Elected suburban reps say they will focus on affordability, ending war in next Congress

There comes a point after any election where the victors realize it’s time to stop celebrating and focus on governing.

Election Day was less than a week ago, and the members of the next Congress don’t take office until Jan. 3. But the representatives who’ll serve the North, West and Northwest suburbs for the next two years — all Democrats — already are thinking about the work ahead.

The Daily Herald spoke by phone and email with returning U.S. Reps. Brad Schneider of Highland Park, Sean Casten of Downers Grove, Lauren Underwood of Naperville and Mike Quigley of Chicago, as well as U.S. Reps.-elect Daniel Biss of Evanston and Melissa Bean of Barrington, about their legislative priorities for the 120th Congress.

Now that the Democrats will have control of both chambers, you have an opportunity to better shape Congress' political agenda. What should Congress' first legislative priority be and why?

Brad Schneider (10th District): I think the Democrats not only have an opportunity but a responsibility to lay out an agenda for the American people, to say ‘This is our vision to govern.’ … You’re going to see us focusing on tariffs. The Constitution clearly gives Congress the authority for tariffs. The Supreme Court told the president his actions were illegal. We’ll work to address the tariff tax that President (Donald) Trump has placed on American workers and families. That’s clearly one. Second is health care. The ACA premium supports to make health care affordable for more families, I think that’s a piece of it. I suspect you’ll see something with housing.

Daniel Biss (9th District): The first thing Congress should do is act to lower prices, and that starts with health care. On Jan. 1, millions of people are going to lose access to health care, and two days later the new Congress will be sworn in. Congress must act immediately to reverse the Obamacare subsidy cuts and harmful Medicaid work requirements in the short term while working toward Medicare for All in the long term.

Mike Quigley (5th District): The American people are sending a wave of new Democratic congressmembers to D.C. with a massive mandate and a clear message: end the war in Iran, increase affordability, and hold corrupt politicians accountable. On Jan. 4, I will walk into a new Democratic House majority ready to immediately get to work restoring funding to Medicaid, providing health care tax credits and repealing Trump's tariffs.

Sean Casten (6th District): Last Congress, I worked with Rep. Mike Levin to write the Energy Bills Relief Act — a consumer-focused approach to American energy policy. We currently have 163 cosponsors and are working to grow that number in the majority. It is my great hope that this bill will be a top legislative priority for the Congress next term. The American people deserve access to the most reliable and low-cost source of power available — renewable energy. That’s exactly what EBRA helps achieve.

Lauren Underwood (14th District): Restoring the ACA tax credits from my Health Care Affordability Act and lowering the cost of health care for the American people.

Do you expect Congress will quickly take action to end the war in Iran?

Bean (8th District): There have already been attempts to pass a War Powers Resolution in Congress limiting the president’s war in Iran that he started without Congressional authority. It is likely that the Democratic majorities in the House and Senate will get some version of that passed. I did not support the president’s war of choice with Iran. He entered into this war without Congressional approval, usurping Congress’ authority. Now, with no end in sight, this war is dangerous and costly for the American people, with higher gas and diesel prices every day, and an escalating deficit that will cost future generations too. … We can and must deter Iran from acquiring nuclear capabilities, but it must be done in coordination with Congress, regional allies, and with the safety of American service members and our national security interests at the forefront.

Biss: Yes. We should immediately pass a War Powers Resolution and cut funding for this disastrous war.

Schneider: I expect Congress will act to reclaim war powers. We’ve done it six or seven times in the 119th Congress; I imagine it’ll be one of the first things we do in the 120th Congress. Again, the Constitution only gives Congress the authority to declare war, and we need to exercise that authority and make sure we’re putting the interests of the American people front and center.

High prices are making regular expenses like rent, fuel and groceries unaffordable for countless Americans. What specifically should the next Congress do to address the current economic crunch?

Biss: Of course Congress should roll back Trump’s tariffs and end the war in Iran. But prices have been climbing for years, fueled by corporate consolidation and outsized corporate influence. Meanwhile, big corporations post record profits and consumers get squeezed. The federal government should crack down on price fixing, monopolies and other anti-competitive practices.

Casten: If we want to bring down the cost of gas and lower Americans’ utility bills, we should immediately take two steps. First, we should end the reckless war in Iran. The war is directly responsible for driving up the cost of oil and the price of gas. End the war. Second, not to sound like a broken record, but we need to pass the Energy Bills Relief Act. A nation that can provide electricity, heat and transportation without burning fossil fuels is also a nation that doesn’t have to pay for fossil fuels to deliver those services. If we pass EBRA, it will greatly expand access to affordable, reliable and renewable energy.

Underwood: House Democrats will take immediate action to lower costs for the American people, ending Donald Trump's war in Iran and his disastrous tariffs and trade war with our allies.

Do you expect the House to quickly investigate and impeach President Trump based on his actions during the first half of his second term? If so, what activities do you think are actionable?

Underwood: House Democrats will use the investigative powers our majority gives us to hold Donald Trump and his administration accountable from Day One.

Schneider: We need to directly go after the corruption of this administration. It’s unlike anything that we’ve seen in our history. … Those who abuse their role or access to power need to be held to account. And we need to restore people’s faith that the government is working for them and not just for the powerful and the rich.

Biss: The Trump Administration’s lawlessness over the past two years, especially by ICE and CBP, demands accountability. I support impeaching Trump, but it can’t stop there. Congress should also launch oversight investigations into officials like Pete Hegseth, Stephen Miller and Greg Bovino. Holding them accountable is how we make sure these abuses never happen again.

Bean: This president has already been impeached twice and he has certainly committed impeachable offenses. But what I’m hearing from voters is that they want to see Congress do the work and do our jobs. Our priority must be to deliver for the American people on the issues they care about — the cost of living, the accessibility of the American Dream, restoring health care, securing Social Security and more. Sadly, before we can do any of that, we're going to have to prioritize codifying what used to be presidential norms, congressional norms and maybe even Supreme Court norms into laws with real penalties. There used to be a thing called shame, and there were lows below which neither party would go, but that's no longer the case. So we're going to have to legally require ethical behavior to put an end to the flagrant disregard for the Constitution and the corruption that we've seen. … There will be investigations, oversight, and accountability — but we shouldn’t go from one retribution Congress to another. Our priority must be delivering on behalf of the American people.

rlissau@dailyherald.com