Raja Krishnamoorthi

When I was a young child, my parents came to America in search of a better life for them and their family.

Before I was elected to Congress, I helped to create the public corruption unit in the office of Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan. Unfortunately, business was good. Among the usual suspects were government contracts steered to insiders - leaving Illinois taxpayers holding the bag.

One of the best programs that the federal government sponsors is the Small Business Innovation Research program, in which more than 2.5 percent of federal research and development funding at the largest agencies goes directly to small businesses.

As a small-business man myself, I believe strongly that improving the health of small businesses is the key to improving the economy, growing the middle class, and creating innovative products and services.

In the private sector, as the president of a small business, my focus has been on driving the growth of our business, not driving any partisan political agenda.

As the son of legal immigrants to America who came from India, I support stronger border security for our nation as well as deporting undocumented immigrants who have committed serious crimes.

China is eating our lunch with regard to renewable energy.

When the chair of an investigating committee refuses to share vital findings or source information with any of his colleagues, his committee's ability to function has been fundamentally undermined.

I hope that President-elect Trump will drop his unrealistic campaign pledge to deport millions of immigrants who've made their lives in this country and contribute to our country.

If I am elected to Congress, I will put the interests of our community first, and I will actively seek input and respond to it.

When the norm is decency, other virtues can thrive: integrity, honesty, compassion, kindness, and trust.

There's another important reason not to send the Dreamers packing: they are essential to preserving the social insurance programs on which older Americans rely.