Meet Bushra Amiwala: Congressional Candidate In IL-09

SKOKIE, IL — Bushra Amiwala, a former Skokie School Board member, is running for the U.S. House of Representatives, IL-09.

Amiwala worked as a former Solutions Consultant at Google from 2020 to 2025 before becoming a full-time candidate for Congress.

Learn more about Amiwala:

Campaign website

bushraforcongress.com

Education

BA, DePaul University MBA, Northwestern University

The single most pressing issue facing our district or state is ___________, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The single most pressing issue facing our district is affordability. Families here are being squeezed by rising rents, higher grocery prices, student loan debt, medical bills, and property taxes, all while wages lag behind costs. This is not accidental. It is the result of policy choices. In Congress, I will fight to reverse those choices. That means repealing all the remaining tariffs that function as a tax on working families, cracking down on corporate price gouging, and passing progressive tax reforms so billionaires and corporations pay their fair share. I will raise wages by protecting the right to unionize and supporting labor standards that allow workers to keep up with the cost of living. I will also push to ban hedge funds from monopolizing housing and invest in affordable housing construction so families are not priced out of their own communities.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

Unlike my opponents, I do not accept funds from corporate PACs, AIPAC or AIPAC-adjacent funds. I have rejected corporate PAC influence since the dawn of my political career. I will never be beholden to any entities whose interests contradict those of my constituents. In addition, I am the only candidate in this race who has managed people, projects and budgets. Those are the skills necessary to be an effective legislator. I have been a resident of IL-09 my entire life, having built up relationships with local leaders, advocates and organizers. I know every neighborhood in this district. I understand the local economies, demographics, power structures and on-the-ground realities more intimately than any of my opponents. I know how to lead with empathy and bring others along. My goal above all else is to make life better for every constituent in IL-09. I feel well-equipped to do so as their next representative in Congress.

Do you believe an inequity exists between funding for wealthy and poor schools? If so, what would you do to address the disparity?

Gross disparities exist between schools in wealthy and less affluent neighborhoods. Again, the burden for funding local schools also falls squarely on property taxpayers. I will take 1% of the national defense budget and reallocate it to our public schools across the country. At present, only 2% of our public school funding comes from the federal government. That isn’t nearly enough. As a school board member, I understand that schools are the nuclei of our communities. They are often the only places where students can get breakfast and lunch. Cuts to public school funding are detrimental and immoral. I will fight any proposed cuts to the Department of Education and increase the share of federal funding to our public schools. The quality of education American students receive should not depend on their zip code.

If you support tax cuts in Illinois, what spending should be eliminated to offset those cuts?

I support comprehensive property tax reform to take the burden off of working families who are disproportionately saddled with high tax bills. Skyrocketing property taxes are causing our cost of living to skyrocket, especially for families, and has led to neighbors being pushed out of their homes in IL-9. Tax relief for middle- and low-income homeowners has never been more necessary. In lieu of spending cuts, I support a wealth tax on households worth over $50 million, a billionaire minimum tax, stronger corporate taxation, a financial transaction tax, and robust enforcement against high-dollar tax evasion. These steps would generate substantial revenue while improving fairness.

What would you do to help constituents struggling with the ever-increasing cost of living, housing and healthcare?

Unaffordability is not inevitable. Again, it is the result of policy decisions. In Congress, I will choose people over profiteering and work to build an economy where families can afford to live, save, and plan for the future. That starts with affordable housing and attainable healthcare.

We are living through the worst affordable housing crisis in modern history. Housing is a human right, yet families across this district are being priced out of the communities they built. Congress has the power to act. I will expand federal investment in deeply affordable housing through programs like the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit and Housing Choice Vouchers. I will support legislation such as Rep. Delia Ramirez’s HOME Act to cut red tape that keeps families from accessing help. I will tie federal dollars to strong tenant protections, push to block hedge funds and private equity from buying up homes and apartment buildings, and advance zoning and infill reforms that allow affordable housing near transit and job centers.

Unaffordability cannot be addressed without confronting healthcare costs. We pay more for our healthcare than any other nation on earth. In my district, even people with insurance are skipping care, rationing medication, or carrying medical debt. Prescription drugs, emergency visits, and routine care have become unaffordable. I support Medicare for All to guarantee universal access to quality care, while also fighting for immediate relief through a strong public option, drug price caps, and protections that cannot be easily rolled back. We are the only industrialized nation not to adopt a Medicare-for-All-adjacent system. Our doctors, nurses and patients suffer for it. There is a reason that’s the case: the health insurance lobby has bought our lawmakers in Congress. I will not accept any corporate or PAC funds because I will not be beholden to the insurance lobby—or any group that does not have the best interest of my constituents at heart.

Do you support redistricting in a non-census year?

No.

Do you support the full release of the Epstein files with the victims' names redacted? What should Congress do to pressure the DOJ into following the law with the full release of the Epstein files?

Yes. Congress passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which is now the law of the land. The DOJ must comply with it. If top officials at the DOJ continue to delay and obscure crucial materials within the files, then Congress must force them to release all relevant material. That means charging them with Contempt of Congress if necessary. It also means impeaching DOJ officials who are obstructing the release of the files. Finally, Congress must continue holding hearings and using its oversight powers to ensure the Act is followed to the letter. It’s appalling that this administration seems so eager to cover up the abusive actions of powerful men. The victims of Jeffrey Epstein deserve to know that their government is working towards justice.

Do you support the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement in the Chicago area and beyond? Why or why not? If not, what changes do you think should be made?

No. My district is a microcosm of the world. People in other districts can’t say that. We’re lucky to live here. In IL-09, you can sample cuisine, see art and hear music from virtually every culture, language and tradition. My district is a happier, more vibrant and economically successful place because of its diversity. That’s what Gregory Bovino and his paramilitary ICE force hates about us. That’s what they want to change.

No government agency should operate the way ICE is operating. In my district, residents are afraid to go to work, buy groceries, or take a walk without fear of being violently detained. Children go to school not knowing whether their parents will be home when class lets out. This is not public safety. This is state violence. ICE is notoriously secretive, but the outcomes are clear: people are seized without due process, held in inhumane conditions without adequate food, water, or sanitation, transferred far from their families, deported, and in some cases subjected to abuse.

I support abolishing ICE and replacing it with a humane immigration system rooted in due process, transparency, and constitutional limits. I will work to end mass raids, shut down inhumane detention centers, increase access to legal representation, and hire more immigration judges and court staff so cases are heard fairly and promptly. Congress must use its oversight powers to investigate these abuses and hold officials accountable, while ensuring immigration enforcement respects civil rights, family unity, and human dignity.

Do you support the repeal of the SAFE-T Act, which eliminated cash bail? Why or why not, and do you think wealthier defendants should have an easier route to release?

No. Cash bail is the most blatant, discriminatory aspect of the American justice system. Defendants should be detained or released on the basis of their perceived threat to society, not how much cash they have on hand. I’m proud that the SAFE-T Act eliminated cash bail in my state. Due process should not look different for the wealthy.

Would you push to repeal the TRUST Act, which bars local police cooperation with federal immigration enforcement? Why or why not?

No. Our local police should not cooperate with ICE in any way. That’s because ICE should be abolished. ICE agents commit violence with impunity and violate detainees’ rights to due process. Any evidence they bring forth would be inadmissible in court because of ICE’s unconstitutional actions like warrantless searches and arrests. ICE is incompatible with a constitutional justice system.

At the very least, immigration enforcement must be bound by the same constitutional standards as any other law enforcement body. No warrantless searches. No home or workplace raids. No harassment of civilians. The Constitution applies to everyone.

Where do you agree and disagree with President Donald Trump on policy?

I disagree with President Trump on most issues. But all my disagreements with his policies are irrelevant if Congress is cut out of the policymaking process entirely. Congress has voluntarily yielded its power to the executive branch. For example, only Congress has the power to declare war. Yet the president has unilaterally bombed Iran and deposed the leader of Venezuela. Only Congress has the power to levy taxes. Yet the president has imposed tariffs that tax each and every one of us (and continues to do so even after the Supreme Court intervened). Only Congress has the power of the purse. Yet the president has frozen funding for infrastructure programs that were duly approved by Congress. None of this is constitutional. Congress is supposed to be a co-equal branch of government. I would have voted to impeach President Trump after he bombed Iran, and again after he invaded Venezuela. I agree with him that Nicholas Maduro was a cruel and abusive leader. However, I disagree with his decision to disrespect the Constitution and cut Congress out of the decision-making process. This action sets a frightening precedent that hurts our democracy and threatens to render Congress irrelevant.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I am running to help Congress reclaim its power. Congress has the powers of oversight and investigation. We can and must document every abuse of power this rogue president has committed over the past year and bring all those who violated the law to justice. Then we must repeal the unconstitutional tariffs to which President Trump continues to cling. Don’t assume that he will give up on his tariff obsession just because of one court ruling. These tariffs are destroying the economy, making everything from groceries to transportation more expensive, and literally stealing money from hardworking Americans.

While I’m working to reverse the damage already done, I realize that it’s not enough for my party to simply oppose Trump. Democrats must propose a creative and bold vision of governance that makes life better for all of us. That means addressing the worst housing shortage in modern U.S. history. It means providing student loan assistance to help 44 million Americans get out of debt. It means funding our infrastructure at a responsible level so no one has to worry about getting to work on time. And it means addressing the climate crisis so the next generation inherits a livable planet. My district deserves a positive force in Congress. My constituents will not have to keep up with my press releases and public statements to know what I’ve been working on; they will be able to notice real improvements in their day-to-day lives. A new era of accountability, tangible results and legislative power will begin as soon as I take office.

Editor's note: The same questionnaire was sent to every candidate who has filed to run in this election. The Q&A's are run verbatim from their responses and are not modified by Patch staff.