Bill Foster, 11th Congressional District Democratic nominee profile

Candidate profile

Bill Foster

Running for: U.S. Congress, IL-11th District

Political party affiliation: Democrat

Political/civic background: Elected US Congress for IL-14 - 2008 to 2011, Elected US Congress for IL-11 2013 - present

Occupation:Congressman, Former Scientist and Businessman

Education:BS, University of Wisconsin, PhD, Harvard University

Campaign website: billfoster.com

Facebook: @RepBillFoster

Twitter:@Foster4Congress

The Chicago Sun-Times Editorial Board sent nominees for the U.S. House of Representatives a list of questions to find out their views on a range of important issues facing their districts, the state of Illinois and the country. Bill Foster submitted the following responses:

Are you satisfied with the federal government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic? Why or why not? What grade would you give President Donald Trump for his handling of the pandemic, and why?

The President and his administration have failed miserably to manage the coronavirus crisis and we are paying the price for their incompetence with the lives of our fellow citizens. It’s hard to overstate the scope of their failure. From the very first case of COVID-19 in the U.S., the President has been denying the science and pandering to conspiracy theories. The administration failed to set up a comprehensive system for testing and tracing and left states competing against each other for PPE. These failures undoubtedly contributed to the highest COVID-19 death toll of any country in the world.

The President and his administration failed the American people.

What should the federal government do to stimulate economic recovery from the pandemic shutdowns?

The need for aggressive federal action to mitigate the economic effects of this crisis are clear. We are facing the highest unemployment levels and worst GDP performance since the Great Depression. The economic strain is being felt by small business owners and workers whose jobs have been lost. Across the country, people are struggling to make ends meet.

Congress has taken aggressive action with the CARES Act, including direct payments to families, enhanced unemployment insurance, and the PPP loan program to help businesses keep employees on payroll. We need to do much more, however. The data suggests that the economy is still reeling, especially because of President Trump’s failure to manage the coronavirus crisis. I was proud to support the Heroes Act and vote for it in the House. This bold legislation would provide even more relief for hardworking American families and small businesses that are hurting. We cannot afford half-measures as we confront the worst economic crisis of our lifetimes. The Senate needs to do its job so that we can deliver additional relief to the American people.

In the wake of the death of George Floyd, President Trump signed an executive order on police reform. It calls for the creation of a database to track police officers with multiple instances of misconduct, federal grants to encourage police departments to meet higher certification standards on use of force, and the greater involvement of social workers and mental health professionals when the police respond to calls dealing with homelessness, mental illness and addiction. The order also calls for police departments to ban the use of chokeholds except when an officer feels his or her life is endangered. Will this be enough to address concerns about police brutality? If not, what other steps should be taken?

Frankly, the President’s executive order was a toothless attempt to seem like he was taking the issue of police brutality seriously. His order failed to address major issues like racial profiling and included nothing about holding abusive police officers accountable. The epidemic of ingrained racism in our criminal justice system and police brutality that disproportionately affects people of color requires bold solutions, not toothless half-measures. That’s why I was so proud to co-sponsor the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act which would provide meaningful, overdue reforms.

Also in the wake of the death of George Floyd, the House passed the Justice in Policing Act, which would ban police departments from using chokeholds, develop a national standard for use of force, limit the transfer of military weapons to police departments, define lynching as a federal hate crime, establish a national police misconduct registry, and limit qualified immunity, which protects officers from lawsuits over alleged misconduct. Do you support this legislation? Why or why not? What other steps, if any, would you like to see the federal government take on police reform?

I was proud to vote for the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. I am proud to stand with those calling for an end to racial injustice and systemic racial discrimination throughout society, and I am proud that the House took up legislation that includes meaningful reforms to enhance accountability and save lives. We have a lot of work to do to address systemic racism and discrimination and the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act was a strong first step, but it cannot be the end of the conversation. Each one of us, and especially those of us who hold elected office, have a responsibility to work to extinguish racism in the communities we represent.

We also need leadership from the President of the United States, not division and racist rhetoric. The American people want real change when it comes to the criminal justice system and the systemic racism that infects it. This should be a moment for our nation to heal centuries-old wounds and build a better future for our children.

What’s your view on President Trump’s decision to commute the sentence of Roger Stone?

One of the most consistent features of the Trump Presidency is his disrespect for the rule of law and abuses of power to benefit himself, his family, and his friends. The commutation of Roger Stone’s sentence was just more proof of that.

Bill Foster submitted the following responses before the March primary:

Please tell us about your civic work in the last two years, whether it’s legislation you have sponsored or other paid or volunteer work to improve your community.

This Congress I’ve been fortunate to be able to vote for a number of important bills that will make the lives of people in Illinois better. For ending discrimination against LGBTQ Americans, I voted for the historic Equality Act, H.R. 5. For the sacred right to vote, I voted for H.R. 4, the Voting Rights Advancement Act, to restore the Voting Rights Act’s power to combat the resurgence of partisan voter suppression across the nation. For our elections and democracy, I voted for H.R. 1, the For The People Act, the SAFE Act and SHIELD Act to strengthen our defenses against foreign attacks. And for seniors and families, I was proud to vote for landmark H.R. 3, to dramatically lower the cost of prescription drugs for Americans. These bills have all passed the House and await action in the Senate.

At home in Illinois, I’ve put a considerable amount of effort into two priorities; ensuring a fair and accurate count for the 2020 Census - which will determine everything from representation in Congress to crucial federal funding - and ensuring our local election infrastructure is secure.

Ensuring an accurate count in the 2020 Census is crucial to Illinois and to the 11^th District which contains a number of identified hard to count communities that require robust community engagement from trusted partners to make sure everyone is counted. The Chicago Regional Office of the US Census Bureau has provided excellent support for a number of events I have sponsored in the 11th District. The events included three well attended community briefings held in Aurora on July 27, 2018, Joliet on October 30, 2018 and a briefing focused on faith leaders in Naperville on January 22, 2019. My staff and I have worked with the Joliet Chamber to co-host a census event on August 30, 2019 and he attended a state leader hosted event in Aurora on September 7, 2019. Over the course of the last year, I have met with stakeholders, such as the Illinois Farm Bureau, Illinois Library Association and the Illinois Muslim Civic Commission, in his Washington and District offices to promote a complete count. I have worked hard in Congress to support fully fund the US Census Bureau operations and I recorded a message with Univision on October 30, 2019 to help spread the word about why an accurate count matters to our communities. In the months leading up to census day, April 1, 2020, the I am already scheduled to attend four census events and is looking forward to doing everything possible to make sure the 11^th District and all of Illinois receive the funding and representation it deserves.

Regardless of your political leanings, election security should be a priority. I have met with the County Clerks in DuPage and Will County where we discussed concerns about election security in light of Russian hacking into voter records in Illinois, local ballot access problems and the costs of up to date election equipment. On September 3, 2019 over 100 constituents attended my public event to discuss election security co-hosted by State Senator Laura Ellman. The Illinois Election Commission shared technical information related to the protections the state put into place to protect voter information and election results from hacking. The DuPage County Clerk shared grave concerns about the age of election equipment and the ability to staff the coming 2020 elections. The information shared was instructive for future action on the county, state and national level to make sure all eligible voters have access to the ballot and their vote is counted.

What areyour views on the decision by the U.S. House to impeach President Donald Trump? Has the impeachment process been fair or not? How so? If, in your view, the president should not have been impeached, would you have supported censure? Please explain.

I voted for both the Articles of Impeachment against President Trump on the Floor of the House of Representatives on December 18, 2019. After careful consideration of the evidence presented over months during the impeachment inquiry, I believe the facts are clear: President Trump abused the power of his office to pressure Ukraine to investigate his political opponent to benefit his re-election campaign. This represents a gross violation of his oath of office and the public trust. This was compounded by his refusal to produce relevant witnesses or documents to Congress as it pursued its constitutionally valid impeachment investigation.

How would you reduce the federal budget deficit, which now stands at about $1 trillion for 2020? What changes, if any, to the U.S. tax code do you support and why?

First, we need a fair tax code that does not deliberately disadvantage states like Illinois. I opposed the Republican tax bill because did not give relief to hardworking Americans. It massively increases the deficit and debt by giving unnecessary tax breaks to billionaires and international corporations and created over two trillion dollars in new debt future taxpayers will have to repay. As a businessman, I understand that we must have a strong middle class if we want a strong economy. Too many individuals struggle with record credit card debt and student loans that leave little room to save for the future. The Republican Tax Plan has only exacerbated these problems even as the stock market sees record highs.

The plan’s cap on the state and local tax (SALT) deduction specifically hurts one-third of Illinoisans. Illinois already loses tens of billions of dollars every year because we pay far more in federal taxes than we receive in federal spending and I was proud to vote to lift the SALT cap at the end of December this year.

The increase in stock prices and government debt from the Republican Tax Plan has not translated into gains for Main Street businesses and hardworking Americans. Both job creation and domestic business investment under President Trump are lower than they averaged during President Obama’s second term. Bank loans to Main Street businesses, which had been growing steadily during the recovery, flatlined after President Trump’s election. Benefits to the U.S. economy from the stock price bubble have been limited since a large fraction of the gains in the stock market go straight into the pockets of offshore investors. Simply put, this President and the Republican-led Congress have not represented the best interests of millions of Americans who deserve a better economy.

The Republican Tax Plan has mainly created a deficit-fueled bubble in the stock market. It’s not surprising that we would see a bubble from a corporate tax break, since the stock market valuations are a bet on future after-tax profitability. The tax bill also allowed corporations to bring back billions of dollars that were used for buybacks and dividends, rather than job-creating investments that would help hardworking Americans afford better lives for their families.

Medicare and Medicaid are major contributors to our long-term budget deficits, and chronic diseases like Diabetes and Alzheimer’s will constitute more than half of that spending. Through decades of federally-funded research, we may now be at the threshold of cures for these diseases. If a low-cost cure can be found for either of these, it will be transformative to the fiscal future of these essential programs.

What changes would you like to see made to our nation’s healthcare system? Would you shore up the Affordable Care Act or work to repeal it in full? What’s your view on Medicare for All? And what should be done, if anything, to bring down the cost of prescription drugs?

I believe that health care is a human right and that we should continue moving towards universal coverage. One of my proudest votes in Congress was for the Affordable Care Act in 2010. I support and have voted for a robust public option because he believes it is vital to provide people with a high-quality, low-cost coverage option that competes with private insurance plans. I remain committed to strengthening the ACA and ensuring that live-saving health care is available and affordable for everyone. Specifically, this should include continuing the ACA’s Medicaid expansion by further expanding coverage and eliminating means-testing, a gradual reduction of the age of eligibility for Medicare and reducing out-of-pocket costs by cost-reducing measures such as H.R. 3.

I continue to work in Congress to lower costs and improving the quality of health care in America. This year, I was the lead sponsor of an amendment that would allow HHS to integrate a unique patient identifier into electronic health record systems - a change that would save thousands of lives each year by preventing medical errors and save billions of dollars in health care costs. This policy would also prevent “doctor shopping” for opioids, since patients would be unable to go to multiple doctors to seek out additional opioid prescriptions. This offers a huge step forward in combating the prevalence of opioid addiction. My amendment successfully passed the House with a bipartisan vote in July.

Most recently, I was proud to vote for H.R. 3, the Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act which passed the House on December 12, 2019 and now awaits action in the Senate. There is no reason Americans should be forced to pay more than people in other countries for the same medication. H.R. 3 would offer major cost savings for more than 500,000 people in the 11th District who have private health insurance, and over 72,000 people enrolled in Medicare Part D. In addition, by allowing Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices, it will generate hundreds of billions of dollars in cost-savings that will be reinvested to expand Medicare to include vision, dental, and hearing coverage. It’s time that we put a stop to skyrocketing prescription drug prices that are devastating hardworking American families.

The Trump administration is awaiting a ruling from the Supreme Court as to whether it can end the DACA program — Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals — which shields young undocumented immigrants from deportation. Do you support or oppose DACA and why? Should a path to citizenship be created for the so-called DREAMers? Please explain.

I support DACA and will continue to work to create a path to citizenship for the DREAMers, who came to this country through no fault of their own. The United States is the only home many of them have ever known. In my district, they are community leaders and college students who contribute greatly to our country. One of my proudest votes was in favor of the DREAM act when it first passed the House in 2010.

President Trump’s decision to rescind protections to these young people is cruel and will have a devastating impact on the lives of the nearly 800,000 young people, over 42,000 in Illinois, who have benefitted from the DACA program. This decision will also greatly harm our economy. Studies have found that DREAMers add $460 billion of economic impact to our national GDP.

I strongly support comprehensive immigration reform that secures our borders, improves our legal immigration system, unites families, and provides an earned path to citizenship for the 11 million immigrants who currently live in fear of deportation. I regard it as a tragedy of history that the House of Representatives was not allowed to vote on the Comprehensive Immigration Reform bill the Senate passed in 2013. I was among those Democrats who were collecting private commitments from Republicans to vote for the CIR bill, and I believe that it would have passed by more than 30 votes if we had simply been allowed to vote on it.

Meanwhile, we need to do everything we can to protect these members of our society who are American in every way but on paper.

What are the three most important issues in your district on which the federal government can and should act?

I will continue my work to address the opioid crisis, bring needed infrastructure spending to Illinois, and protect the DREAMers.

The opioid crisis has ravaged communities across the country, and the Eleventh District of Illinois has been no exception. I have proposed policies that would expand the availability of naloxone and improve access to medical treatment for opioid dependency. I am proud that the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Lab in my district has helped us understand how addiction changes the brain, so we can treat opioid dependency as a medical condition - not a moral failure. We can help our friends and family who struggle with dependency recover and live full and productive lives when we recognize that they need medical treatment and have policies at the federal level that help them get that treatment.

I am also committed to fighting for infrastructure funding in my district. Illinois loses $40 billion each year to the federal government because we pay far more in federal dollars than we get back. Infrastructure spending is a major driver of this problem. I have introduced legislation that would change the formula for the allocation of highway funding to reflect a state’s population rather than merely carrying forward antiquated allocations, so that Illinois gets its fair share. We need to repair our roads and bridges that people use every day to get to work and school. We also need to widen I-80, a major thoroughfare for transnational shipping. This issue has become more important as Will County has developed into the largest inland port in the country.

I will continue my work to create a path to citizenship for the DREAMers, who came to this country through no fault of their own. The United States is the only home many of them have ever known. In my district, they are community leaders and college students who contribute greatly to our country. President Trump’s decision to rescind protections to these young people is cruel and will have a devastating impact on the lives of the nearly 800,000 young people, over 42,000 in Illinois, who have benefitted from the DACA program. This decision will also greatly harm our economy. Studies have found that DREAMers add $460 billion of economic impact to our national GDP.

As discussed above, I strongly support comprehensive immigration reform that secures our borders, improves our legal immigration system, unites families, and provides an earned path to citizenship for the 11 million immigrants who currently live in fear of deportation. An interesting first step was taken by the U.S. House on December 11 when we passed a bill that was essentially Comprehensive Immigration Reform for agricultural workers: a tough but fair path to citizenship for long-time agricultural workers and their families in exchange for a strong background check, a $1000 fine, continued good behavior, and other requirements. I was encouraged that many Republican members of Congress voted in favor of this legislation, including all but one of the Republican delegation from Illinois. I hope that the Senate will pass it, the President will sign it, and that this will become a model for expanding this approach to workers in other sectors of our economy.

What is the biggest difference between you and your opponent(s)?

I am a scientist and businessman - a combination we need more of in Congress to deal with the challenges we are facing today and the numerous technological and economic developments our country will face in the coming decades. The government should be leading the way forward with combating climate change and preparing for major economic shifts as automation and AI continue to take over large portions of the economy. As someone who created a small business and led it from early struggles to success, I understand what it takes for small businesses to succeed in our country. My background will allow me to continue being at the forefront of these discussions.

As the chair of the AI Task Force on the Financial Services Committee, I’m utilizing my unique background as the only Ph.D. physicist in Congress to deal with critical issues for the American public like data security and algorithmic racial and gender bias. My experience as a business owner also helps me understand how we can use AI to ensure small businesses have access to the capital they need to continue creating good paying jobs. This Task Force is a good example of how the government can be used to understand and proactively prepare for major economic shifts.

My background in physics also allows me to be a leader in the area of national security and nuclear nonproliferation. As the co-chair of the National Labs Caucus, I have led numerous delegation trips to our national labs to help other members of Congress understand the critical role our laboratories play in continuing the research that keeps Americans safe from current and future national security threats while also ensuring we are the leaders in technological innovation.

What action should Congress take, if any, to reduce gun violence?

It is a moral shame that we have so many ways to prevent gun violence in this country, but we have a Congress who has failed to do anything to protect Americans. I support and have voted for numerous pieces of federal legislation to strengthen gun laws and keep weapons out of the hands of people who should not have them. Americans deserve to live, work, and play in communities, homes, schools, and workplaces that are safe from anyone who wants to turn these places into a place of mass violence. I support a ban on assault weapons that are designed to kill as many people as possible in a short amount of time.

We also need universal background checks. Over 95 percent of Americans support legislation to require background checks for all gun buyers, whether they are purchasing a firearm from a gun store, a dealer, at a gun show, or on the internet. It is an abuse of our democracy by Republican leadership in Congress that we have not been allowed to even to vote on this critical safety measure for our children and all Americans. I also support a host of gun safety legislation including measures to raise the minimum age to purchase firearms from 18 to 21 and the Gun Violence Restraining Order Act, which provides tools to family members to prevent an individual who they fear is a danger to themselves or others from possessing a gun.

As the only PhD physicist in Congress, I also strongly believe that Congress should have the data it needs to make sound policy decisions to prevent gun violence. Congress recently passed legislation this spring to allow the Centers for Disease Control to conduct research on gun violence so we can know how to stop the traumatic effects it has on too many communities in the United States. I was proud to vote for the FY20 spending package which included federal funding for gun violence prevention research for the first time in decades.

Is climate change real? Is it significantly man-made? Is it a threat to humankind? What if anything should Congress and the federal government do about it?

As a scientist, I know that climate change is real and largely man-made. It is a real threat to our children’s future and our world’s natural beauty and resources. If we fail to act, we will lose many of the landmarks and natural beauty that make this world so wonderful. According to NASA, the average global temperature has increased by about 0.8 degrees Celsius or 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit since 1880. Even our military knows the extent of this threat. I was encouraged when Secretary Mattis signed a report acknowledging climate change as one of the greatest threats to our national security when he was still active-duty.

As a scientist, I believe that climate change is one of the most serious challenges we face, and we should be investing more into research to lower the costs of reliable, sustainable clean energy. As an example, decades of federally-funded research at Argonne National Lab and elsewhere has resulted in batteries with lower cost and far higher performance. As a result, in the next few years the total cost of ownership of electric cars will be lower than gasoline-powered cars. When this price crossover takes place, we will no longer need to be arguing about CAFE standards since nobody will want to buy a fossil fuel powered car. Most importantly, this technology will then be adopted by the rest of the world – dramatically lowering the carbon footprint of all mankind.

We also should be looking at technologies to clean pollutants already in the atmosphere. I believe that there is likely a technological solution that also makes economic sense. We do not have to choose between what is best for our planet’s future and what is best for our economy.

Unfortunately, the Trump Administration has kept scientific truth at arm’s length and has targeted science and research for deep cuts that would put our ability to address issues like climate change in jeopardy. Last year, President Trump issued an executive order aimed at undoing federal regulations intended to protect the environment. Perhaps most disturbing, was the decision to withdraw from the landmark Paris Climate Accords - a historic agreement by nearly 200 nations to cut down on carbon emissions and limit the rise of global temperatures.

This misguided decision on the Paris agreement represents an abdication of American leadership in the world.

What should Congress do to ensure the solvency of Social Security and Medicare?

I do not support any cuts to Social Security benefits. Like Medicare, we owe it to the individuals who worked their entire lives and paid into the system to make good on our promises. There is no easy fix for the rapidly rising cost of health care coupled with longer life expectancy and a stagnation of wages that have led to so many Americans being unprepared for retirement.

However, there are a few commonsense things Congress can do to improve the solvency of Social Security and Medicare. For Social Security, we can raise or eliminate the cap on income subject to the payroll tax, so highly paid individuals will also pay into the system based on their full income. For Medicare, we can invest more into research for diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease, two of the most expensive diseases to our health care system. If an inexpensive cure for either one of these can be found, it will largely solve the long-term solvency problems of Medicare. We can also promote the use of technology to support elderly remaining in their homes – and out of expensive care facilities – as long as possible.

On December 12, 2019 I was proud to vote for H.R. 3, the Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act which passed the House and now awaits action in the Senate. This bill would give Medicare the power to negotiate drug prices, saving Medicare billions of dollars and enabling us to expand Medicare to cover hearing, vision, and dental services.

What should Congress do to address the student loan crisis? Would you use the word “crisis”?

Education is a fundamental part of our society. Higher education allows our students to pursue their passions and build a life for themselves as they become adults. However, for too many Americans, the question of how to afford higher education is getting harder to answer. Today, cumulative student loan debt in the United States is more than $1.5 trillion among 44 million borrowers. Student loan debt is now the second-highest consumer debt category - behind only mortgage debt - and higher than both credit cards and auto loans. This is an undeniable crisis and we need to do better to protect and support our students.

We must prioritize education so that it is affordable and accessible to all students who want to go. In March, I cosponsored the Bank on Students Emergency Loan Refinancing Act which would allow undergraduate borrowers repaying public or private loans to refinance those loans at better rates than before. This would help students and families better afford the high costs of higher education.

An educated population makes our nation more innovative and more prosperous. And, access to education makes our society more equal for everyone. Our current system disproportionately affects students from low-income backgrounds. The high cost of college makes education far less attainable for low-income students than it does for the wealthy. This inequality in access and ability to afford education creates inequality in schools, which in turn creates inequality in the workforce. Let me be clear: Every student should have access to quality education that doesn’t depend on the zip code they grew up in or how wealthy their parents are. Financial aid, grants, and student loans help students further their education and we need to make sure it isn’t at the expense of assuming a crushing load of debt.

Another way I’m working to promote equal access to higher education is through my bill, the Second Chance for Students Act, which would allow students convicted of marijuana possession to retain financial aid eligibility for six months while they complete an approved drug rehabilitation program. Under current law, a student convicted of possession of even a minor amount of marijuana could lose their federal student aid for anywhere from one year to indefinitely. However, many states have legalized marijuana, including Illinois, and I don’t believe we prevent a student from completing his or her education because of something that two-thirds of the country (66%) believes should be legal.

We all benefit when smart, motivated young people chose to spend their time and talents in service to their fellow man through public service. Many of them are able to choose low-paying public service field because of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program which promises to forgive their student loans after ten years of service. I introduced the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Inclusion Act to ensure that those borrowers are not penalized for honest mistakes like choosing a repayment plan they did not know would disqualify them from having their loans forgiven.

What should our nation’s relationship be with Russia?

First and foremost, Russia must be held accountable for interfering in our elections and their continued assault on democratic governance around the world. They must be held responsible for violating international law and the Geneva conventions by invading and transferring population into conquered areas in Crimea and Western Ukraine. However, Trump’s unilateral “America first” policies have been singularly ineffective in bringing sufficient pressure to bear on Russia. Simultaneously, we must work together, along with our international partners, to solve critical global challenges, such as climate change, nuclear nonproliferation, and the rise of emerging technologies.

I believe that we should maintain contact with Russia in academic and scientific areas. At Fermilab, where I worked as a scientist for 23 years, we had a strong history of valuable collaboration with scientists, including Russians, even in the depths of the Cold War.

What’s your view on the use of tariffs in international commerce? Has President Trump imposed tariffs properly and effectively? Please explain.

In Illinois, we have a lot of hardworking Americans who rely on industries that will be adversely affected by workers who earn a living through domestic manufacturing. Our farmers rely on thoughtful government policies that keep foreign markets open to U.S. agricultural exports. The failure of the Trump administration to adopt coherent trade policies limits our potential for future economic growth and our role as a leader in the international community.

As an example of the thoughtless and disruptive nature of Trump’s tariffs, on a visit to Lyon LLC in Montgomery, I saw firsthand the effects that President Trump’s poorly thought out trade policies are having on businesses in our district. Lyon is a firm that manufactures lockers and metal products for schools and businesses. President Trump’s tariffs have been applied to the imported steel they use, but not to the steel content of competing manufactured products imported from China. This is one example of how President Trump’s tariff policies are creating a disincentive to manufacture in America that are only hurting American businesses and their ability to compete.

One area where I agree with the administration is in the need to continue to ratchet up pressure on China over intellectual property theft. However, this pressure would be much more effective if it is done in concert with other countries who are also being hurt by China’s abusive behavior. The president’s unilateral “go it alone” philosophy is much less effective than a multilateral approach would be, which ultimately hurts American workers and businesses.

Does the United States have a responsibility to promote democracy in other countries? Please explain.

Yes – Today, the United States remains a beacon of freedom and democracy around the world. As a nation that prides itself on democratic values and the rule of law, we must continue to utilize multilateralism and the international institutions created in the aftermath of the Second World War to promote human rights, peace, and security around the globe.

What should Congress do to limit the proliferation of nuclear arms?

The proliferation of nuclear weapons and materials remains one of the greatest threats to global security. Congress must act on the extension of the New Start Treaty and continue to support the indispensable work being done at our national laboratories and international institutions. That is why I’ve offered legislation that would bring attention to the essential role of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Another crucial thing that America can do is to continue to reduce the worldwide use of highly enriched “weapons grade” Uranium for uses in which low-enriched “non weapons grade” Uranium will suffice. This was supported by a letter signed by more than 30 Nobel Prize winners. In Congress I have personally been very active in promoting legislation and research to reduce the use of High Enriched Uranium in Space-Based reactors and in naval propulsion reactors.

It is also crucial that the United States rejoin the rest of the world in returning to and supporting the Iran Nuclear Deal.

Please list all relatives on public or campaign payrolls and their jobs on those payrolls.

None.

What historical figure from Illinois, other than Abraham Lincoln (because everybody’s big on Abe), do you most admire or draw inspiration from? Please explain.

Senator Paul Douglas, the liberal lion who represented Illinois in the U.S. Senate from 1949 to 1967. (Full disclosure: My parents met on Capitol Hill when Mom worked for Paul Douglas, and Dad worked for a different senator from Pennsylvania.)

Prior to his career in the Senate, Paul Douglas was a professor of economics at the University of Chicago who wrote one of the most influential economics papers of all time, introducing the Cobb-Douglas Production Function.

In its most standard form, the Cobb-Douglas Production Function is given by:

Y = AL^βK^α

Where:

● Y = total production (the real value of all goods produced in a year)

● L = labor input (the total number of person-hours worked in a year)

● K = capital input (a measure of all machinery, equipment, and buildings; the value of capital input divided by the price of capital)

● A = total factor productivity

● α and β are the output elasticities of capital and labor, respectively. These values are constants determined by available technology.

During the Financial Crisis, I served on the Financial Services Committee as we designed the legislation that rescued the economy and led to the longest period of economic growth in our nation’s history. One of our witnesses presented the results from macroeconomic models to estimate the results from various forms of economic stimulus packages. As part of responsible Congressional oversight, I asked to see the formulae and computer code behind these models. It turns out that, at the very heart of the macroeconomic models that are used today to manage our economy – including the Federal Reserve’s management of interest rates – is a generalized form of the Cobb Douglas Production Function.

So, 90 years after his paper was published, the academic work of Senator Paul Douglas was being used to rescue our economy and guide the ongoing economic recovery!

What’s your favorite TV, streaming or web-based show of all time. Why?

The original Star Trek, for the same reasons that President Obama loves that show.