thanks for joining us for a special edition of Chicago tonight.

I'm Brandis Friedman.

We are just over a week away from the Illinois primary election when the parties will determine who will run in November's general election.

>> Among the key races this year is the one to replace longtime U.S.

senator from Illinois, Durbin.

Durbin is retiring at the end of his term after serving in the Senate since 1997.

The next senator will inherit a large agenda with issues ranging from foreign policy and immigration to the economy and education.

We'll meet some of those candidates in tonight's program, which has always is streaming on our website as well as Facebook and YouTube Farrar Five-thirty broadcast the 1st half hour is on W T Tw and then we will continue exclusively online for another half hour again.

That means on our Web site W T Tw Dot Com and on Facebook and YouTube.

You can see the full hour on television at 10:00PM.

Joining us and introduced in alphabetical order.

Now are the leading Democratic candidate Congresswoman Robin Kelly who has represented Illinois second district since 2013.

That district covers parts of Chicago, sparse outside some southern suburbs and parts of Kankakee and will counties.

Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi who has represented Illinois's 8th district since 2017.

That district covers much of the northwest suburbs in Cook County as well as parts of DuPage and Kane counties.

And the Lieutenant Governor of Illinois, Juliana Stratton.

She has served in that position since 2019.

Now there are a number of additional candidates in the Democratic primary and there is a contested primary on the Republican side as well.

You can find out more about those candidates on our website.

That's at W T Tw dot com Slash voter guide.

Now a few things before we begin tonight, there will be no opening or closing statements.

Answers will not be timed.

I will use fairness as my guide.

This forum is to serve you our audience and we will try to get straight answers straight answers to questions about policy.

So I reserve the right to cut off the candidates if they start to filibuster or make political speeches.

Okay.

So with all of that out of the way, let's get to it.

Welcome to the 3 of you.

Thanks for joining So as we know, the U.S.

is now in its second week of conflict with Iran alongside Israel.

President Donald Trump has made several intervention related decisions in the region without congressional approval.

Last week.

Lieutenant Governor Stratton you pay and the president's decision to commit, quote, acts of war without authorization from Congress.

And you've said that you, quote, would not authorize Trump to get us into another forever war.

Would you eventually vote to authorize funding for continued military action in Iran?

And what do you think is the best way forward?

let's start with the fact that we have a president who routinely abuses his power.

>> He wakes up in the middle of the night, puts out a post on social media letting Americans know there's an act of war.

And I maintain the fact that I would not authorize president sending us into another forever war.

That's not what anybody is asking for.

Certainly not the people that I'm talking to every single day across Illinois who are looking for lower prices for their groceries, their utilities, bill, they want to make sure that they have access to health care.

That's what people want their leaders in Washington to be fighting for.

And so no, I do not believe this war is justified and I would not vote to authorize additional supplemental funding for this war to continue.

Congressman Krishnamurthy.

Well, I've voted last week for the war Powers resolution which would end hostilities right now.

And I think that that is >> incredibly important because it is illegal and unconstitutional.

What he has done, not only that, but there's no strategy.

There's no clear objective.

He said it was regime change.

The regime is not changing.

There's no timeline.

There's no exit strategy either.

And the costs are rising.

7 servicemen and women died.

And we see at the gas pump, the price of gas has gone up by more than $0.50 And so that's why in part, I'm calling for a release of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Oil Reserves to ease the burden on working families because they should not have to fund the costs of this.

Yet another forever war, which nobody wants.

Carson.

Kelly.

>> I-2 voted for the Law.

War Powers Act.

Absolutely ridiculous.

He did not come to us and get permission.

We're talking about an affordability issue and he's already spent 3.7 billion dollars and he seems determined to keep the war going in now saying that the parents of the fallen soldiers, they want me to go on that.

He said that, you know, in the speech and I would not vote for any more funding.

So both of you reference the resolution that would have ended military operations in Iran.

It failed in Congress along party lines for the most part in both Chambers.

>> Representative Kelly, to you first.

How would you work across the aisle to get anything done in Congress?

I work across the aisle now.

I pass legislation, health care, gun violence prevention.

>> I I've done that my whole time in Congress.

I don't give up my values.

>> And I would just continue that.

I had the relationships on both sides of the aisle house and in the Senate and it's I think it's a trust factor and people know I have integrity and they trust that.

I want to do the right thing.

So I would continue to do that.

I as I said, do it now, Representative Krishnamoorthi, I think we have to build where we agree and try to get >> progress and those issues and then stand on firm ground where we disagree and where we're standing for principle.

One area where I have successfully legislated is basically modernizing our nation's skills-based career, technical and vocational education system, which unfortunately is not world class my law, which I authored with some Republicans and Democrats was wildly successful but terribly underfunded.

And so I'd like to continue to build on that by working with Republicans to add resources, an area that allows everyone regardless of whether they're going to college 4 year college or not to basically, again, middle class life.

Was ever how would you work across party lines?

Well, you know, I always bring up the fact that, yes, I'm a lawyer, but for 2 decades of my career.

>> I had an alternative dispute resolution from and I did mediation in my job was to bring parties who disagree to the table and solve problems.

And those skills have served me very well as an elected official as a legislator had, you know, 10 bills in my one term in the Illinois House get past all of them on a bipartisan basis.

Most of them unanimously because I know how to work across the aisle.

But what we're talking about right now with Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans and his authoritarian agenda is not a time for a conversation about how we're going to work with them.

This president is not inclined to do anything that's in the best interest of the people that we represent.

He taking us backward, stripping us of our rights, you attacking workers rights, everything that we care about, all of our values are under attack because he's a wannabe dictator.

So I would stand up to him and be a check when I get to the Senate.

So what President Trump's second term and has been defined by his expansive use of executive authority.

>> Representative Kelly, you've said, quote, If our democracy is to endure, Congress must reassert its article one authority, the Constitution, states that under article one, quote, All legislative powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives.

What specifically would you do to reassert authority?

But one thing I think we need to close loopholes that the president is using.

And I also thing because he is disabused it so much that they are Republicans speaking against him now.

Also not a lot, but we were able to get the Affordable Care Act.

The premium tax credits 17 Republicans joined with us in the Epstein files, sick of what he's doing and even with I'm proud of all the impeachment papers again, sir, that when she came before the Senate Republicans got on her case.

Also.

>> And it's easy to say I'm not going to work with Republicans, but I've been in Congress 13 years only in the majority.

4 of those years.

And yes, sometimes the media makes it seem like with fighting all the time.

But we do we're together and that is how we get things done.

But I think we need to close loopholes that he has.

And also even though the Supreme Court doesn't allow us to necessarily hold him responsible, start holding like we did with his cabinet members responsible Representative Krishnamoorthi, how would you institute were guardrails around this problem?

Look, I think this president said that the only check on his authority is is morality.

>> In which case a lot of us were thinking, boy, we're in big trouble.

I think that at least 4 levers that we have to use with regard to this president first, we have to block appropriations where appropriate.

So, you know, Robin and I actually voted against the single dime or for ICE and CBP.

That was the appropriate thing to do in light of what we've seen in terms of them terrorizing our country and as an immigrant, that's very personal to me.

Secondly, we have to block nominees to cabinet and sub cabinet positions where they, you know, don't espouse mainstream views or don't show that they're going to comply with the law or the Constitution.

3rd, I think that we have to bring witnesses before Congress to force them to testify under oath.

That's what I did with last week in the Oversight Committee that put a lot of pressure along with other people to get her to get fired.

That same day.

And then 4th, we have to actually pass legislation that would force the president's hand to do the right thing.

So one example is, for instance, on the Epstein files, I've helped to lead the investigation on the Oversight Committee and our committee helped lead the way in passing the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which now is allowing some transparency into a grotesque child trafficking ring that had been in the dark for 20 years.

Lieutenant Governor.

>> Well, say exactly what I said before about meeting checks on this president.

We're supposed to have 3 co equal independent branches of government.

And yet we see the Supreme Court representing this president's authoritarian agenda and we need Congress to be bold and hold the line from the Democratic standpoint to put be a check on this president.

So here's what I would say.

Number one, I would not vote for Chuck Schumer to be the leader of the Democratic caucus in the Senate.

I believe right now we need new leadership.

We need new energy.

We need new perspectives and we need people who are going to fight because that's what I hear voters asking for.

And I'm the only one here today that will make that claim that I will not support Chuck Schumer.

>> Secondly, I will not confirm any of Donald Trump's appointees or nominees whether it's to a cabinet position to the Supreme Court.

I do not believe that this president is acting in the best interest of Americans.

And I will be a check.

And finally, of course, we'll have to deal with the Supreme Court.

I know that may be a little broader, but we have to do something and I would consider everything from looking at potential term limits or expanding.

The court are looking at the calendar, but this court is not a check and we need checks and balances against a president who wants to be a dictator.

>> The U.S.

has been involved in tensions with with the war in Gaza.

Trump has set his sights on Cuba.

He's threatened to purchase Greenland Representative Krishnamoorthi you first.

What role said the United States be playing globally?

Not the role we're playing now.

It's disastrous.

>> We should be drawing closer to our friends, partners and allies.

>> And we should be holding our adversaries at bay and instead under under Donald Trump were doing the opposite.

>> And we're drawing closer to our adversaries such as Russia and selling out some of our friends, partners and others, including Ukraine.

And so when you do that, what happens is you show weakness.

And when you show weakness, you lower your deterrence and invite aggression and potentially conflict.

And that's what I and very concerned is going to happen.

Whether it's in the Indo-Pacific with regard to China or whether it's in Europe with regard to Russia or in any number of other places.

I should just say, I believe that the reason why he's engage in these military adventures, it's distract attention from horrible economic challenges that working families are going through right now.

I think this is deliberate.

And as a consequence, the challenges are going to only grow worse, not any better.

Lieutenant Governor.

>> We have a president right now who's making decisions based on what will stroke his ego or how he can make himself his family and his wealthy friends, wealthier.

And that's not what should be the determining factor about a president who is making decisions that impact the global economy and so much more.

What I always say is that this president does his best to cozy up to strong men.

He alienate our allies and he has made the United States a laughingstock the world.

And so we need to hold him accountable.

We need to call it out for what it is.

And as you've heard sort of the theme today, he needs to be checked and he needs people who are going to fight back against a president who goes rogue and does what's not in the best interest of the American people.

Representative Kelly, all of this is so obvious he wants to be king.

He wants to be dictator.

This is a part of his plan.

The idea that he would go into another country.

>> Even though door was a terrible presidents and it even of then president.

But is it our job to take out all the people we think are bad leaders.

A lot of people think he's a bad leader and maybe someone to come and take him out.

You and I'm on something called House Democracy Partnerships and I've traveled the world either traveling or through zoom in, spoke to a lot of elected officials like me and there was a concern around this world, you know, from continent to continent about people like Trump and also on the very right-wing leaders.

And we're trying to see how we could work together.

We have to mend a lot of fences.

It was a delegation that went to Copenhagen to assure that we are not going to take over Greenland.

I actually filed and amendment that he invade or purchase Greenland without our permission and because he would not have that permission.

But there's a lot fences will have to mend even without NATO allies because they're appalled at the things that we're doing and even what is going on out here and look at all the countries being attacked beside Iran, you know, there they're dropping bombs all over And some of those countries are allies is not just as you know, that it's getting bombs dropped on So back closer to home, people who receive social safety net benefits are beginning to feel the impact of the federal funding cuts.

Representative Krishnamoorthi, come to you first.

You promise to reverse Republican cuts to Medicaid.

>> And the Affordable Care Act.

How to do that?

Well, we would pass what I call my bringing back benefits act.

>> And basically it would restore cuts to Medicaid that are otherwise can leave 13 million people without health insurance across the country.

In addition with regard to the ACA because the President Republicans refused to extend those ACA tax credits.

Another 4 million Americans are going to lose their health insurance.

So you have 17 million people without health insurance.

In Illinois alone, 11 hospitals are set to close as well.

And so I believe that we have to band together.

I obviously among Democrats, but also increasingly Republicans in rural areas who are getting hurt because these hospitals in the rural areas in closing and restore these cuts.

absolutely essential because at the end of the day, when these health centers close, everybody's hurt, regardless regardless insurance status.

>> Representative Kelly, you're a member of the Medicare for All Caucus.

What would you do to increase access to health care for Illinoisans?

Well, I'm running on a platform of people of the profits and it's about time millionaires, billionaires and corporations pay their fair share and then reversing what happened in the big ugly bill.

Some of that has not been implemented yet.

if we don't win in November, it, you know, many more millions of people are going to lose their health care.

But I think we need to bring all the stakeholders to the table.

Patients, all kind of health care providers, doctors, hospitals to see how we can together and finally get in richest country in the history of the world.

Health care for every one, Medicare for everyone.

But I think we do have to bring everyone to the table for this to work right now.

You know, we've been talking about it for a long time, but we haven't had the numbers to be able to get it passed.

So, you know, it's not just.

You can with it because we, you know, people need their health care.

I my district is urban suburban world at a farm and tell me had to drive 60 miles to take.

His wife did deliver a baby and she wasn't ready 60 miles back.

She was ready just 60 miles back and I have a huge district.

The heat, the biggest Democratic district in Illinois from urban suburban world, everyone suffering.

So really bringing everyone to the table.

I think that's the way it will get it done and it will have to 21, the numbers, Democrat to Republican Lieutenant Governor, same question to you.

What would you do to increase health care access for Illinois INS?

I first ran for state representative 10 years ago because I was the primary caregiver for my mother who had Alzheimer's.

>> And there were efforts to strip away health care for seniors like my mother, my my state representative in our former governor.

And so I ran for office to fight for people to have access to health care.

And that's what I've been doing.

I'm proud of what Governor Pritzker and I got done right here in Illinois to expand access to affordable health care.

We've lower the cost of prescription drugs.

Just last week we announced that we have eliminated 1 billion dollars of medical debt and I've led on the birth equity initiative to help make sure that women can have access to doulas and midwives and lactation consultants, whether they're covered by Medicaid or private insurance.

I want to fight for Medicare for all.

When I get to the United States Senate because I believe health care is a right and not a privilege and too many people are deciding whether they go to the doctor or pay their bills, whether pay their rent or mortgage or whether they get the care they need.

And that is a false choice.

Everyone should have access to a doctor.

I'm going to fight for that.

When I get to the Senate.

Okay.

So all of you have named affordability as a main part of your platform.

Most pressing issue facing Illinois ends on Representative Kelly.

You support of the proposed billionaire minimum Income Tax Act which imposes minimum tax on individual taxpayers.

>> Whose net worth for the taxable year exceeds 100 million dollars.

Now, those opposed to it argued that this would cause capital flight, the wealthy, taking their money and leaving the country to lower their own tax burden.

Why do you believe this policy would benefit Illinois?

you know, I think that when we vote on things like this, people always use a scare tactic that people are going to lead.

People are going to leave.

I don't believe people are going to leave.

And I think that, again, we're not asking people to pay more than their fair share, but at least pay their fair share.

There's so many loopholes.

I talked to a friend that works cooperation.

He said they hire a lot of lawyers to work around the loopholes and the taxes and we have to haul millionaires, billionaires and corporations, you know, to pay their fair share so that we can invest more in this country.

it's everyday people that have made them successful that had the you know, that catered to their products knows what is the fair share.

how is that determined?

Well, worked with and we will continue to work with the budget office.

And one thing we looked at is the 100 million dollars.

What you just said and that would raise 500 billion right off the bat.

Not just talking about 1000 people.

1000 there.

And that's amount that the that the country would would make off of that 500 billion dollars.

But 1, one company makes, you know, 1 Billion.

The other company makes 5 billion who determines is a fair share.

Just the percentage of what it is.

Yes, the fans share is a percentage.

And I just Companies should be, you know, required to pay a fair share.

Just like we had a certain percentage, depending on how much you make.

I think the same thing should apply to corporations.

Also think we have to roll back that a trillion dollars in tax cuts that were given to the the well off well connected and well protected.

Representative Christian working.

I think that should have a more progressive tax system.

Absolutely.

>> And the wealthy need to pay more.

I think I would just say 3 things.

One we have to make sure that the money gets spent.

Well, there to be transparency accountability for the results.

I'm a product of public housing and food stamps myself.

And I believe that social safety net programs should be the first recipient of that money, especially those programs that are starved right now of resources.

And then the last thing is I put forward a plan to basically make housing home affordability within reach again, especially for first-time home buyers put putting forward a 10% refundable tax credit for the purchase of your first time.

And we see that young people especially can't get access to their first home because they can't afford the down payment associated with those homes.

So this will in that regard.

It's helped in the past in the Obama years with putting 2 million people into their first homes and it can help now as well.

Lieutenant Governor.

Well, I'm proud to be the only person here today that has made the commitment not to accept any corporate PAC money.

>> In this race because I am not going to put corporate special interests at the forefront of my work in the Senate.

I want to put the people of Illinois at the center of everything that I do and keep their needs and interests at the forefront.

One of the things that I'm going to fight for is to make sure that those making a million dollars or more pay.

You can help pay with a tax increase for tax break for the middle class because that's what people are asking for.

Remember what I said earlier is that we're looking at a president who stripping away healthcare taking food out of the mouths of children and doing so much more only to give him wealthy friends.

A tax break.

We need to make sure that we're putting working people right at the center.

A CEO of a major corporations making billions of dollars should not be paying the same tax rate as somebody who was delivering for that company cleaning the offices of that company.

Answering the phones of that company.

It's wrong and we need to bring real equity.

Okay.

Let's move over to issues of immigration.

Representative Krishnamoorthi.

You've called to abolish Trump's ice.

>> Does that mean?

>> Well, it means a number of things.

And again, as an immigrant, this is very personal to me.

Having gone through the immigration system myself there are a number of differences that have to happen for me to send a single dime for immigration enforcement.

One, we have to make sure that the masks come off that body cameras and identification go back on officers and law enforcement.

We have to end warrantless arrests.

There have to be third-party investigations of the use of force and very importantly, there can't be any roving gangs of ice and CBP agents and cities stirring up trouble.

This particular position of abolishing Trump size is one that shared by Governor Pritzker and others.

I think that for good reason we need to see massive changes.

I'm glad that was fired the other day, but merely changing the name plate on the door of the DHS secretary is not enough.

Much more has to happen and going forward.

Representative Kelly, I think we need to dismantle homeland security.

>> It's about ice, but it's about CBP.

They're the ones that killed Alex.

Pretty.

It's about the agency that deals with silence.

It takes far, too long citizenship.

We need to deal with that over 11 mean and paying into this society helping this society be better and they're not gonna get the benefits and they paid him for.

And we need to make the dream is American.

This is only country that they know there is.

And let's I want to speak for Rajon, but I don't think there's any member of Congress at things we need no enforcement.

You know, maybe it's not.

You know, it's important that's under the Department of Justice.

Not this Department of Justice, but I just think we need to dismantle the whole kit and caboodle because it's not working is too big, too unwieldy and not held accountable and the things we talked about no mask warrants and on and on and on.

That still needs to be adhere to people.

They get it die within a governor.

A few seconds.

>> I want to abolish ICE period.

I don't believe that this agency can be reformed.

And I have been out there fighting to stand up to the the terror that's been happening in our communities.

And I will continue to do that.

I do want to point out that Congressman Krishnamoorthi voted to thank ice, voted to fund ice and has accepted money from ICE contractors with a direct call all continues online in just a moment.

So we will see you there.

>> Chicago tonight is made possible in part why the Alexander and John Nichols family.

The Pope Brothers Foundation.

And the support of these donors.

>> And now we continue our candidate forum with the leading candidates for the Democratic Party nomination for U.S.

Senate with us are Congresswoman Robin Kelly.

Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi.

And Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton.

Again, thanks to all of you for being with us for the last of what have been many forums and debates that you've taken part of during this campaign.

Congressman Chris Murphy, it looked like you wanted to respond to Lieutenant governor's response regarding immigration and Trump's ice.

Yes, I think Lieutenant Governor, you know better than to do that.

I'm an immigrant.

>> I don't need to get lectured by anybody about holding ice accountable.

And I'm like you I've actually done that in Congress with regard to this donation from a Palantir executive.

I when it came to my attention that was donated immediately.

And again, you know, better than to call into question.

The reason for that resolution.

You keep kept saying it's about thanking ice.

Of course, it was about condemning Anti-Semitism when 12 Jews, including a Holocaust survivor, was attacked with a Molotov cocktail in Boulder, Colorado.

And that was the purpose of that resolution.

Lieutenant Governor, unfortunately, we've adopted a policy of hypocrisy on this.

When you presided over the Democratic Lieutenant Governors Association.

Under your leadership, the dlga solicited and received tens of thousands of dollars from course.

And Nick, the largest private prison contractor in the United States that operated the ice Broadview Center.

So let's end the hypocrisy.

We need to address the issues that the American people are most concerned about right now holding the Trump administration accountable as well as addressing these economic challenges that bedevil them.

I'm gonna Congressman Kelly in here.

And then I will come back you.

>> You've heard me say this before.

You know, I think that you're being a hypocrite because when you look at who's donated to your campaign, a lot of corporate CEOs and you keep talking about corporate one billionaire family has donated 73% of what you have received.

So are you obligated to them?

73%?

And also you to do all the debates back and forth back and forth back and forth about who took money from private prisons that holds a lot of black and brown people, ice.

We know what happens there and it's almost like that he pack on the kettle Black.

In my opinion, Lieutenant Governor.

>> Well, to be clear, the with the dlga I called for them to return that funding.

And I believe that that was the right thing to do to return that funding.

And I said that immediately.

Congressman, you did not even think about returning that funding until the public called for you to do so.

And you waited and remember, this is the CTO Palantir that you called 7 years straight.

>> To ask for money and you did so even in the summer of last year, while ICE was in our communities, terrorizing our communities.

You went to the floor of the House and voted to think guys, even as they were terrorizing our communities right now when I'm going around the state, people want someone who's going to fight back.

If you're being funded.

And now, of course, they've added the congressman is added the support of MAGA allies and a super PAC.

That's now also coming at me.

And there's reason to to give you a moment to respond.

But then I do want to get back to the topic of immigration and we are going to come back to campaign finance reform shortly.

Go ahead.

I Robin sentiment on this Lieutenant Governor.

This is all hypocrisy.

>> You're funded by super PACs.

Super PACs funded by corporate PACs not only corporate PACs but corporations that actually ran the broad view, ICE detention center.

That is what's going on to Uganda and hypocrisy We've got to address the issues at this point to and you've called to ask for that money.

And, you know, you did and your money has not been refunded.

Neither you in a and has mild for the dog.

Yeah.

back to the deal I have not received anything.

The dlga I have not held.

>> I directly for them return and you waited until now.

I guess the question becomes because I do, I do want the viewers to hear more about immigration it because I think all of us know that there have been many debates where this very conversation has been had.

>> Us immigration law, though it rests largely on laws that are not passed since 1965.

In 1990, in the Congress, the one in 1990, created employment categories for immigrant visas and set caps for the number of immigrants accepted per country in January 2025.

So last year, 53.3 million immigrants lived.

The United States, the largest number ever recorded in the ensuing months.

However, more immigrants left the country or were deported, then arrived by June of last year.

The country's foreign born population has shrunk by more than a million people marking its first decline since the 1960's Representative.

Kelly, you've served in Congress for some time.

Why hasn't Congress pass comprehensive immigration legislation since the 90's?

Right?

Since I've been there, they've been 2 different opportunities to do with it was a gang of 8 in the Senate.

But when it came to the Republican House speaker refused to call the bill to the floor when Donald Trump was elected Elon Musk Cain, there was another bill.

>> Actually that the Democrats worked a lot with the Republicans, but the Republicans, the Republican from Oklahoma, if I remember correctly you know, we gave into some things.

And when Elon Musk haymond Trump game said no, don't pass They don't really want pass like they want to talk about it but not solved the issue.

But we have to keep working because we see what has happened in this country now.

And the other thing is I had town hall meeting and Nissan Illinois University and heard stories and then be on when I've traveled the state, people don't want to be here.

People don't want to come.

Colleges have suffered because foreign students don't want to come.

I was on the board of trustees at Bradley University in Peoria where to laugh with and I you, we also went to school and you could tell there's less and less people even wanting to come to this country and actually hurts the university's because using foreign student pay full fare, are they here?

And they do not want to stay so weak.

We're losing out by not having immigration reform.

Congressman Chris Mayor Chris more thing.

We absolutely need immigration reform.

This is to me our number-one killer competitive app as a country.

>> Which is we get to attract the most hard-working, the most talented, the brightest people who end up being our workers are innovators are entrepreneurs as an immigrant myself.

I am in these communities all the time.

And I know that we have to have comprehensive legal immigration reform in order for this country to succeed.

We have to allow a path to citizenship for the Dreamers immediately.

We have to allow people who stake their roots in this country for decades, a path as well.

We need for high skilled talent to be able to stay here and to be able to innovate and continue to build businesses.

We need reform or asylum system to make sure that we continue to be a refuge for those who are persecuted.

Then finally, there are seasonal workers who would like to come here and work in construction or agriculture and return to their home country.

The those are some of the primary element of any comprehensive legal immigration reform.

We have to do it now.

Lieutenant Governor, what specific kind of legislation would you introduce or support to reform the immigration system in this country?

I think, you know, as I mentioned, first and foremost, I want to abolish ICE.

I don't believe that that's >> agency can be reformed.

And I want to see ice and CBP out of our American cities.

We've seen the terror that they have inflicted on so many.

What I want to see is that we take another look at this whole system and take a holistic approach.

This ice remember has been put under DHS, a counterterrorism agency.

So right from the very start, you're thinking about immigration through a punitive lens and it does nothing.

But criminalize our immigrant neighbors.

And we have to shift that.

And I want to see a system that's really built around investing in things like more immigration judges, social services, community-based resources and more to help people while they're in their communities and help them to advance on the path to legal citizenship.

We certainly want to make sure that Dhaka recipients and Dreamers have that path to legal immigration.

But I just think we have to do something different and we can't just let it be.

And remember, we had a bipartisan bill that Donald Trump put the to.

So something can be done.

But we have to have the political will to get it done.

>> So annoy has broken ground on the Illinois quantum in Microelectronics Park.

It is the state back project planned for the former U.S.

Steel South works site on Chicago's southeast side.

Additionally, we know that the state is expanding its AI and digital infrastructure, adding data centers and the like Congresswoman Kelly, I'm gonna I'm gonna come to Congresswoman.

Kelly Sr him to come to you first on this.

What role should the government play in managing and growing energy demand from such facilities?

With both, you know, environmental concerns and electricity, affordability for consumers because they know that you are a supporter of the IQ impede development.

Actually, it's in my district for us and it my district is a district that is starving for economic development with a southeast side, whether the south suburbs on the on because actually my district goes to Danville so much for that bin.

>> Kankakee and West to a Pontiac.

So I think the state should be involved when I was a state rep, I was involved in economic development for the state.

But I also think we never can forget about the people that we serve.

And I have heard complaints as I've traveled the state about all the data centers, people are very concerned.

I know someone shared.

There's one in peak in.

That's 1000 acres and they were 4,000 people that signed the letter and protested against it.

So we have to look at the effects.

It's having in our area that the effects electricity and and the environment we have to listen to that.

And are as there are their tax credits.

We can give to people as far as if their electricity bills go up.

We have to look and to all of that.

I think the state should be in by the, you states want what's best for them.

They want economic development.

But we also have to be care.

Take is of constituents and the people and not just bring anything in.

And also, I think that when quantum comes in now Obama libraries in my district which on thrilled about they are people that have been in these neighborhoods forever and they don't want to see, you know, their rents go up.

then as they have held the communities down, they don't want to see themselves priced out community or have environmental concerns.

And I know southeast because when I came in, there was a pet Coke petroleum by-product.

It was that concern.

I fought hard to take care of that.

Actually.

But the company moved.

Quantum campus is so exciting to have right here in the state of Illinois and the innovation.

>> Jobs and all of the things that will come out of this campus.

I really exciting.

And so we have to always be at the forefront in the cutting edge of economic development.

We can't be left behind.

And 21st century technologies and we have to keep moving forward.

And at the same time we have to always be thinking about working families, working families.

Why I'm hearing are saying that their utility costs are too high.

And so we have to think about that.

So, you know, I always think about we love the advancements of AI.

As you mentioned, we love to see what's happening, but how our workers being impacted and we can't let this take away jobs.

We can't let it be something where on the backs of working families, they are absorbing all of those additional costs.

We need these companies to be responsible as we see those rising costs and we need to make sure that we do what we've committed to here in Illinois.

The governor and I helped lead the passage of the climate and Equitable Jobs Act see just as most know it.

We're putting Illinois on a path to a clean energy future while also making sure the communities most impacted.

When you bring environmental justice lands, the communities most impacted by climate change and other impacts are also going to get those jobs to put us on that clean energy future.

We have a president right now.

Remember, doesn't believe in climate change.

So we have to make sure that we keep science economic development, but also standing up for workers at the forefront.

Congressman.

So I think that we have to lead the charge on quantum AI Robotics technologies of the future as >> former ranking member of the House Select Committee on the strategic competition between the U.S.

and the Chinese Communist Party's the longest name of any committee in Congress.

I feel very at home on this look.

We know that our competitors in the world are devoting hundreds of billions of dollars to leading in these technologies of the future.

Indeed, that's that's what Xi Jingping in China is doing every single day.

So we have to up our game in this country.

And that means invade investing in foundational research in these areas, but also making sure that I leads to what I call another amazing Illinois.

And so that means putting safeguards in place.

One of those safeguards is I believe for data centers.

We should continue to construct them.

I mean, unions are benefiting quite a bit from the construction there.

Good paying union jobs.

However.

We should also require that these data centers produce more energy.

Then they can see right now it's the opposite.

They consume more energy than they produce putting a net demand on the electrical load and causing prices to go up.

Even at the same time that Donald Trump is tearing up the inflation Reduction Act which provided numerous tax credits for providing more solar and wind and other renewables to come online.

So at a time Donald Trump is doing the wrong thing as the chair, the Solar Caucus in Congress.

This is very disturbing.

Now I'm looking to AI companies in data centers to potentially help make up the difference and bring that energy online because they have the resources to do so.

And it's the right thing to do.

We got a couple questions from viewers that we wanted to include the next Companies are already starting to replace employees with artificial intelligence >> there's a consensus that this will escalate and result in absolutely massive job losses and an even greater transfer of wealth to the small elite.

What is your plan for Americans being replaced by AI and facing a loss of income.

Congressman Krishnamurthy back to you.

Look I can be of help or hurt.

Okay.

It can be hurt if we basically end up in a situation where workers become redundant.

>> I replaces workers.

On the other hand, it could possibly be a help if we start to embed it every educational tool at every level of education, we become literate and comfortable in using it.

But we all so make sure that stakeholders like unions, I happen to supported by 14 labor unions in this race that they are at the table to make sure that they have a say in how it's implemented.

Of course, we should have consumer safety protections as well as non-discrimination protections as well.

But we have to do everything we can to make AI work for us and not the other way around.

Representative Kelly.

About 7 or 8 years ago myself and Congressman Will Hurd, a Republican from Texas.

>> We did a yearlong study on AI.

He was interested in national security because he's ex CIA.

I was interested in privacy bias and workforce and workforce because of the very thing that you just raise, people losing their jobs.

And I want to make sure represent the second so across want to make sure people in my district, young people in my district had training could take those jobs because even though we I someone still needs to run it input and all of those things.

So make sure you that my district, they would technically savvy and we actually passed a resolution around workplace.

Privacy, of course, the past in the House.

But then pass in the Senate.

But I think that again training and also they need to be guard rails.

There was a bipartisan committee put together the equal number of Democrats and Republicans that had number of recommendations.

But of course, Speaker Johnson, Steve Scalise had not called the bill.

The bipartisan just as many Democrats as they were Republicans with recommendations.

Lieutenant Governor.

share the viewer's concern who asked this question because >> I'm somebody that walks into a grocery store.

And when I see that there are 2 people in the aisle and then all of the other, you aisles, you have to check out yourself and there's using AI.

I worry about that.

I asked myself where those jobs where those people now or when you call the customer service line, I'm the one that's always saying representative representative, because I want to talk to a live human being.

And so I think overall we have to make sure that there are guardrails, guardrails that don't allow corporate greed to come in and say we're going get rid of an entire division of employees because we think it's going to be more economical for us to just use AI.

I'm going to fight for workers.

I'm proud of our stance to protect the workers rights amendment to here in the state of Illinois.

I will be a sponsor on day one of the pro act.

know come union household.

And I think about working people who are getting the shaft because of corporate greed I'm going to fight for working people all across the state of Illinois.

And one of that is yes, we need to have the advancements I like I said before.

It's not that we can say we're not going to be a part of technology that moves us forward, but it has to be done in a responsible way.

That does not take away workers rights and does not keep people out of a job.

>> So a question about education.

Democrats have worried have been concerned about the break-up of the Department of Education and what that means at the same time, many would say that local control is crucial for schools to nurture local needs, which can be very different district by district take Chicago public schools versus any downstate school District.

For example, what do you think is the role for the federal government in education and what role should be reserved to the States?

Representative first of all, we're gonna have to build the Department of Education back because obviously Trump does not care about it at all.

He won 2 private eyes.

We need to Dow commitments.

I-4 were supposed to fund it at 40%.

We have not done that radiate individual or the disability to the I have a school district in area and their 2 million dollars under because what we're doing in the federal government and that the responsibilities as far as to answer that Haitian of they don't have it at their school.

That is sending kids to the northern and western suburbs.

We need to department of Education is that's really where people go for their civil rights.

That's where people.

>> Low-income schools will get, you know, title one money can developed heat, teacher development.

So we do have to build all that back and more and it has to be equitable, not equal because we are all not starting from the same plays.

I can easily talk about that in the south suburbs where we pay so much in taxes and then people the schools don't have the same things that schools north and west.

And that is a huge problem that what we have to change that we fund schools and that's a state issue, not a federal issue, but but federally, we need to make sure we're funding.

Like we said, we're going to fund bill back the department much better than it is now.

Even when Democrats take over, we cannot go back to business as usual because that wasn't good enough be their representative Krishnamoorthi.

Well, I think, look, I'm a product of the fury of public schools go district one, 50.

>> I would not be here, but for public schools and public teachers.

Look, I think that my humble observation is that all, you know, all you need to know about Donald Trump when he says he wants to close the Department of Education what he's doing is basically closing off the American dream to millions of people who might not otherwise have a path.

And so this is what I believe.

Yes, you need local control, but we need more federal funding because local funding his neck is is an equal and is based on property tax funding.

Putting way too much of the onus or burden on property tax payers and mainly seniors, by the way, and a lot of parts Chicago who are on fixed incomes.

I think the federal government should pick up a bigger share of that and should fund the following things.

France's early-childhood education, which we know works.

It help to fund programs for teacher retention and education and training.

It should also CT career Technical education.

Again, as I mentioned before on the author of the Law that modernizes our nation's skills-based education system.

And it brings tens of millions of dollars to Illinois every year.

However, we need more.

And right now that type of education for the 64% of Americans who don't go to full four-year college is in high demand, but the resources are not there.

And so I want to make sure that that is properly funded so that everyone has access to the greatest social welfare program devised by human beings.

And that's a J O B. the daughter of a public school teacher.

>> And I think that investment in education is one of the most important things that we can do.

But right now, when we talk about Donald Trump dismantling the Department of Education at the federal level.

But that really is as another example of his attack on public education and his attack on teachers.

And we're seeing that at every level.

So we need to make sure that we are standing up.

I will always fight for public education for our teachers is why I'm so proud to be endorsed by the Illinois Federation of Teachers, Teachers, from every corner of our state.

We need to fight for funding.

And what role does the federal government play resources?

The title one funding for those learning English as a second language.

Those in our most under-resourced schools, those in our rural communities, students who need that extra resources, those extra resources and support.

We need to fight for that.

And I will do that when I get there.

But I also want to point out the civil rights aspect because right now they are dismantling the pieces that make sure that students who were discriminated against students who have an IEP or need special resources in their schooling aren't going to be able to bring those cases to make sure that students can get educated and the way that they are legally required to be educated.

So I will fight to make sure that bring back as many resources as we can.

I'm proud that in here in Illinois, we've work to increase school desert record investments in K through 12 education.

And now we're making college more affordable by making sure we've increased met rants and 40% of students are now going to college for free.

That's the kind of bring to the Senate.

>> So I said would get back to campaign finance reform.

And here it is because money and donations in this race, of course, have been a very big issue.

The average voter might not understand a lot of these ins and outs about where all the money is coming from.

But research does show that most voters see unlimited spending in politics as weakening our democracy.

So without criticizing someone at this table, please tell me what kind of campaign finance for reforms would you support Lieutenant Governor to you first.

I'm proud to be endorsed by in Citizens United.

The only one in this race that's been endorsed by in Citizens United because of my platform.

>> Around what we need to do to bring campaign finance reform.

It looks like first of all, ending Citizens United, making sure that we get corporate PAC money out of politics and banning congressional stock trading.

Those are all things that I have committed to fight for.

I'm the only candidate not accepting corporate PAC money and it's because right now people are looking at Washington as a broken system.

They're looking at a system where corporate special interest are being rewarded and everyday people that people are elected to represent get left in the dust.

And so I'm going to fight for the people, not corporate special interest.

And I'm proud to have not only in Citizens United endorsement, not only Governor Pritzker and Senator Tammy Duckworth, but also Senator Elizabeth Warren, one of the key champions in the Senate on campaign Finance Reform.

Representative Kristen, One thing.

Well, I think that we have to end dark money.

And I think that is really infecting all campaigns at this point.

I think that we have to reward small-dollar donations.

I believe that Robin and I are both co-sponsors of HR.

One was previously known as HR one, which would >> bring about the campaign finance reform that we desperately need.

I'm proud to be endorsed by defending the vote for my positions on campaign finance but I'm also proud of the fact that I have almost 90,000 donors who provide me support because I believe in good government and it allows me the independence to France's go after big tobacco, which is fueling the vaping epidemic because of that Time magazine said I have jewel shipped target on my back.

I'm glad Lieutenant Governor Stratton supports my legislation to ban stock trading.

But I think we need to do more.

We need to have term limits.

We need to have age limits as well in in Congress and the Senate.

I think we need a variety of reforms to basically refresh the institutions and earn people support again.

Representative Kelly definitely want to see campaign finance reform just because you have the most money doesn't mean you've done the most, that you're the best candidate.

>> Good people don't run good.

People don't win and good people don't stay in because they don't want to beyond that.

We'll of having dial for dollars.

You know, every day or every other day, too many hours in the week.

2, super PAC money, dark To my knowledge, I haven't received any of that.

So, you know, I've been debate after debate after debate, like I kind of said to be on the side in these to argue back and forth you know what they what they've taken and not taken.

But we definitely need campaign finance reform.

Again.

It keeps good people out her to diversity of people in Congress.

There's so of my colleagues that are millionaires and not just millionaires multimillionaires because that's again afforded to makes me think of my colleague Frost who drove Uber to afford to run for Congress and lived in that car at night.

He'd already had saved enough money and he didn't.

So, you know, we talk about the diversity of age Gender race, religion, creed, but having super PAC money in and not having publicly financed campaigns.

It does hurt the diversity in Congress, OK, almost out of time.

So I'm gonna throw this one out there for whoever wants to jump on it.

First >> if you would say one nice thing about.

But your fellow candidates.

My opponents have both served for a long time in the Congress.

>> And that should be a part a plot.

It in Washington, D.C.

>> worked with Robin Forever.

And she's a friend of mine and we work closely on different issues.

And I a plotter leadership, especially on maternal mortality issues and Lieutenant Governor Stratton is a good mom I-5, sharing anecdotes about parenting with her.

And so I appreciate both of them.

As Rodgers that I see as going to say that I've worked with Roz and I work with Giuliana and I know outside was campaigning against each other.

>> Both a very nice people.

Okay.

>> Best of luck to all of you on the last leg of I hope everybody's at least excited that we're rounding the corner that the primary is almost Okay.

Thanks, everybody.

And remember, for more on these candidates, additional candidates running in the Democratic primary for U.S.

Senate as well as the candidates on the Republican side and many other races on the ballot.

Turn to our online voter guide that is at W T Tw dot com Slash voter guide.

And that is our show for this Monday night.

Stay connected with our reporters and what they're working on by following us on Instagram at W T Tw Chicago and join us tomorrow night at 5, 30 10 for Chicago tonight.

Now for all of us here at Chicago tonight and Grant Street.

>> Thank you for watching.

Stay healthy and safe and have a good night.

>> A close caption may pass by and Clifford Law a Chicago