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Robin Kelly, Candidate for U.S. Senate in Illinois, responds to questionnaire
Robin Kelly, Candidate for U.S. Senate in Illinois, responds to questionnaire
Source: Capitol News Illinois
Why are you qualified to serve in the U.S. Senate?
I’m the granddaughter of a domestic worker who took her life’s savings to begin a small grocery store in her community—passing the store down to my father, who took great pride in helping families in need when they couldn’t afford groceries.
As a working mother, I put myself through college and have dedicated my career to service. Following in my family’s footsteps, I spent years as a mental health counselor and community advocate before deciding to run for office.
I’ve been in Congress for 12 and a half years. I have the largest Democratic district in the state, representing urban, suburban, and rural communities. I’ve passed meaningful legislation on gun safety and health care under President Barack Obama, under Donald Trump, and under President Biden.
I am running for Senate to make life more affordable for Illinoisans. I know what matters to you, because I know what it means to struggle. And right now, our state is facing an affordability crisis.
I’m clear-eyed about who’s responsible: Republicans in power and their billionaire backers who have rigged the economy to ensure they get to call the shots—while families get squeezed. As the next U.S. Senator from Illinois, I’ll work every single day to hold them accountable.
I’m the only candidate in this race who took on the NRA, took on the health insurance industry, took on political machines, and won.
My People Over Profits platform is focused on addressing the costs that keep us up at night by making billionaires pay their fair share: strengthening social security while keeping it solvent, capping childcare costs, raising the wage for workers and making Medicare for All the law of the land.
People want more than a fighter. They want a winner. I’ll continue that winning streak in the U.S. Senate. You can learn more about me at robinforsenate.com.
What is the top issue facing the people of Illinois that Congress needs to address?
We are facing an affordability crisis. Everything costs too much. Illinois families have never had to do more with less, and instead of focusing on solutions that will make life easier and more affordable for Americans, Donald Trump and his MAGA GOP allies in Washington are playing dictator and threatening to invade American cities.
We need more voices in the United States Senate focused on what truly matters: the issues keeping Americans up at night. I’m running on a People Over Profits platform that is focused on addressing the affordability crisis affecting people across Illinois.
The fight for affordability is the fight for dignity— in health care, housing, child care, and everyday life. We need leaders with the courage to be bold and truly fight for workers and families across Illinois and our country— that begins with finally making the wealthy and well-connected pay their fair share. I believe that means we should do things like:
Tax billionaires;
Raise wages;
Cap childcare costs; and
Provide Medicare for all.
I also believe what ICE is doing to our communities is an outrage and that the American people have had enough of ICE’s unconstitutional and un-American reign of terror. This is why I filed impeachment articles against DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and currently have nearly 190 cosponsors signed on to support this effort.
The cost of living is a top concern for voters. Briefly name three things you would do to make life more affordable for people:
We need more voices in the United States Senate focused on what truly matters: the issues keeping Americans up at night. I’m running on a People Over Profits platform that is focused on addressing the affordability crisis affecting people across Illinois.
The fight for affordability is the fight for dignity— in health care, housing, child care, and everyday life. We need leaders with the courage to be bold and truly fight for workers and families across Illinois and our country— that begins with finally making the wealthy and well-connected pay their fair share. I believe that means we should do things like:
Raise wages;
Cap childcare costs; and
Provide Medicare for all.
What role do you believe the U.S. should play to help end the war in Ukraine? More broadly, what role should the U.S. play in NATO?
We need peace in Ukraine, and we should fully support Ukrainians to ensure they do not lose any land, rights, or freedoms to Putin. My mother’s side of the family is Ukrainian, so this is personal for me. NATO was created to counter the security threat posed by the Soviet Union during the Cold War, and Russia remains a current threat. NATO has strengthened alliances around the globe. The U.S. needs to be an active, engaged member of NATO. Trump’s plan to steal Greenland and his many damaging actions across the world have threatened to undermine the NATO Alliance. We are the only country to invoke Article 5, and we must stand by our European allies as they face renewed threats from Putin’s Russia.
Multiple presidents, including President Donald Trump, have taken military action without approval from Congress. Should Congress make any changes to the War Powers Resolution? If so, what?
Our standing and reputation in the world is severely diminished because of Donald Trump and must be restored. He is damaging global relationships with unilateral actions in other countries and by imposing tariffs on his supposed enemies. We also have distrust at home. Americans don’t want wars with Venezuela or for the president to steal Greenland. They want access to healthcare and an affordable way of life.
This must be resolved immediately. Trump has proven that democratic norms do not apply or matter to him. We need to codify into law the post-Watergate guardrails that separate the White House from having direct control over the Department of Justice. We need a coequal branch of government. For too long, Congress has turned over power and responsibility to the Executive Branch. If our democracy is to endure, Congress must reassert its Article 1 authority.
Rising costs of health care premiums have been a key issue in recent government funding negotiations. What do you believe is the solution to bring down the cost of health care?
People are paying too much for healthcare. I will never give up fighting for all Americans to have access to quality care. As a member of the Medicare for All Caucus, I am working to make Medicare for All the law of the land.
I will continue to build on my maternal healthcare work. I’m proud to have introduced the first comprehensive maternal healthcare bill in Congress, and was able to pass into law an extension from 60 days to one year for Medicaid postpartum care. I recently introduced the WELLS Act, named in honor of my constituent Mercedes Wells, who was forced to give birth in her truck after being discharged from a hospital. The bill urges hospitals and birthing centers to develop and implement a safe discharge plan.
Additionally, I will continue the push for increased access to dental care and lower drug costs.
How would you serve as a check on the power of the president and federal agencies?
Trump has proven that democratic norms do not apply or matter to him. We need to codify into law the post-Watergate guardrails that separate the White House from having direct control over the Department of Justice. We also need a coequal branch of government. For too long, Congress has turned over power and responsibility over to the Executive Branch. If our democracy is to endure, Congress must reassert its Article 1 authority.
I believe Trump is worried about Democrats picking up seats in the 2026 election. We know he still believes he won the 2020 election. I fear that Trump and his minions will do anything they can to ensure they never leave office, and there will never be another election. Presidential pardon powers must be reined in.
With midterms approaching, voters must hold all their lawmakers accountable. Trump’s next move will be to disenfranchise as many voters as possible, which is why we must continue to defend the right to vote zealously. Trump’s focus has not been aligned with the issues families are facing in Illinois: inflation, jobs, and rising health care costs. He does not care about what the American people need. Instead, he continues to divert the public’s attention by invading American cities and attacking sovereign nations without Congressional authorization. As the average American still struggles to make ends meet, we must be prepared to hold Trump and his congressional enablers accountable by exercising our right to vote.
Outgoing Sen. Dick Durbin has long championed a pathway to citizenship for people brought to the U.S. as children. What immigration-related measures would you seek to advance?
Trump’s enforcement measures are un-American and unconstitutional. I believe ICE should be dismantled and rebuilt from the ground up. We need secure borders, and we need to look at an overhaul of the entire immigration system – not just ICE. We need more than campaign slogans. We need real plans. The entire Department of Homeland Security needs an evaluation – a look at training, how we treat asylum seekers, and how we make Dreamers U.S. citizens.
Operation Midway Blitz tore apart Chicagoland communities and families, terrorizing the city and suburbs. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and her federal agents wreaked havoc on my district and constituents in particular. They landed Black Hawk helicopters on apartment buildings and ripped American citizens from their homes. I told my constituents and Chicagoans that I would fight against Secretary Noem’s agenda, and I am fighting back.
I filed Articles of Impeachment against Kristi Noem because I’ve had enough with her reckless abandon for the Constitution, decency, and the rule of law. Nearly 190 cosponsors have signed on to support the impeachment of Kristi Noem. Illinoisans and Americans across the country have been disgusted by Secretary Noem’s actions.
People have had enough.
Kristi Noem has turned ICE into a rogue force, violating the Constitution, tearing families apart, and leaving death in her wake from Chicago to Minneapolis.
This isn’t just dangerous—it’s impeachable. Kristi Noem is a disgrace to our democracy, and I am impeaching her for obstruction of Congress, violation of public trust, and self-dealing.
Do you support the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement tactics? If not, what would you do as a senator, and what are you doing as a candidate to address the issue?
No, I do not. Trump’s enforcement measures are un-American and unconstitutional. I believe ICE should be dismantled and rebuilt from the ground up. We need secure borders, and we need to look at an overhaul of the entire immigration system – not just ICE. We need more than campaign slogans. We need real plans. The entire Department of Homeland Security needs an evaluation – a look at training, how we treat asylum seekers, and how we make Dreamers U.S. citizens.
Operation Midway Blitz tore apart Chicagoland communities and families, terrorizing the city and suburbs. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and her federal agents wreaked havoc on my district and constituents in particular. They landed Black Hawk helicopters on apartment buildings and ripped American citizens from their homes. I told my constituents and Chicagoans that I would fight against Secretary Noem’s agenda, and I am fighting back.
I filed Articles of Impeachment against Kristi Noem because I’ve had enough with her reckless abandon for the Constitution, decency, and the rule of law. Nearly 190 co-sponsors have signed on to support the impeachment of Kristi Noem. Illinoisans and Americans across the country have been disgusted by Secretary Noem’s actions.
People have had enough.
Political violence has escalated in America. As a candidate for office, how are you helping to foster a climate of peaceful dialogue and disagreement?
The mantra in my office is that everyone is heard and treated with respect. This carries over into my political operations and how I live my life. I have a proven track record in Congress and a reputation as a team player. I reach across the aisle to get things done for Illinois. I don’t let political disagreement impede progress.
I encourage people to peacefully show up, speak up, and stand up to make their voices heard. I lead by that example. In responding to the atrocities ICE has brought on Chicago and American cities, I ask people to protest peacefully and not to take the bait. I ask them not to engage in potentially dangerous back-and-forth. I ask people to use their voices in a peaceful and effective way.
Polls show threats to democracy are one of the top concerns for voters. What are some ways you would seek to strengthen democracy?
Wherever I travel in Illinois, I ask people to not grow weary. I implore people to not stay on the sidelines. We need every voice possible to ensure our democracy does not die under Donald Trump. And he has more than tried to push us over the edge. I encourage people to peacefully show up, speak up, and stand up to make their voices heard. I lead by that example. I encourage people to vote.
What are your views on artificial intelligence? Do you think the government has a role in regulating AI? If so, how?
As a member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and a member of the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, I have both the benefits and dangers of technology top of mind. In Congress, I am committed to promoting technology policies that are in the best interest of all Illinoisans, including ensuring American workers are prepared to work with Artificial Intelligence (AI) and use it as a positive tool. I spent over a year working in a bipartisan fashion to publish five white papers on AI and how Congress should approach the issue. We need to ensure the US stays the leader in AI, while protecting civil liberties and ensuring that real world discrimination is not coded into AI.