarette taxes
- Greatly Increase

4. Corporate taxes
- Maintain Status

5. Gasoline taxes
- Maintain Status

6. Inheritance taxes
- Maintain Status

7. Other or expanded categories
- We should eliminate foreign tax shelters while rewarding corporations that offer good jobs in America. We should eliminate unnecessary tax breaks for oil companies that are breaking every record for corporate profits while consumers suffer at the pumps. On estate taxes, we should increase the exemption for small businesses and family farms that are passed on within the family. We should preserve the gasoline taxes that go to the Highway Trust Fund to rebuild and improve our roads, bridges, and public transportation systems.

Deductions/Credits

1. Charitable contribution deduction
- Maintain Status

2. Child tax credit
- Slightly Increase

3. Earned income tax credit
- Slightly Increase

4. Medical expense deduction
- Maintain Status

5. Mortgage deduction
- Maintain Status

6. Student loan credit
- Slightly Increase

7. Other or expanded categories
- I have introduced legislation to provide tax credits to self employed persons and to small businesses that help their employees pay for health insurance. Families also need tax credits to help with college costs and child care expenses.

8. Do you support the permanent repeal of the federal estate tax?
- No

9. Do you support requiring the federal budget to be balanced each year?
- No

10. Other or expanded principles
- We need to identify our nation's highest priorities, fund these priorities appropriately, and cut back on programs that are less valuable. Unfortunately, President Bush's excessive tax cuts for wealthy special interests and his mismanagement of the economy have left us with the largest budget deficits in history. That debt burden falls unfairly on our children and grandchildren, and much of the debt is held by China, Japan, and the OPEC nations. Deficit spending is often needed when an economy is struggling, but we need to restore a commitment to fiscal discipline as soon as possible.

Campaign Finance and Government Reform

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding campaign finance and government reform.

1. Support increasing the amount individuals are permitted to contribute to federal campaigns.
- No Answer

2. Prohibit Political Action Committee (PAC) contributions to candidates for federal office.
- No Answer

3. Allow unregulated soft money campaign contributions to political parties or committees.
- No Answer

4. Remove all contribution limits on federal campaigns and parties.
- No Answer

5. Support prohibiting ads containing candidates' name that are paid for by third parties from airing 60 days before a primary and 30 days before a general federal election.
- No Answer

6. Support instant run-off voting (IRV).
- No Answer

7. Support designating Election Day as a national holiday.
- No Answer

8. Support giving the President the power of the line item veto for items concerning appropriations.
- No Answer

9. Support limiting the President's use of signing statements in order to prevent an alternative interpretation of the bill.
- X

10. Support a federal shield law to protect reporter-source privilege.
- X

11. Other or expanded principles
- Our nation's system for financing political campaigns is fundamentally broken. I have introduced legislation that would allow us to replace the current system with a fair elections program in which viable candidates stop dialing for dollars and volunteer to fund their campaigns using only funds drawn from a federal Fair Elections account. This fund could be financed without costing individual taxpayers a dime and would help to rebuild the broken trust between the American people and their public officials.

Crime

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding crime.

1. Support the use of the death penalty for federal crimes.
- No Answer

2. Eliminate the use of the death penalty for federal crimes.
- No Answer

3. Support programs to provide prison inmates with vocational and job-related skills and job-placement assistance when released.
- X

4. Support programs to provide prison inmates with drug and alcohol addiction treatment.
- X

5. Reduce prison sentences for those who commit non-violent crimes.
- No Answer

6. Support mandatory jail sentences for selling illegal drugs.
- No Answer

7. Support strict penalties for internet crime (e.g. hacking, identity theft, worms/viruses).
- X

8. Require that crimes based on sexual orientation be prosecuted as federal hate crimes.
- X

9. Other or expanded principles
- I support the availability of the death penalty for the most heinous crimes, with procedural safeguards to ensure justice, competent counsel for defendants, and DNA testing to help determine innocence or guilt. Judges and juries should have both the death penalty and life imprisonment without parole as available options as they weigh the appropriate sentence for egregious crimes. We should continue the federal programs that help local authorities put police officers on the street and give them needed crime-fighting tools and training.

Education

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding education.

1. Support the federal government funding universal pre-K programs.
- X

2. Allow parents to use vouchers to send their children to any public school.
- X

3. Allow parents to use vouchers to send their children to any private or religious school.
- No Answer

4. Allow teachers and professionals to receive federal funding to establish charter or magnet schools.
- X

5. Increase funding for the Pell Grant program.
- X

6. Decrease interest rates of Stafford Loans.
- X

7. Support federal tax incentives to help families save for college.
- X

8. Ban university financial aid officers from owning stock in or accepting gifts from student loan lenders.
- X

9. Require universities to disclose financial relationships with lenders.
- X

10. Support federal education standards and testing requirements for K-12 students (No Child Left Behind).
- No Answer

11. Eliminate all federal education standards and testing requirements for K-12 students (No Child Left Behind).
- No Answer

12. Other or expanded principles
- I want to fix the No Child Left Behind law. It helped us focus on accountability, but it has major defects. Education should be about more than teaching to the test. We need to provide schools with the resources to successfully implement real reforms. We need to treat teachers as the professionals they are and invest more in teacher preparation and retention efforts. I am also working to expand funding for math, science, and technology education, and to reduce the cost of college and the high price of textbooks.

Employment

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding employment.

1. Increase funding for national job-training programs that retrain displaced workers or teach skills needed in today?s job market.
- X

2. Reduce government regulation of the private sector.
- No Answer

3. Encourage employers to offer child care services, flex-time scheduling, comp-time, and unpaid leave for family emergencies.
- X

4. Increase the federal minimum wage.
- X

5. Support the right of workers to unionize.
- X

6. Eliminate all federal programs designed to reduce unemployment.
- No Answer

7. Include sexual orientation in federal anti-discrimination laws.
- X

8. Include gender identity in federal anti-discrimination laws.
- X

9. Other or expanded principles
- America's workers are the most talented and dedicated in the world. They work long hours and their contributions to our economy should be fairly compensated. We should make sure global competition is not unfairly tilted against them, and we should seek to close the gap between what average workers and CEOs earn by strengthening workers' rights to bargain collectively. We also should encourage flexible work arrangements that more fully tap into our nation's talent while still supporting a sensible balance between work and family.

Environment and Energy

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding the environment and energy.

1. Strengthen the regulation and enforcement of the Clean Water Act.
- X

2. Strengthen the regulation and enforcement of the Clean Air Act.
- X

3. Support increased development of traditional energy resources (e.g. coal, natural gas, oil).
- X

4. Strengthen emission controls on all gasoline and diesel-powered engines, including cars, trucks, and sport utility vehicles.
- No Answer

5. Strengthen fuel efficiency standards on all gasoline and diesel-powered engines, including cars, trucks, and sport utility vehicles.
- X

6. Support domestic oil exploration in areas that are currently restricted.
- No Answer

7. Encourage further development and use of alternative fuels.
- X

8. Support the use of ethanol as an alternative fuel.
- X

9. Support research and development of nuclear reactors as an alternative energy source.
- No Answer

10. Allow energy producers to trade pollution credits under "cap and trade" laws.
- X

11. Support international mandatory emission targets to limit global warming.
- X

12. Support international voluntary emission targets to limit global warming.
- X

13. Other or expanded principles
- We should consider every environmentally sound option to lower gas prices. I support cracking down on crude oil speculators, increasing oil supplies now by releasing oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, and fast-tracking domestic production by requiring oil companies to move quickly on land already cleared for drilling. Long-term, we need higher automobile fuel standards and more alternative energy. We can reduce global warming in ways that create new "green" jobs. We need research on safe storage and disposal of nuclear waste before expanding nuclear power. And we need to redouble our efforts to clean and protect Lake Michigan.

Gun

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding guns.

1. Allow individuals to carry concealed guns.
- No Answer

2. Ban the sale, ownership or possession of handguns except by law enforcement and other government officials.
- No Answer

On (c) and (d), indicate what levels (#1-6) you support for the following categories.

1. Enforcement of existing restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
- Slightly Increase

2. Restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
- Slightly Increase

3. Other or expanded principles
- I believe Americans are entitled to own and use guns safely, legally, and responsibly. At the same time, we must address the illegal possession and use of firearms and close loopholes, such as the gun show loophole, that give criminals easy access to guns.

Health

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding health.

1. Implement a universal healthcare program to guarantee coverage to all Americans, regardless of income.
- X

2. Expand eligibility for tax-free medical savings accounts.
- No Answer

3. Allow the importation of prescription drugs into the United States.
- X

4. Support expanding prescription drug coverage under Medicare.
- X

5. Offer tax credits to individuals and small businesses to offset the cost of insurance coverage.
- X

6. Support expanding child healthcare programs.
- X

7. Providing healthcare is not a responsibility of the federal government.
- No Answer

8. Other or expanded principles
- I have introduced bipartisan legislation backed by business and labor groups to make health insurance more affordable for small businesses and the self-employed by creating purchasing pools with a choice of private health plans, along with tax credits for businesses willing to help pay for coverage. I have worked to increase funding for food safety, medical research, and programs to address the shortage of nurses. I have proposed legislation to give Medicare beneficiaries the choice of enrolling in a Medicare-administered drug plan for which Medicare negotiates with drug companies for lower prices.

Immigration

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding immigration.

1. Decrease the number of legal immigrants allowed into the country.
- No Answer

2. Establish English as the official national language.
- No Answer

3. Support a temporary worker program.
- No Answer

4. Support harsher financial punishments for those who knowingly employ illegal immigrants.
- X

5. Support amnesty for illegal immigrants already working in the United States.
- No Answer

6. Illegal immigrants should have to return to their countries of origin before being considered for citizenship.
- No Answer

7. Illegal immigrants should be given a pathway to citizenship.
- X

8. Support merit-based visas over family-based visas.
- No Answer

9. Other or expanded principles
- We must fix our broken immigration system. I support comprehensive reform that is tough, realistic, and consistent with our moral values. We should strengthen our border security by increasing manpower and technology, punish employers who undercut American workers by hiring undocumented workers, and provide a path to legal status for those who work hard and demonstrate a long-term commitment to be law-abiding citizens. They should be required to pass a background check, pay fines and back taxes, pass a medical exam, learn English, and go to the back of the line behind all applicants already waiting for green cards.

International Aid, International Policy, and International Trade

International Aid

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding international aid.

1. Support the United States granting aid to countries when extraordinary circumstances cause disaster and threaten civilian lives.
- X

2. Support the United States granting aid to countries when it is in the security interests of the United States.
- X

3. Eliminate United States aid for any nation with documented human rights abuses.
- No Answer

4. Aid granted by the United States should be scaled back and eventually eliminated.
- No Answer

5. Other or expanded principles
- Aid should focus on education and other efforts to help the world's poorest children, addressing AIDS and other health care problems that cross borders, peacekeeping, and efforts to encourage democracy and sustainable development. These efforts are an important way that we promote American values. Where a government is guilty of documented human rights abuses, it is appropriate to consider humanitarian aid that can be provided to the neediest people without providing support to the regime committing the abuses.

International Policy

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding international policy.

1. Should the United States continue to provide leadership in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process?
- Yes

2. Should the United States support the creation of a Palestinian state?
- Yes

3. Should the United States impose greater international sanctions on Iran if it continues to defy United Nations mandates?
- Yes

4. Should the United States support the Lebanese government against insurgent forces?
- Yes

5. Should the United States maintain its troop levels in Iraq?
- No

6. Should the United States withdraw its troops from Iraq?
- No Answer

7. Discuss your proposals for Iraq.
- I voted against going to war in Iraq. I support legislation that would begin a phased redeployment of our troops in a safe and orderly fashion, leaving a tactical force to protect U.S. assets and personnel, engage in limited missions against al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups, and train Iraqi security forces. Our troops have done everything we have asked of them and I have worked hard to improve the services provided to our veterans when they return home, including a recently enacted program to identify and treat those who have suffered from traumatic brain injury.

8. Should the United States apply greater economic and diplomatic sanctions against North Korea if it fails to abide by its agreement to suspend its nuclear program?
- Yes

9. Should the United States increase financial support for Afghanistan?
- Yes

10. Should the United States increase military support for Afghanistan?
- Yes

11. Should the United States trade nuclear fuel to India for civilian purposes?
- Yes

12. Should the United States decrease financial support for Pakistan?
- No Answer

13. Should the United States decrease military support for Pakistan?
- Yes

14. Should the United States be involved in bringing an end to the violence in Darfur, Sudan?
- Yes

15. Should the United States be involved in bringing an end to the violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo?
- Yes

16. Should the United States provide economic and military support to the Transitional Government of Somalia?
- Yes

17. Should the United States use sanctions to encourage the government of Zimbabwe to end its human rights abuses?
- Yes

18. Should the United States support the creation of an independent nation of Kosovo?
- Yes

19. Other or expanded principles
- Regarding Pakistan, the United States should continue to provide support to fight Al Qaeda and the Taliban along Pakistan's border with Afghanistan. We should continue to support humanitarian and democratic development programs in Pakistan. However, additional assistance should be evaluated based on Pakistan's cooperation in fighting terrorism on its borders, respect for the democratic process, freeing of political prisoners, and respect for the independence of the judiciary.

International Trade

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding international trade.

1. Do you support the United States imposing economic sanctions on China?
- No Answer

2. Do you support the United States imposing trade sanctions on Venezuela?
- No Answer

3. Do you support the United States involvement in free trade agreements?
- No Answer

4. Do you support the United States involvement in intergovernmental organizations dedicated to trade?
- Yes

5. Other or expanded principles
- U.S. involvement in trade agreements should be based on what is best for American workers. Exports are important to the Illinois economy. Our trading partners should be required to meet labor and environmental standards and protect human rights to ensure that their trade is fair. We must enforce our trade laws and assist Americans whose jobs are affected by imports. We should continue to press China to stop manipulating its currency and to provide greater labor rights and political freedoms. With regard to Venezuela, sanctions are an option if Venezuela's leadership is involved in destabilizing activities in the region.

National Security

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding national security.

1. Do you support using military tribunals to try suspected terrorists when ordinary civilian courts are deemed inappropriate or impractical?
- Yes

2. Should law enforcement agencies have greater discretion to monitor domestic communications, to prevent future terrorist attacks?
- No

3. Should the United States hold foreign states accountable for terrorists who operate in their country?
- Yes

4. Should the federal government increase funding to states and cities for homeland security?
- Yes

5. Do you support pre-emptive military strikes against countries deemed to be a threat to United States national security?
- No Answer

6. Do you support the creation of a federal identification card system?
- No Answer

7. Do you support long-term use of National Guard troops to supplement the armed forces in assignments overseas?
- No Answer

8. Should the United States expand its missile defense shield?
- No

9. Other or expanded principles
- (a) I support military commissions in limited circumstances if they comply with the Constitution and our treaty obligations. (b) Wiretapping must be done in a manner that promotes our security while protecting the privacy of Americans under the Constitution. (e) Pre-emptive strikes should be limited to situations where there is an imminent threat and every other option has failed. (f) There are serious flaws in the Real ID law. (g) The National Guard plays an important role in our Armed Forces but frequent mobilizations have made it harder for the Guard to fulfill its domestic responsibilities.

Social

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding social issues.

1. Should same-sex couples be allowed to marry?
- No Answer

2. Do you support a federal constitutional amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman?
- No

3. Do you support federal funding for research on existing embryonic stem cell lines?
- Yes

4. Do you support federal funding to create lines of stem cells from new embryos?
- Yes

5. Should the federal government consider race and gender in government contracting decisions?
- Yes

6. Should the federal government continue affirmative action programs?
- Yes

7. Should the federal government regulate internet gambling?
- Yes

8. Other or expanded principles
- (a)/(b) Decisions about the legal status of marriage are made by the states. While I do not support same-sex marriage, I also do not support a Constitutional amendment either recognizing or prohibiting same-sex marriages as a national standard, and I oppose discrimination based on a person's sexual orientation. (c)/(d) I support federal funding for research on existing stem cell lines and new stem cell lines from embryos that would otherwise be discarded by in vitro fertilization clinics. (e)/(f) While some reform has been necessary, I support reasonable affirmative action programs promoting equal opportunity for qualified minorities and women, without quotas.

Social Security

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding Social Security.

1. Allow workers to invest a portion of their payroll tax in private accounts that they manage themselves.
- No Answer

2. Ensure the viability of Social Security by increasing the payroll tax.
- No Answer

3. Decrease benefits paid to retirees.
- No Answer

4. Support proportional increases of Social Security benefits based on the cost of living index.
- No Answer

5. Raise the retirement age for individual eligibility to receive full Social Security benefits.
- No Answer

6. Other or expanded principles
- I oppose efforts to privatize Social Security by diverting payroll taxes to individual accounts. I support making more modest changes in the near term to ensure the solvency of the Social Security trust fund for generations to come. In 1983, the Social Security system was about to run out of money and Medicare was projected to be insolvent by 1990. Incremental reforms have extended these programs and we can continue to extend their solvency without imposing extraordinary burdens on seniors who can least afford it.

Welfare and Poverty

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding welfare and poverty.

1. Require welfare recipients to spend at least 40 hours a week in a combination of work and training programs.
- No Answer

2. Continue to give states and local governments flexibility in and responsibility for welfare programs through federal block grants.
- X

3. Support housing assistance for welfare recipients.
- No Answer

4. Abolish all federal welfare programs.
- No Answer

5. Other or expanded principles
- I support efforts to expand educational opportunities, to provide work and training programs, and to provide child care and transportation assistance where it is needed to help make the transition from welfare to work. I also support nutrition programs to prevent hunger; programs to provide access to housing for low-income families and seniors, persons with disabilities, and persons with AIDS; and energy assistance for those struggling to pay skyrocketing utility bills.

Legislative Priorities

Please explain in a total of 100 words or less, your top two or three priorities if elected. If they require additional funding for implementation, please explain how you would obtain this funding.
- Families and individuals are increasingly feeling the squeeze as they pay more for energy and other costs. I am working to reduce energy prices and promote jobs that provide energy alternatives; provide greater access to affordable health insurance, starting with small businesses; help families afford college and reduce their textbook costs; and address the abuses by credit card companies that trap too many families in an endless cycle of debt. I am also working to make good on our nation's commitment to our veterans by helping them deal with the health issues they face when they return home.