Raja Krishnamoorthi: 2024 candidate for U.S. House 8th District Representative

Bio

Party: Democrat

Office Sought: U.S. House 8th District

City: Schaumburg

Age: 51

Occupation: U.S. Congressman

Previous offices held: Congressman of Illinois' 8th Congressional District since 2017

What must be done to achieve a consistent national policy on immigration, not just in terms of what such a policy should be but also in terms of getting a policy through the Senate?

Our immigration system is broken and must be reformed. This Congress, I supported the strongest border security bill in decades, which was developed on a bipartisan basis. Unfortunately, it was blocked from passage in the Senate by former President Trump who urged Republicans to vote against it to prevent a “victory” for President Biden.

This was an egregious example of putting politics ahead of what’s best for the country. I hope we will try again to pass it in the next Congress, regardless of who is president.

As the son of legal immigrants to the U.S., I am a champion in Congress for reforming our legal immigration system, which is hopelessly backlogged. This is unfair to those immigrants seeking to follow our laws while denying the U.S. their talents and abilities.

Some Republicans have said they will not address the legal immigration system until the border crisis is resolved. I believe that we must do both and will continue to push in Congress to get both done

Do you believe the nation's election system and those of the individual states are secure and fair? If not, what must be done to improve them?

Our elections are fundamentally fair, though we must continue to do everything in our power to limit foreign election interference from adversaries like Russia and China, while fighting voter suppression or intimidation in some of the states.

In Congress, I have supported the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act — landmark legislation to protect the rights of all legally eligible voters.

The legislation requires the Department of Justice to review voting law changes in jurisdictions with a history of discrimination, thus repairing the U.S. Supreme Court’s misguided gutting of the historic Voting Rights Act.

As a member of the House Intelligence Committee, I am monitoring ongoing efforts by our intelligence and law enforcement agencies to prevent foreign efforts to interfere in the November election through hacking and misinformation campaigns.

What responsibilities does the United States have toward achieving peace in the Middle East? Do you support a two-state solution?

Securing a just, lasting, and comprehensive peace in the Middle East has been a long-standing goal of presidents of both parties and remains a cornerstone of our foreign policy.

When it comes to the military aid that we provide Israel, it's in America’s interests to support Israel’s defense, including against Hamas, Iran, and Hezbollah. Israel is the only true democracy in the Middle East and together, we share intelligence, fight terrorism, and keep a check on Iran.

While Hamas must be held accountable for its barbaric attack on Israel on Oct. 7, we must also ensure that innocent lives in Gaza are spared.

Congress must continue to support Middle East Partnership for Peace Act programs, which promote economic cooperation and advance dialogue and reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians. A two-state solution is the only means to end the cycle of violence.

I am extremely concerned about PM Netanyahu repeatedly rejecting the U.S.’s calls for a two-state solution.

Do you think the United States is providing adequate support for Ukraine? Should the U.S. support Ukraine’s efforts to join NATO?

Putin’s unprovoked and criminal attack on Ukraine is really an attack on democratic governments and a rules-based international order. The U.S. Congress has been too slow in approving additional assistance for Ukraine to defend itself, and we must work with our allies and partners to support Ukraine with the weapons and resources it needs against Russia’s war of aggression.

In Congress, I recently led a bipartisan letter in support of removing Russia from the U.N. Human Rights Council, and also led an effort to support robust funding for the Department of Justice’s Task Force KleptoCapture, which investigates and seizes assets of Russian oligarchs seeking to evade sanctions.

The United States has been a leader in mobilizing multilateral aid for Ukraine, including advanced weaponry, training, and intelligence support, which have enhanced its military effectiveness and resilience on the battlefield. The U.S. should continue to support Ukraine’s efforts to become closer to NATO.

How do you perceive the financial health of Social Security and Medicare/Medicaid? To the degree you may see problems with these programs, what should be done about them?

Under the Biden-Harris administration, a strong economic recovery has helped extend Medicare solvency by a decade, but long-term solvency for these programs is still a concern. To that end, I support raising the income cap on Social Security taxes to increase tax fairness and the revenues flowing into the program.

With prescription drug costs comprising an ever-greater share of Medicare expenditures, I strongly supported the law that allows Medicare to negotiate drug prices with the pharmaceutical companies for the most utilized drugs under that program. Recently completed negotiations for 10 of those drugs will save $60 billion over the next 10 years.

I look forward to expanding the list of drugs subject to negotiations, which will save Medicare billions of dollars more in the coming decades.

How do you assess the state of the national economy? What should be done to make it stronger or more stable?

Despite the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the American economy remains the strongest in the world. However, housing, child care, and food costs are at levels that are unaffordable for many working families. Congress must work to bring those costs down.

In my speech to the Democratic National Convention, I stated that we must unify as a country relative to our biggest challenges. For example, we must prepare American workers for 21st century jobs by investing in career and technical education — particularly for the two-thirds of Americans who do not pursue a four-year college degree. Millions of good-paying jobs are vacant because we lack workers with the skills to fill them.

We must also make smart public investments in transportation and infrastructure. I voted for the successful Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and am proud to have secured millions in federal funds to benefit projects in my district. That is, in part, why 13 bipartisan mayors endorsed my re-election.

What personal qualifications do you bring that would make you an effective congressional representative in dealing with the issues the country will face in the next two years?

Growing up in a family that struggled to make it to the middle-class, I've fought to give other families the opportunity to succeed. In Congress, I've stood up to powerful interests, taking on the tobacco, pharmaceutical and tech industries, among others.

And I secured funding for numerous projects here in our community to improve our libraries, community colleges, Boys and Girls Clubs, and roads.

I am also the leading Democratic voice in the U.S. House in a bipartisan effort to win the strategic competition with China. I've worked closely and cooperatively with two Republican chairmen of that committee, which often has been cited as an island of bipartisanship and progress in a sea of partisanship and dysfunction.

In addition, my office recently closed our 11,000th constituent service case. Whether it is ensuring that seniors receive their Social Security checks on time or helping people secure visas to visit relatives abroad, my office is here to help those I was elected to serve.