Mike Quigley: Candidate Profile

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Note: Answers provided have not been edited for grammar, misspellings or typos. In some instances, candidate claims that could not be immediately verified have been omitted. Jump to:BioQA Bio City: ChicagoWebsite: www.quigleyforcongress.comOffice sought: 5th District U.S. Representative Age: 55Family: My wife Barbara and I are proud to make our home in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood, where I have lived since 1982. We feel fortunate to have raised our daughters Alyson and Meghan here, though both girls are now college graduates, from Northwestern and Boston College respectively, and are out in the world building lives of their own.Occupation: Member of the United States House of RepresentativesEducation: I did my undergraduate work at Roosevelt University, earned a master's degree in public policy from the University of Chicago, and a law degree from the Loyola University School of Law, all in Chicago.Civic involvement: Public life is predicated on accessibility and transparency. Before being elected to Congress, I attended more than 2,400 public community meetings in and around Chicago. I remain committed to that principle and and have now attended more than 5,000 community meetings to date.Elected offices held: Immediately before being elected to Congress in 2009, I served as Cook County Commissioner for 10 years, where I sponsored every piece of major environmental legislation adopted by Cook County government and fought for transparency, accountability and fiscal sanity through a series of groundbreaking "Reinventing Government" reports.Questions Answers Many Americans see gridlock as the greatest problem facing Washington today, and public opinions are at historic lows regarding the job their Senators and congressmen are doing. Specifically, what will you do to make Congress more productive and effective?Quite simply, Congress can't lead effectively without the public's trust, which continues to erode thanks to partisan extremists who obstruct progress and force unprecedented gridlock in Washington. Americans are facing real problems that can only be solved when we are willing to work across the aisle with colleagues who are serious about getting things done. That's why I meet weekly with a group of Democrats and Republicans from across the country that are committed to taking on tough issues and finding common ground. I've also been proud to put bipartisan cooperation into practice by partnering on visa waiver legislation with Senator Mark Kirk, anti-corruption legislation with Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner, and a bill to dispose of unused federal property with Congressman Jason Chaffetz. I'm also a cofounder of the bipartisan House Transparency Caucus, which promotes policies that make government more accountable to the people.What immigration policies do you support? Where, if at all, do you see room for compromise to produce an effective policy on immigration? How will these policies have an impact in your district?America's strength as a nation is being jeopardized by our broken immigration system. We need comprehensive immigration reform that will secure our borders, grow our economy, and provide hardworking immigrants an earned pathway to citizenship. That's why I was proud to cosponsor the House companion to the bipartisan immigration bill that passed the Senate last year. An overwhelming majority of Americans support comprehensive immigration reform because they know it's the right thing to do for our economy. By growing our GDP, increasing government revenues, and reducing the federal deficit, immigration reform will provide a jolt to the American economy. Immigration reform is not a partisan issue with support from groups like labor unions and the Chamber of Commerce, law enforcement and civil liberties groups, and more than 200 bipartisan members of the House. It's time for Congress put politics aside and pass immigration reform.How do you assess the state of the federal budget? Do you see a need for changes in how revenue is produced or in spending priorities? What specific changes do you consider necessary regarding federal tax policy and practice?We need to streamline the federal budget for the 21st century, cutting spending where it makes sense, and investing in areas that will grow our economy, create jobs, and keep America secure at home and abroad. Reforming the budget responsibly requires a long term plan that tackles our debt and deficit with a combination of spending cuts and revenue increases but also makes smarter investments in areas like infrastructure, education and research. I have voted for budgets that address the problems we have with our debt but maintain investments in our future. I support comprehensive tax reform so that we can broaden the base by clearing out most of the special interest tax breaks that cost over a trillion in lost revenue annually. With that extra revenue, we can lower individualcirc;#160;rates and make smarter investments.How would you work to produce a stable, affordable, effective federal health care policy? What shortcomings do you see in the Affordable Care Act, and how do you propose addressing them? If you favor scrapping the Act altogether, what do you propose as an alternative?I voted for the Affordable Care Act because it includes vital reforms to our healthcare system that put power back in the hands of Americans, rather than insurance companies. The ACA ensures that nearly 50 million Americans who couldn't afford care or who were too ill to get coverage will now get the care they desperately need. Because of the ACA, insurance companies can no longer kick people off their insurance when they get sick and need it most; those with pre-existing conditions can no longer be denied coverage; insurance companies can no longer raise rates without justification; and seniors no longer have to choose between buying groceries and filling their prescriptions. Rather than voting to repeal the law, I'm committed to finding bipartisan solutions that will bring down healthcare costs even further while protecting the higher quality and affordability that the ACA created in the marketplace.What can be done at the federal level to aid Illinois' economy and your district in particular?Even as America's economy is steadily improving, we need to make smarter investments in areas like transportation infrastructure that will grow our economy and create jobs. For generations, this country's roads, rail and waterways served as the backbone of our economic success, but today our crumbling infrastructure is slowing economic growth and making it even harder for American businesses to compete in a modern global economy. Businesses need strong infrastructure to grow, and first-class infrastructure attracts first-class jobs. For every billion dollars we invest in our infrastructure, we create 30,000 new jobs. Nowhere are investments in infrastructure needed more than in Chicago. As a member of the House Appropriations Committee, I have made infrastructure investments a top priority, helping to bring much needed federal funding back to Chicago to improve suburban highways, our CTA and Metra systems and upgrade our local reservoirs to protect from future flooding issues.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?Two additional issues important to me are gun control and climate change. I've been a leader in Congress in the fight against illegal guns, pushing for commonsense reforms that keep weapons out of the hands of criminals and the mentally ill, require mandatory background checks for all gun sales, and limit the sale of assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. I've fought for a federal law that makes gun trafficking illegal and increases penalties for criminals caught trafficking guns across state lines. I've also pushed for a renewed effort at the federal level to prosecute gun crimes and helped secure additional funding to put more cops on our streets. Congress also has an urgent responsibility to stop the harmful effects of climate change. That's why I've supported higher automobile fuel efficiency standards, restrictions on carbon emissions at power plants ,and a national energy plan that supports additional renewable energy production.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Fellow congressman and civil rights leader John Lewis inspires me by continuing to find ways to fight racism and bigotry in all its forms.What's the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?My parents taught me that the most important thing you can do is provide a better opportunity in life for your kids.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?Sorry, there are no do-overs in life. We all have to do our best to get it right the first time.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?History because it teaches us that we can't understand current issues, like those in the Middle East, without understanding what came before them.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?As Atticus said to Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird: "You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view."