Jason's Agenda

Our workers deserve a raise. Too many people are unable to afford basic needs after a hard day's work. We need to restore the American Dream by making sure working hard guarantees that rent, groceries, and healthcare are paid for while still being able to save for retirement. As a business owner who has created tens of thousands of good-paying, union jobs, I know what it takes to deliver results for working families. 

Health care is a right, not a privilege, and the health of our most vulnerable communities certainly shouldn’t be a bargaining chip. Recent Medicare and Medicaid cuts have put seniors and working families who rely on safety net services at risk of losing life-saving health care. Throughout my work with Mount Sinai Hospital on the West Side, I’ve seen how strained our health care system is and how fully funding Medicaid, Medicare, and the Affordable Care Act saves lives. The residents of this district deserve health security, regardless of work or income. I will fight to protect these programs, lower prescription drug costs, and expand access to affordable, quality health care.

Hard-working families are being forced to choose between paying rent and buying groceries, and homeownership is out of reach for far too many. As a real estate professional, I know that the best way to reverse Chicago’s affordable housing crisis is to make it easier to build more quality housing.   

The Trump administration has made sweeping cuts to our public education system in critical departments like Special Education and has no intention to hit the brakes in its efforts to shut down the department entirely. I will fight not only to restore those cuts, but to set up federal protections that will prevent any future damage to our kids’ valuable education.

Every child should have access to a quality education, no matter your zip code. As a husband to a former CPS teacher, I’ve seen firsthand how important it is for public schools to have access to critical resources like technology, after school programs, school nurses and social workers, and libraries. I will fight for a well-funded public school system that gives every child in this district the quality education they deserve.

All families deserve access to quality, affordable childcare and early education to ease the burden on working parents through universal childcare. I will champion policies like cost caps, expansive funding sources through mixed-delivery systems, investment in child care workforce, and professional development for early educators.

For many students, pursuing a four-year degree means signing up for lifelong student debt. In Congress, I will fight to make higher education more affordable through initiatives like increasing access to federal student aid and stricter cost controls on colleges.

A college degree isn't the only road to a stable career. Trade programs offer quicker entry into the workforce, lower costs, and often guaranteed job placement. In Congress, I'll fight to expand access to low-to-no-cost trade programs that open doors to lasting financial security and fulfilling careers.

We can break the cycle of gun violence in our communities. I will fight for commonsense gun control like red flag law expansions, universal background checks, assault weapons bans, and safe storage laws. I will also fight to hold gun manufacturers and Republicans beholden to gun lobby donors accountable for the thousands of lives lost in this district because of their aggressive marketing tactics and contribution to the prevalence of gun violence.

Keeping our communities safe takes more than just gun control and policing - it means breaking the cycle of violent crime by getting at the root causes. Learning from local research institutions like the University of Chicago Crime Lab, I know that investing in community violence intervention programs, mental health and substance abuse support, and youth engagement has a lasting impact on keeping our kids and families safe.

Everyone deserves safe, reliable, and efficient infrastructure. From a safe transit system with dedicated law enforcement to uniformly well-lit sidewalks in every neighborhood to clean water, I will fight to make daily life safer and easier for our children and working families.  

The Trump administration has undone decades of progress in tackling the climate crisis through sweeping cuts to the EPA and regulations intended to protect our children and future generations from further harm. I will fight to restore the EPA to its full capacity and reengage the United States in global climate change solutions.  

Extreme flooding, lead-contaminated drinking water, and lethal levels of air pollution have reduced the life expectancy of families on the South and West Sides of the 7th District by 20 years compared to those in higher-income neighborhoods closer to Downtown. In Congress, I will fight to close this gap through investing in infrastructure modernization for our communities unjustly overburdened by climate-related public health crises.

Tackling the dangerous impacts of climate change requires a community-wide approach and long-term vision. In Congress, I will advocate for climate-friendly infrastructure improvements like zero-emission transit systems, urban agriculture installations, and clean energy transitions while at the same time creating more good-paying union jobs and investing in our community. 

Our children are already seeing the benefits and consequences of innovative technology like artificial intelligence, not to mention its impact on the economy and everyday Americans. I will advocate for thoughtful and forward-thinking AI development and digital asset regulation to protect American jobs, consumers, and privacy without stifling technological advancement. 

As Congressman, I will hold ICE leaders and agents accountable for their abuses, as well as all public officials in the Trump administration who participated in violence and abuse against our most vulnerable communities. More immediately, this includes requiring ICE agents to follow the same standards as local law enforcement, such as prohibiting face masks, mandating the use of body cameras and other identification, and enforcing due process for anyone detained by ICE. 

In Congress, I will leverage subpoena power to investigate and prosecute wrongdoing by Trump administration officials who directed the flagrant abuse of our communities. We must give power back to the rule of law, rolling back the false assertion that ICE agents and other DHS officials have complete immunity. Congressional Democrats will then refer our findings to the relevant authorities and ensure that ICE’s thugs get their day in court. 

I will fight for commonsense immigration reform that ensures dignity, humanity, and civil rights remain a priority for all, especially those in positions of leadership at the Department of Homeland Security. There must be wide pathways to legal status, including for DACA recipients and Dreamers, essential workers, long-term residents, and those seeking amnesty. We must also hire more asylum officers and immigration judges to reduce the more than three-million-case backlog.