Julie Hamos has represented the 18th District in the Illinois General Assembly since 1998. She is now vying for the 10th District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, currently held by Mark Kirk.
As state representative, Hamos chairs the House Mass Transit Committee and is a member of the environmental caucus. Some of Hamos' other legislative interests have revolved around domestic-violence protections, reform of the supermax prison Tamms Correctional Center and consumer access to healthcare information.
Hamos was born in Budapest, Hungary; her family fled that country for the United States during the Hungarian Revolution. Prior to her election as a state representative, Hamos worked for then-State's Attorney Richard Daley. She opened her own legal firm, which represented AIDS Foundation of Chicago and Chicago House, in 1988.
Windy City Times: What are the big issues for you in this year's election?
Julie Hamos: Well, the number-one issue for constituents everywhere, I think, is the economy. and we're certainly hearing about that with everybody we talk to, and I think we're going to see some creative kinds of approaches coming out of Congress. The economy is, I'd say, number one, and healthcare—people are watching the healthcare plan roll out.
WCT: What's your take on that, and how that's going?
Julie Hamos: Well, we don't know what it's going to be. Now it's really changing day by day. What I'm really sure about is that it's just the beginning, and we'll have work to do for many years to come. It's the kind of policy-making I really believe in, which is not just pass a bill and you're done, but really work with it and stay on top of it for the long haul.
WCT: Are the concerns of your constituents going to be different, now that you're possibly moving from the state district to the larger congressional district?
Julie Hamos: I think that they're not necessarily so different. I think people respond to their own concerns and their own issues and I think the two top agendas this year really have been about the economy and healthcare. And I think that would be true if we were running for state office or federal office—that's where the constituents are. But on the other hand, I think that the district I've enjoyed representing for 11 years now has always valued the leadership role I've taken on many other issues. I've had a big appetite for taking on a lot of different issues—challenging, complex issues—so I think that's the way I'm going to be as a congresswoman, too. I don't see the role of a congresswoman—an effective congresswoman—as being just a vote or a campaign promise that we go off to send out a press release on, but to really build coalitions, try to understand the challenges, develop action plans, develop strategies, and move public policy along. That's what I've been doing for 30 years—even long before I was elected.
WCT: On immigration reform, something we've been writing a lot about in our paper is the Uniting American Families Act, which allows same-sex partners to sponsor one another [ for citizenship ] , on par with heterosexual partners.
Julie Hamos: I think that's really important. I think that we will see an immigration reform plan put forward as soon as some of these other issues are behind us. And I'm an immigrant myself. I came here from Budapest, Hungary during the revolution. We escaped during the revolution. So I have a different kind of sensitivity to immigrant issues. So I'm sure that I'll be a player—I'm sure that immigrants in Congress will be players as they develop the many parts of a comprehensive plan.
WCT: What does the healthcare debate mean for another huge [ debate ] next year? I don't know if that bodes well, or if it's kind of auspicious…
Julie Hamos: It's interesting you ask it that way. I think the public is a little bit on overload, and I think there needs to be some sensitivity to that before tackling another big issue. Having said that, let me say the other part of it, the balance: I am really aware that a lot of the Obama supporters, who wanted to support him and came out in droves to support change, are impatient. They want change right now—tomorrow. So they're not going to be too excited about sitting back and waiting. It's a balance.
WCT: Do you have much of an LGBT constituency up here? What are you hearing from them?
Julie Hamos: I just consider the LGBT constituency to be my constituency anyway, because I always have. So let me just give you a bit of my background on this. Going back to the early '80s, I was recruited by the brand-new State's Attorney Rich Daley to join his team. And among the policy changes we wanted to see was a look at how the criminal justice system was dealing with hate crimes. It was very clear that the gay and lesbian community was not being responded to—by the police, the prosecutors, the system. So going back that far I was the one that really did constituency-building and introduced that constituency to the State's Attorney's office.
When I got to Springfield 11 years ago, the very first year I was there, we were in the throes of trying to pass the human rights act. It took us thirty years to pass the human rights act in Illinois. So I was very much a part of the team that helped move that along, and made that possible, and I've just been very committed to this constituency from the beginning.
WCT: I wanted to ask about marriage, which is another big thing, in addition to the immigration piece, that a lot of people are interested in.
Julie Hamos: I'm committed to marriage equality, and would like to see states, one by one, take that on. Marriage and dissolution of marriage really is a state issue, which is why we have to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act, because that really prohibits states from enforcing other states' orders, which is ridiculous. When Iowa passed marriage equality, it seemed like anything was possible. Illinois is still going to be a challenge. But I think there will be a new interest in moving equality along. I think there will be a new interest in really trying to galvanize the forces and just go full steam ahead to get marriage equality here in Illinois. I think it's going to be a challenge, but I think it's a good one.
WCT: You think there's just more political will?
Julie Hamos: I think it's changing the environment, I think it's changing the consciousness. I'd like to think so. We still have a very conservative state in some ways. My personal belief about marriage equality is that this is a generational problem. I mean, there is no young person who is going to come of age and going to think that it's a big deal. On the other hand, I started here in Illinois back in the seventies, when we were struggling with the Equal Rights Amendment. We never did get it passed in Illinois. So I hope that's not the future of equality. I hope not. It's going to take a lot of work. Nobody thinks otherwise.
See www.juliehamos.org .
