In some ways, political decency is a sign of a healthy democracy, but in other ways, it is the cause of it.
Our political system has been bankrupted by the failures of Congress to act in ways that give meaning to the struggles our constituents endure.
The truth is that searching for our commonality instead of our differences could transform our dysfunctional politics.
In truth, ending DACA will cost us tens of thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in economic activity.
Each Dreamer in our country is more than a mere statistic; he or she is a proud American in everything but official documentation.
Illinois is home to a disproportionate share of Dreamers and would suffer a significant economic blow should they be compelled to leave.
There's another important reason not to send the Dreamers packing: they are essential to preserving the social insurance programs on which older Americans rely.
Our best path to economic growth and global competitiveness is to invest in our people - not to provide huge new tax breaks to special interests.
Cutting tax credits for education and training will result in more Americans working at minimum-wage jobs while U.S. companies go begging for the higher-paid skilled workers they need.
Our country's history is a generation-spanning journey to effectuate the notion that 'all men are created equal' for the members of our ever-expanding national family: women, African-Americans, Latinos, Asians, Catholics, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, gays and lesbians, the disabled, immigrants, and refugees.
America works best when we work together to expand the circle of inclusion.
Equality as a principle is at the heart of our democracy.
It is time to investigate Russian interference in our democracy and to address it in a manner that will help restore Americans' trust in their government.
When the chair of an investigating committee refuses to share vital findings or source information with any of his colleagues, his committee's ability to function has been fundamentally undermined.
Whenever the Congress represents the increasing diversity of the United States, that's a good thing.
I decided to run for Congress to get and keep people in the middle class.
When I was a young child, my parents came to America in search of a better life for them and their family.
My parents found good paying jobs, educated me and my brother in wonderful public schools, and entered the middle class.
Following well-established national security screening procedures and accurately informing Congress about them is not a joke or a political game. It is essential to guaranteeing that our national secrets are protected and to preventing possible blackmailing of key administration officials.
Before I was elected to Congress, I helped to create the public corruption unit in the office of Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan. Unfortunately, business was good. Among the usual suspects were government contracts steered to insiders - leaving Illinois taxpayers holding the bag.
