Our Daily Show Interview! Raja Krishnamoorthi Candidate (D) for US Senate
Get The Latest News!
Don't miss our top stories and need-to-know news everyday in your inbox.
ILLINOIS - Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D) is making a bid for the Senate.
Krishnamoorthi recently stopped by “Our Daily Show!” with C.J. Nasello to share more about his platform and his priorities if he wins the Senate seat. Currently serving the 8th Congressional District in Illinois, including parts of Chicago, Krishnamoorthi emphasized the importance of bipartisan efforts and his commitment to “less talk” and “more results.”
“I will take up the issue of trying to figure out how best I can take a leadership position on these issues and be effective. A long time ago in Washington, D.C., I decided, the main question you have to answer is, do you want to be viral or do you want to be effective?” he shared. “I decided I’d be effective. What that means to me is taking a principled stand on the issues, holding government accountable, but also seeing where there’s room for working with people on the other side.”
Krishnamoorthi was born in India. His family immigrated to the U.S. when he was 3 months old.
During the 1970s recession, his father lost his job, and it was through “the generosity of the American people” that the family survived. They moved into public housing and used food stamps so they could “live to fight another day.” Eventually, his father took a job in Peoria, where Krishnamoorthi spent most of his childhood.
“Every night at the dinner table, my father would say something like, ‘Think of the greatness of this country, and whatever you do, make sure it’s there for the next family who needs it,’” Krishnamoorthi remembered. “That became the north star of my personal compass, my mission statement, and my why. I’ve been pursuing that in Congress for the last ten years. Now, when the opportunity presented itself upon Dick Durbin’s retirement, I decided to seek a promotion and pursue that mission statement at a higher level and, hopefully, with a greater and wider impact.”
Krishnamoorthi acknowledged Durbin’s “legacy” and affirmed that, “as a son of downstate,” he will think of downstate Illinois when making decisions. He believes his stances are similar to Durbin’s, but he has a few different points of emphasis.
He said that he will “do everything [he] can to help Dreamers, but also fix our legal immigration system.” Additionally, career and technical education is important to Krishnamoorthi. He has authored legislation to modernize skills-based education, which he says has been “wildly successful” but “terribly underfunded.” This would remain a major focus for him.
As a beneficiary of food stamps, now known as SNAP benefits, Krishnamoorthi is interested in preserving this program and also implementing a universal free lunch program in Illinois schools.
He recognized that many people are struggling to afford “the staples of the American dream,” including housing. He has introduced legislation to provide $25,000 tax credits to first-time homebuyers, with the goal of making this even more attainable to teachers, childcare workers and first responders.
Krishnamoorthi said bipartisanship is important, and he noted that he has worked across the aisle to file legislation to provide more mental health support to healthcare workers and strengthen America’s national security.
He believes that the “MAGA far-right” is “actively cultivating certain white nationalist or extremist groups,” and he warned against extremist politics. He also argued for “accountability” for President Trump.
“We need to demand accountability from the Trump administration,” he said. “I actually have what I call a 17-point plan to kind of bring accountability to the Trump administration on a principled basis, whether it’s accountability for ICE, which I believe is acting with impunity, or reigning in the pardon power, which I believe has introduced a new form of corruption in the White House. We have to do those things, but at the same time, there is an opportunity to work with people across the aisle.”
As Krishnamoorthi prepares for the election, he emphasized that his goal is to engage with all politicians to take action for Illinois.
“I would hope to listen to my colleagues, tell them where my priorities are, and then find common ground,” he said. “Fortunately, I’ve had the chance to work with some of them from the House in the Senate, and hopefully I can build some more ties and actually get things done. At the end of the day, that’s what people want. They want results. They want less talk. They want more results.”
For more information about Raja Krishnamoorthi, visit his official website.
More like this:
