IL-06 — Mahnoor Ahmad is running in the 6th Congressional District Democratic Primary on March 19. Ahmad is facing incumbent Congressman Sean Casten and Chicagoan Charles M. Hughes, an operation technician, for her party’s nomination.
The IL-06 includes all or sections of the suburban Cook County communities of Alsip, Chicago Ridge, Palos Heights, Worth, Crestwood, Oak Forest, Oak Lawn, Tinley Park, Orland Park, Orland Hills, Palos Hills, Palos Heights, Hickory Hills, Justice, and extending into the Chicago neighborhoods of Clearing, Beverly and Mount Greenwood; and in DuPage, Downers Grove, Oak Brook, Oakbrook Terrace, Lisle, Wheaton, Glen Ellyn, Lombard, Elmhurst, Darien, Hinsdale and Willow Springs.
You can find Ahmad’s questions to the Patch candidate questionnaire below:
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Town of Residence: Oakbrook Terrace
Office sought:
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U.S. House of Representatives, Illinois 6th Congressional District
Party Affiliation: Democrat
Family: Mother of one son
Education: Loyola University, Purdue University, Masters of Public Health
Occupation: Public Health Advocate, 8 years experience
Previous/current elected office: n/a
Campaign Website: Ahmadforhouse.com
The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.
Cost of Living: Working as a public health director, I saw daily how insufficient access to medical care can destroy lives. This is what compelled me to run for office. As I spoke to community members and neighbors, I heard again and again how the American dream was being crushed under the ever increasing cost of housing, the lifelong burden of student debt, the ballooning costs of childcare, and the exploitative cost of elder care. In addition to supporting legislation to make healthcare a human right with access, I would support legislation like The American Housing and Economic Mobility Act to make housing more affordable and the Child Care for Every Community Act to make childcare more affordable and accessible. It’s not just about making these things affordable, it’s also about making them readily accessible.
What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?
I am here to put the people I serve first. I take donations from people and not from special interests, large corporations or foreign influenced lobbyists. So considerations of what my big donors want will not hold me back from putting my constituents’ needs and wants first. I believe special interest funding grossly corrupts politicians no matter how well meaning the politician may be. I am proud that I have never accepted a cent in funding from big pharma, insurance companies, fossil fuel companies or any other lobbyists. I plan to be a representative that is responsive and beholden to my constituents and ONLY my constituents.
If you are a challenger, in what way has the current officeholder failed the constituency?
Casten does not listen and serve his constituents well. Most Americans call for universal health care. He is against it. Most Americans are for a Ceasefire especially in this district that includes a significant Muslim and Arab population. One of the highest concentrations of Palestinians in a congressional district. Little Palestine is partly in the district. There are several urgent issues that need addressing in a strong urgent way. The genocide in Gaza, the looming climate change catastrophe, rising income inequality, health care that doesn’t work for us. Casten is ok with the status quo. We need a fighter who will stand up for us, one whose decisions are not encumbered by corporate donors. My campaign is people driven and 100 % people funded.
Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform:
My experience as a public health advocate gave me a first hand view at how broken our system is. This is what drove me to run. I would sponsor HR 1976, Medicare for All Act of 2021, because I am passionate about making sure everyone has healthcare. My parents were both doctors. I saw them treat patients in their offices even if they could not pay. Healthcare is a right not a privilege. Medicare For All would save over $300 billion and 68,000 lives a year according to a Yale study. It would be good for our economy and make US businesses more competitive in the world economy because businesses would not be paying for expensive health insurance for their employees.
If you gain this position, what accomplishment would define your term in office as a success?
Ultimately, the only fair judgment of any politician is whether they left the office a little better than they found it. I ran on a promise in 2018 to do what my predecessor didn’t do. To hold town halls, to stand up to Donald Trump, to make decisions based on facts and science rather than political convenience. On those measures, I think I’ve succeeded in making this office better.
Why are you running for office?
To put people first! I was born in the small city of Quetta in Pakistan, where my parents spoke Balochi and Farsi. Despite their different languages, they shared a common dream: the American Dream. They instilled in me the belief in an American dream rooted not in towering buildings and vast fortunes, but in Thomas Jefferson’s vision of equality and opportunity for all. When we came to America, my parents, both doctors, brought with them a legacy of service to others. As a child, I did my homework in my father’s office, watching him care for patients, even when they couldn’t afford treatment. I dreamed of continuing his noble legacy and carrying on my father’s tradition of serving people when I entered healthcare in public health. However, I was so disheartened by the way healthcare actually works in our country: profits come first, and people second. This dysfunction is not just in healthcare but in many aspects of people’s lives in America. There’s growing wealth inequality, a climate crisis, wars, and human rights not respected, as in Gaza. Our campaign is driven and funded to serve the people. When elected, I will fight for the people and put people first.
Explain your attitudes toward fiscal policy, government spending and how taxpayer dollars should be handled by your office?
Taxpayer dollars should be used to benefit the taxpayers, not special interests like coal, oil, and weapons manufacturers. Prioritize spending that helps the constituents. Our tax system should be reformed so that the wealthy pay a higher effective rate for income and other taxes than the poor or working people. During Eisenhower’s presidency the taxes were far higher on the wealthy than on the working and middle class. Politifact says…” top earners in the eight years of Eisenhower’s presidency paid a top income tax rate of 91 percent.” Yet our economy was never stronger.
I would reevaluate the mission of our military. There is a lot of military action that is counter productive and makes us less secure, often alienating large parts of the world. Consider that decades of wars in the Middle East which have left millions of people dead, have laid land to waste and have increased anti American sentiment. Further, would we be able to achieve our foreign policy aims by cheaper and more effective diplomacy? Use a carrot not just the stick. What are we doing that brings our citizens security? This is what we should invest in. There is too much waste. The military should be audited to find the waste and eliminate it and use the savings for social programs. Further, we should engage more robustly in military base realignment and closure, and evaluate the number of overseas bases we have, especially in Germany and Japan. In both these countries we have approximately 120 military bases and thousands of stationed soldiers, these bases require billions of dollars to maintain annually, and this money can again be used to invest in our communities at home.
What would you do to help constituents struggling with the ever-increasing cost of living?
This is the number one issue affecting Americans. First, any person working full-time should be making a livable wage. We need to increase the minimum wage to match growing costs of living. We also need to remove the barriers that prevent people from growing wealth and prevent people from falling into debt. Most bankruptcies are due to medical costs/debt. Universal single payer healthcare would be the best way to help this problem.
Regarding the migrant crisis: Should the Biden Administration stiffen requirements for asylum seekers, and should Texas provide more notice to Illinois when busing migrants to the Chicago area?
No the requirements for asylum should be reasonable and in line with the UN. But rules should be updated to make sure that those who are eligible can apply for and receive asylum. Texas should not be able to unilaterally ship asylum seekers and immigrants to cities in the north. There should be a national program to assist these people that treats them with dignity but minimizes impact on local areas that receive asylum seekers.
Should state or federal funding be provided to help municipalities address the arrival of asylum seekers?
We need to stop the negative spin on arriving asylum seekers. Not only is accepting and welcoming these people the humane thing to do, immigration makes economies more dynamic and actually helps grow the economy. Leaving people to fend for themselves due to underfunded and resourced transition programs only puts strain on the already frail system. Investment in successful transition services only benefits communities and the economy.
Is the federal government doing enough to secure the borders? Why or why not?
No. First the problem does not begin at the border. We need to simultaneously address short and long-term national immigration policy. First and foremost we need to create a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants already living in the United States and brought to the U.S. as children, often referred to as Dreamers. There’s been minimal solutions to address the root causes of migration, such as poverty, violence, and instability in countries of origin. Until we resolve the circumstances that cause this crisis, there will never be any change. I support foreign policies that aim to promote stability and economic development in these regions to reduce the need for people to migrate out of necessity. The United States needs to be a leader on how to handle immigration policy leading with compassion first to create economic stability, and security. We need to elect and support candidates who work on long-term solutions and we need to lose the negative rhetoric about immigration and celebrate all that immigration has brought to this country.
Should the US stop funding Israel and support a ceasefire in Gaza?
Yes to both. Military aid to Israel must be halted, under the Leahy principle as there are multiple reports from Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, B’tselem, and the UN that show multiple human rights violations. The Biden Administration has failed the American public and the international community with its handling of the current War on Gaza. While it’s widely reported that the President and his cabinet members are wringing their hands with distress by the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, they have been unwilling to transform this distress into action. Instead, this administration has continued to send more military aid to Israel and has unilaterally bombed Yemen, fanning the flames for a regional war. This type of unilateral military action undermines the core values of democracy that we stand for as Americans. Furthermore, we are not helpless bystanders of this genocide. We need to listen to the majority of Americans who support an immediate permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
Should the U.S. continue providing aid to Ukraine?
Yes, but we need to consider the long term plan. Endless wars, and endless military spending needs to be curtailed, in the favor of diplomatic pressure. The US needs to reclaim its position as adept diplomatic leaders rather than rely on military might and trillions of our tax dollars (which should be invested in our communities). Current military spending is absolutely unsustainable and relying solely on the military to maintain US leadership in the world is shortsighted. We need to re-invest in finding true diplomatic leaders who can act as adept negotiators, and build that culture of creating true statesmen and stateswomen who can lead the international community.
Should candidates be disqualified from holding office if they faced misdemeanor charges related to Jan. 6, 2021?
Yes. Follow the 14th amendment but be reasonable and fair. Those elected officials who tried to overthrow our government should not be allowed to hold office again.
What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?
Above anything else, I’m a mom. I am doing all of this for my son, but it’s also meant making a lot of sacrifices in the time I have with him. I’m lucky to have a strong support system in my family who helps me with the crucial childcare I need in order to run for office. I’m lucky, but many people don’t have the support system. Childcare costs and accessibility are barriers to many women entering and staying in the workplace, let alone take on the huge task of running for office. We need more women in the workforce and we really need more women in elected positions. My experience guides me because I’ve lived it, I understand it, and I will fight for all women to not have to have the same struggles.
Town of Residence: Oakbrook Terrace
Office Sought:
U.S. House of Representatives, Illinois 6th Congressional District
Party Affiliation: Democrat
Family: Mother of one son
Education:
Loyola U., Purdue U. Masters of Public Health
Occupation: Public Health Advocate, 8 years experience
Previous/current elected office: n/a
Campaign Website: Ahmadforhouse.com
The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.
Cost of Living: Working as a public health director, I saw daily how insufficient access to medical care can destroy lives. This is what compelled me to run for office. As I spoke to community members and neighbors, I heard again and again how the American dream was being crushed under the ever increasing cost of housing, the lifelong burden of student debt, the ballooning costs of childcare, and the exploitative cost of elder care. In addition to supporting legislation to make healthcare a human right with access, I would support legislation like The American Housing and Economic Mobility Act to make housing more affordable and the Child Care for Every Community Act to make childcare more affordable and accessible. It’s not just about making these things affordable, it’s also about making them readily accessible.
What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?
I am here to put the people I serve first. I take donations from people and not from special interests, large corporations or foreign influenced lobbyists. So considerations of what my big donors want will not hold me back from putting my constituents’ needs and wants first. I believe special interest funding grossly corrupts politicians no matter how well meaning the politician may be. I am proud that I have never accepted a cent in funding from big pharma, insurance companies, fossil fuel companies or any other lobbyists. I plan to be a representative that is responsive and beholden to my constituents and ONLY my constituents.
If you are a challenger, in what way has the current officeholder failed the constituency?
Casten does not listen and serve his constituents well. Most Americans call for universal health care. He is against it. Most Americans are for a Ceasefire especially in this district that includes a significant Muslim and Arab population. One of the highest concentrations of Palestinians in a congressional district. Little Palestine is partly in the district. There are several urgent issues that need addressing in a strong urgent way. The genocide in Gaza, the looming climate change catastrophe, rising income inequality, health care that doesn’t work for us. Casten is ok with the status quo. We need a fighter who will stand up for us, one whose decisions are not encumbered by corporate donors. My campaign is people driven and 100 % people funded.
Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform:
My experience as a public health advocate gave me a first hand view at how broken our system is. This is what drove me to run. I would sponsor HR 1976, Medicare for All Act of 2021, because I am passionate about making sure everyone has healthcare. My parents were both doctors. I saw them treat patients in their offices even if they could not pay. Healthcare is a right not a privilege. Medicare For All would save over $300 billion and 68,000 lives a year according to a Yale study. It would be good for our economy and make US businesses more competitive in the world economy because businesses would not be paying for expensive health insurance for their employees.
If you gain this position, what accomplishment would define your term in office as a success?
Ultimately, the only fair judgment of any politician is whether they left the office a little better than they found it. I ran on a promise in 2018 to do what my predecessor didn’t do. To hold town halls, to stand up to Donald Trump, to make decisions based on facts and science rather than political convenience. On those measures, I think I’ve succeeded in making this office better.
Why are you running for office?
To put people first! I was born in the small city of Quetta in Pakistan, where my parents spoke Balochi and Farsi. Despite their different languages, they shared a common dream: the American Dream. They instilled in me the belief in an American dream rooted not in towering buildings and vast fortunes, but in Thomas Jefferson’s vision of equality and opportunity for all. When we came to America, my parents, both doctors, brought with them a legacy of service to others. As a child, I did my homework in my father’s office, watching him care for patients, even when they couldn’t afford treatment. I dreamed of continuing his noble legacy and carrying on my father’s tradition of serving people when I entered healthcare in public health. However, I was so disheartened by the way healthcare actually works in our country: profits come first, and people second. This dysfunction is not just in healthcare but in many aspects of people’s lives in America. There’s growing wealth inequality, a climate crisis, wars, and human rights not respected, as in Gaza. Our campaign is driven and funded to serve the people. When elected, I will fight for the people and put people first.
Explain your attitudes toward fiscal policy, government spending and how taxpayer dollars should be handled by your office?
Taxpayer dollars should be used to benefit the taxpayers, not special interests like coal, oil, and weapons manufacturers. Prioritize spending that helps the constituents. Our tax system should be reformed so that the wealthy pay a higher effective rate for income and other taxes than the poor or working people. During Eisenhower’s presidency the taxes were far higher on the wealthy than on the working and middle class. Politifact says…” top earners in the eight years of Eisenhower’s presidency paid a top income tax rate of 91 percent.” Yet our economy was never stronger.
I would reevaluate the mission of our military. There is a lot of military action that is counter productive and makes us less secure, often alienating large parts of the world. Consider that decades of wars in the Middle East which have left millions of people dead, have laid land to waste and have increased anti American sentiment. Further, would we be able to achieve our foreign policy aims by cheaper and more effective diplomacy? Use a carrot not just the stick. What are we doing that brings our citizens security? This is what we should invest in. There is too much waste. The military should be audited to find the waste and eliminate it and use the savings for social programs. Further, we should engage more robustly in military base realignment and closure, and evaluate the number of overseas bases we have, especially in Germany and Japan. In both these countries we have approximately 120 military bases and thousands of stationed soldiers, these bases require billions of dollars to maintain annually, and this money can again be used to invest in our communities at home.
What would you do to help constituents struggling with the ever-increasing cost of living?
This is the number one issue affecting Americans. First, any person working full-time should be making a livable wage. We need to increase the minimum wage to match growing costs of living. We also need to remove the barriers that prevent people from growing wealth and prevent people from falling into debt. Most bankruptcies are due to medical costs/debt. Universal single payer healthcare would be the best way to help this problem.
Regarding the migrant crisis: Should the Biden Administration stiffen requirements for asylum seekers, and should Texas provide more notice to Illinois when busing migrants to the Chicago area?
No the requirements for asylum should be reasonable and in line with the UN. But rules should be updated to make sure that those who are eligible can apply for and receive asylum. Texas should not be able to unilaterally ship asylum seekers and immigrants to cities in the north. There should be a national program to assist these people that treats them with dignity but minimizes impact on local areas that receive asylum seekers.
Should state or federal funding be provided to help municipalities address the arrival of asylum seekers?
We need to stop the negative spin on arriving asylum seekers. Not only is accepting and welcoming these people the humane thing to do, immigration makes economies more dynamic and actually helps grow the economy. Leaving people to fend for themselves due to underfunded and resourced transition programs only puts strain on the already frail system. Investment in successful transition services only benefits communities and the economy.
Is the federal government doing enough to secure the borders? Why or why not?
No. First the problem does not begin at the border. We need to simultaneously address short and long-term national immigration policy. First and foremost we need to create a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants already living in the United States and brought to the U.S. as children, often referred to as Dreamers. There’s been minimal solutions to address the root causes of migration, such as poverty, violence, and instability in countries of origin. Until we resolve the circumstances that cause this crisis, there will never be any change. I support foreign policies that aim to promote stability and economic development in these regions to reduce the need for people to migrate out of necessity. The United States needs to be a leader on how to handle immigration policy leading with compassion first to create economic stability, and security. We need to elect and support candidates who work on long-term solutions and we need to lose the negative rhetoric about immigration and celebrate all that immigration has brought to this country.
Should the US stop funding Israel and support a ceasefire in Gaza?
Yes to both. Military aid to Israel must be halted, under the Leahy principle as there are multiple reports from Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, B’tselem, and the UN that show multiple human rights violations. The Biden Administration has failed the American public and the international community with its handling of the current War on Gaza. While it’s widely reported that the President and his cabinet members are wringing their hands with distress by the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, they have been unwilling to transform this distress into action. Instead, this administration has continued to send more military aid to Israel and has unilaterally bombed Yemen, fanning the flames for a regional war. This type of unilateral military action undermines the core values of democracy that we stand for as Americans. Furthermore, we are not helpless bystanders of this genocide. We need to listen to the majority of Americans who support an immediate permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
Should the U.S. continue providing aid to Ukraine?
Yes, but we need to consider the long term plan. Endless wars, and endless military spending needs to be curtailed, in the favor of diplomatic pressure. The US needs to reclaim its position as adept diplomatic leaders rather than rely on military might and trillions of our tax dollars (which should be invested in our communities). Current military spending is absolutely unsustainable and relying solely on the military to maintain US leadership in the world is shortsighted. We need to re-invest in finding true diplomatic leaders who can act as adept negotiators, and build that culture of creating true statesmen and stateswomen who can lead the international community.
Should candidates be disqualified from holding office if they faced misdemeanor charges related to Jan. 6, 2021?
Yes. Follow the 14th amendment but be reasonable and fair. Those elected officials who tried to overthrow our government should not be allowed to hold office again.
What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?
Above anything else, I’m a mom. I am doing all of this for my son, but it’s also meant making a lot of sacrifices in the time I have with him. I’m lucky to have a strong support system in my family who helps me with the crucial childcare I need in order to run for office. I’m lucky, but many people don’t have the support system. Childcare costs and accessibility are barriers to many women entering and staying in the workplace, let alone take on the huge task of running for office. We need more women in the workforce and we really need more women in elected positions. My experience guides me because I’ve lived it, I understand it, and I will fight for all women to not have to have the same struggles.
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