1. What experience will you bring that has prepared you to be a strong Member of Congress?
For the past 13 years as a state legislator, I have demonstrated a track record of effectiveness, passing nearly 200 laws and securing over $21 million in grant funding for essential local non-profits and social service agencies. My work has earned me the Legislator of the Year title from over a dozen organizations focused on key issues such as expanding mental healthcare, protecting the environment, and ensuring disability rights. I am proud to have built broad and effective coalitions to achieve real progress for my district, and I am committed to bringing that same determination and proven effectiveness to Washington.
2. Do you have a connection to the Asian American community in the 9th District? If so, can you share about that connection?
Having served as a state legislator and represented a diverse district for 13 years, I have established strong connections with the Asian American community. My office has consistently engaged with Asian American organizations, including providing assistance in securing state or federal grant funding for several. I am also an active participant in many Asian American community functions. These have included celebrating the Lunar New Year, attending the Skokie Festival of Cultures, speaking at the inauguration of the new President of the Korean American Association of Chicago, participating in ribbon cuttings for Asian American businesses, and meeting with Consulates from Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea.
3. What is your number one priority if elected?
Families across America are struggling daily under the weight of unacceptably high grocery prices and overall inflation. Addressing this financial strain is my main priority, requiring an all-of-government approach. We must immediately work to lower costs by reversing harmful policies, such as rolling back tariffs, and simultaneously focus on reducing the cost of essential services like healthcare, childcare, and housing, while also increasing the minimum wage.
4. If elected, how will you address the rising costs of groceries, utility bills, housing and other essential needs?
In Congress, I would continue the work I’ve been doing in Springfield: fighting to lower everyday costs by strengthening consumer protections, cracking down on price gouging, and investing in energy efficiency to reduce utility bills. I’d also support policies that expand affordable housing, stabilize rents, and increase housing supply near jobs and transit. At the same time, I’d work to raise wages and expand tax credits (like the Earned Income Tax Credit) and assistance so families can keep up with the real cost of living.
5. What will you do to ensure every person has access to quality and affordable healthcare?
Our immediate priorities are to restore the ACA subsidies and reverse the Medicaid cuts to guarantee continued access to affordable healthcare. Following these critical steps, we must pursue a Medicare for All/Single-Payer healthcare system. This will eliminate medical bankruptcy, enhance patient choice and access to quality care, and control prescription drug costs nationwide.
6. Do you support a pathway to citizenship for all 11 million undocumented immigrants? If yes, what will you do to make the pathway a reality?
The current immigration system is built on delay and cruelty, and we need to reform it to a system built on compassion and clarity. I would support an immigration system that shortens wait times for green cards and work authorizations, increases the amount of immigration judges to process asylum and refugee claims, and a system that provides a clear, achievable path to citizenship.
7. How would you increase language access to federal offices such as unemployment and social security, particularly for Asian American immigrants?
To improve accessibility for Asian Americans, I would implement a three-pronged approach:
- Enhance Language Access: Increase multilingual staffing and provide on-demand interpretation, both in person and by phone, focusing on commonly spoken Asian languages.
- Ensure Clear Communication: Translate all federal forms, notices, and online portals accurately into plain language. Community oversight will be used to ensure translations are effective and catch any gaps.
- Strengthen Community Partnerships: Collaborate with trusted Asian American community organizations for outreach, navigation assistance, and feedback. This ensures that federal services are user-friendly and truly meet the needs of the community.
8. How would you address the issues of the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Do you support abolishing ICE?
Yes, I support abolishing ICE. ICE agents have too often operated in our communities using fear, intimidation, and sometimes violence. It is deeply concerning that more than 12,000 new agents recently hired have only an average of 47 days of training before being deployed. This is why, in Springfield, I filed legislation that prevents ICE agents hired under this administration’s reign of terror from being hired by law enforcement in the state of Illinois.
9. Gun control has been an intractable issue in Congress. What would you do to move the issue forward?
In Illinois, I’ve spent thirteen years leading the charge to pass some of the toughest gun safety laws in the nation—from banning assault weapons and “ghost guns” to the recently enacted Safe Gun Storage Act that took effect this January. We must move beyond a patchwork of state regulations and establish a comprehensive federal framework that mirrors the successes we’ve achieved in Springfield. As your representative, I will fight for a mandatory federal 7-day waiting period on all gun purchases, ammunition purchase limits, mandated annual safety training, and a massive expansion of mental health services. I will engage with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to achieve meaningful progress on this important issue.