The 7th District has endured numerous climate change related flooding events in recent years that have wreaked havoc on communities. In early July 2023, a record breaking amount of rain fell in Chicago which flooded blocks and basements. The West Side was hit especially hard when nearly 9 inches of rain fell in a 24-hour period.

It is estimated that basement flooding can reduce a home’s value by 10 - 25%.

Furthermore, these large scale flooding events are hiking up the cost of homeowners insurance premiums around the country. These painful increases in housing costs will disproportionately press on Black, brown, and immigrant communities who are least able to afford them.

The impacts of human induced climate change will also continue to have costly and deadly effects across the country. That's why I support:

• A Green New Deal

• Dramatic increases in funding for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and policies to safeguard vulnerable communities from flash flooding and other climate catastrophes. This includes emergency funding to support the immediate removal lead pipes and tackle the mold infestation and air pollution devastating families in the district.

• A moratorium on the construction of AI data centers until AI companies can demonstrate before Congress that these centers won't raise electricity costs for everyday families' and won't have severe impacts on worsening the climate crisis. If elected, I would work to bring key environmental, green energy, and tech stakeholders to the table to ensure AI data centers rely on renewable, clean energy to power.