Congressional Catch-Up: Daniel Biss

Daniel Biss grew up in Bloomington, Ind. and moved to Chicago to join the University of Chicago’s mathematics faculty after completing his bachelor’s degree at Harvard University and his Ph.D. in mathematics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Biss, 48, was first drawn to activism when he was 25, speaking out to oppose the Iraq war and organizing support for progressive candidates and ideas, according to his website. After serving in both the Illinois House and Senate, Biss was elected mayor of Evanston in 2021. 

Biss said Chicago is in an emergency and requires people who know both how to fight and win inside of government as well as on the streets as activists and organizers. He said he’s proud to be both and wants to make an impact in public service through a congressional seat in Illinois’s 9th District.

Economy

Biss said over the past two generations, the nation has watched as the biggest corporations have consolidated. These corporations have monopoly power across the economy, and labor unions have shrunk.

He said he would pass legislation similar to the Protecting the Right to Organize Act which will put power back into the hands of workers in the labor market. He said he’s proud to be endorsed by The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations and other labor unions who view him as the right person to fight for working families.

Immigration

Biss said ICE should be abolished. He said the nation shouldn’t have a military-style organization doing interior border enforcement. Instead, he said he hopes immigration laws can be enforced in a decent, humane way consistent with American values and law.

He said immigrants make life more culturally vibrant and fulfilling as people learn and spend time together across differences. He said immigrants benefit the American economy and bring in workers, innovators and entrepreneurs who create jobs. Without immigration, America would risk becoming a shrinking country. 

Young Voters

Biss said the economic reality Gen Z voters are experiencing is “messed up,” and he’s frustrated with the government’s failure to solve problems.

Biss said the solution for Democrats is to not only say the right things, but then do the right things to change people’s lives. He said he hopes the government can recognize how life continues to get harder for most people, but better for the wealthiest people. He hopes this stigma can be reversed. 

Biss said the Democratic party has poorly communicated in a broadcast television way suited to older audiences. To attract young voters, Biss said his campaign focuses on communication online. He said he doesn’t want to communicate “at” people online, but rather listen, organize and lift up the voices of others. He said having an agenda which responds to the realities faced by young voters is critical.

Protecting Democracy

Biss said President Donald Trump is the biggest threat to democracy.

He said he thinks ICE, CBP and National Guard troops will be utilized to suppress voter turnout and induce fear. He wants to push voter information out early, so people can vote early and by mail.

Biss said the corrosive role that money plays in politics is an equally severe threat to democracy. He said the Democratic Party is failing to connect with young voters, and these voters think the system is bought and paid for.

He said young voters view the race and see a single organization, AIPAC, bankrolling one candidate through right-wing money and hiding where it’s coming from. 

He said candidates think they can trick the Democratic voters of this district into doing what the out of state, Republican donors want. He said when people stop living in a democracy, it stops working.

Gaza, Israel and the Age Divide

Biss said his grandparents survived the Holocaust and moved to Israel in 1948 when it was a brand-new country struggling to survive. His parents viewed Israel as an underdog nation with few resources, so it was easy to root for the nation while acknowledging how Israel’s creation caused profound trauma for many Palestinians. 

He said today, people are concerned with the different realities seen in Gaza and West Bank, including policies and actions which have caused immense suffering. He said this shift is difficult for some to process.

Biss said it’s crucial to recognize the equal humanity of every Palestinian and Israeli, and to reject any policy which dehumanizes or diminishes one group’s rights. He said he believes a change in U.S. policy toward the Israeli government is needed, particularly when actions violate U.S. policy or international law. 

Biss said he doesn’t use the word “genocide” to describe what Israel has done, but he also doesn’t criticize those who do use the term. He said his goal is to build the biggest possible coalition to end the horror and bring peace, justice and self-determination for both peoples.

Abortion

Biss said he’s 100% pro-choice. He thinks the control being exerted over women by many state governments across the country is profoundly unacceptable, and he said the start to reproductive justice is codifying Roe v. Wade into federal law.

He said he thinks these decisions are not for the government — when the government tries to control people’s bodies and medical choices, bad things tend to follow, he said. 

Climate Change

Biss said he’s proud to be endorsed by the Sierra Club, the League of Conservation Voters and the Natural Resources Defense Council, who’ve seen him fight to pass a healthy buildings ordinance in Evanston, stronger than any other municipal climate change ordinance in the Midwest, by far, one of the strongest in the country.

Biss said he’s adopted the Illinois Stretch Code and the Energy Efficiency Code which has only been adopted by Evanston.

He said he’s worked to change zoning to allow for more transit-oriented development in Evanston. He also supports the Green New Deal, and he thinks cuts to the IRA should be reversed. He wants to see increased subsidy of the Clean Energy Transition while simultaneously rationing up a regulatory approach to ensure change is mandated and financed.

Most Important Issue

Biss said communities have been traumatized, abducted and assaulted under occupation of the federal government. He said he wants to fight to hold Trump and ICE Commander Greg Bovino accountable through passing “ICE-free zones,” removing license plate reader cameras and standing on the front lines as an activist.