Mike Quigley has proudly represented Illinois 5th District for more than 13 years. Since being elected to Congress, Mike has been devoted to fighting for our environment, small businesses, the LGBTQ community, healthcare access, and ending gun violence.
His passion for public service can be traced back more than four decades. From 1998 to 2009, he served as a Cook County Commissioner where he worked to increase transparency within the Cook County Board of Commissioners.
He currently serves as the Chair of the Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government on the House Committee on Appropriations. Mike has utilized his position on the Committee to bring investment back to his district. Most recently, he secured over $10 million for projects within the community that will do everything from enhancing public health opportunities, to improving our city’s infrastructure.
The First Amendment to our Constitution protects five fundamental values of our society – religion, speech, press, and the right to petition and assemble. Our unwavering commitment to these principles has withstood tough battles throughout our history and has remained a cornerstone of our democracy.
Our nation is strongest when we come together to understand, support, and celebrate one another’s differences – this includes differences of religion. Hate-filled speech or actions that pit people of various faiths against one another is not only unacceptable, it is inconsistent with our founding ideals. Unfortunately, despite all of the progress we’ve made, it is clear that more work remains to ensure all Americans feel safe to worship how they so choose.
In 1860, Frederick Douglass said, “to suppress free speech is a double wrong. It violates the rights of the hearer as well as those of the speaker." During a time when the media is under attack from the Administration, simply for doing its job and holding those in government accountable for their actions, it is important to acknowledge what an important role free press and speech play in our democracy each and every day.
In order to support an open and transparent government that works on behalf of the American people, we must continue to protect the First Amendment from efforts to restrict or suppress information. We must ensure that the public has the resources and opportunities needed to understand governmental action and respond accordingly by voting, assembling, protesting, and sharing ideas with others.