Name: Dan Tully

What office are you seeking: US House of Representatives IL-8th

What is your political party? Democrat

What is your current age? 35

Occupation and employer: N/A

What offices, if any, have you previously held? N/A

City: Carol Stream, IL

Campaign website: www.DanTully.com

Education: University of Oxford,Oxford, UKexp. 9/2026, Master’s of Studies (MSt) in Practical Ethics; modules: Artificial Intelligence and Neuroethics, The University of Chicago Booth School of Business,Chicago, IL6/2025 Master of Business Administration (MBA); concentration: Economics, Tsinghua University School of Law,Beijing, PRC6/2022 Juris Master (LLM) in Chinese Law, Stanford Law School,Stanford, CA6/2017, Doctor of Jurisprudence (JD),Pro Bono High Distinction, Awards: U.S. Department of Education Foreign Language & Area Studies Fellowship (Mandarin); Fellowships at Auschwitz for the Study of Professional Ethics (FASPE) Law Program, Northwestern University,Evanston, IL6/2013, Bachelor of Arts (BA),magna cum laudein International Studies and Political Science (Honors), Awards: Phi Beta Kappa; Dean’s List 2009–2013; Center for the Study of the Presidency& Congress Fellowship; Department of International Studies Certificate of Distinction in a Foreign Language (Spanish & Mandarin)

Community involvement: N/A

Marital status/Immediate family: N/A

What are your top three legislative priorities for your first year in the U.S. House?

As this questionnaire highlights, there are many areas in need of urgent solutions from Congress. However, all of these solutions presuppose a functioning federal government, and that functioning status of our federal government is imperiled by the executive branch’s aggressive campaign to undermine the rule of law and advance a concentration of executive power. Thus, in order to wield legislative tools, we must first secure the institutions that uphold our democracy in the face of an executive administration aspiring toward authoritarianism.

My Trump Accountability Plan will ensure that we protect the institutional mechanisms necessary to pursue those solutions. As such, the top three legislative priorities are to enact the policies under each of the three Articles in my Trump Accountability Plan.

Under my plan’s Article I - Exerting Congressional Power, I begin with holding ICE accountable, reasserting Congress’ war powers, and reclaiming Congress’ role with respect to tariffs. I describe each of these points in detail in subsequent sections below.

My plan’s Article II - Limiting Presidential Power contains five steps that are necessary, regardless of who holds the presidency. First, the Attorney General role should be converted into an elected rather than appointed role; I go into detail below. Second, my plan recognizes that presidents of both parties have used the pardon to protect their political allies, donors, and families. Congressional must emplace limitations, including a suspension of pardon eligibility while an official is subject to impeachment proceedings. Third, I would advance an aggressive reading of Congress’ impeachment powers. Specifically, there is language in the constitution that would permit impeachment of any civil officer. In a context where the DOJ is unwilling to act, Congress must use all Constitutional means available to impose consequences on executive branch officials who have engaged in high crimes and misdemeanors. Similarly (and fourth), Congress must wield its inherent contempt power, implied by Congress’s inherent investigatory function, to issue contempt citations against any executive branch officials that willfully direct unlawful actions by their respective departments. Finally, Congress must advance a mandatory Presidential Code of Ethics that prevents Presidents, their families, and cabinet members from profiting off of their positions.

Finally, for my plan’s Article III - Reforming the Supreme Court’s Power, I focus on two areas. First, Congress must impose a new ethics code on the Supreme Court, including full financial transparency and mandatory recusals when a conflict of interest arises. Second, I propose that after 18 years of full active service on the Court, justices should be required to transition to senior status and allow a new generation of legal minds to enter the Court.

What specific local issues in this district will guide your work in Congress?

The leading local issues in this district are that the expenses associated with pursuing the American Dream have risen out of reach for many Americans. The aggregate costs of housing, groceries, utilities, and childcare exceed a middle class budget. In addition, the administration has elected administrative procedures to reduce access to essential safety net programs, including Medicaid and SNAP, leaving the most vulnerable without recourse. I will pursue the following specific legislative fixes to lower the cost of living and bring the American Dream back within reach.

Groceries: My grandfather was a corn farmer, and I know from my family members still in the industry that there has been comprehensive corporate consolidation in agriculture. With market power concentrated in only a few seed/chemical companies, competition is scarce, which allows prices to increase unchecked. Congress should pursue antitrust action, such as tasking the Federal Trade Commission’s Bureau of Competition to investigate allegations of monopoly and price-fixing. Making agriculture competitive again will lead to lower grocery prices.

Housing: Owning a home has gotten further out of reach for most Americans. In addition to addressing supply factors, Congress can also lower demand by prohibiting problematic purchasers, namely, institutional investors. Specifically, one of the key reasons why so many Americans can’t afford to buy homes is that private equity firms view single family homes as particularly lucrative assets. I will push for legislation that places conditions and restrictions on private equity from permanently owning single family homes. As more Americans are able to purchase homes again, more apartments will become available at a lower rent.

Utilities: Some communities in this district have seen their electric bills double in the last year due to the construction of new data centers. AI data centers will strain the grid even further, with one such complex expected to consume more electricity in a year than the entire congressional district of 750,000 people. Given that data centers impact interstate commerce, Congress should pass legislation requiring that any company seeking to construct a data center must bring its own source of energy or at least pay the increased cost that would have otherwise been passed onto residents of the community.

What federal funding priorities would you advocate for this district, including infrastructure needs like roads, bridges, broadband, and transit?

The 8th District is in need of federal funding for either maintenance or removal of its seven dams along the Fox River. The Army Corps of Engineers is coordinating with the local municipalities along the river to assess options for moving ahead. Action, either way, will be needed soon and will require investment from the federal government. Additionally, federal funding will be needed for the construction of a pipeline to connect Kane County to Lake Michigan water. Most of Kane relies on aquifers that will likely be depleted by the end of decade. Just like Joliet, Kane County would benefit from connecting to the ample source of fresh water but would need federal support to make the connection.

How will you prioritize the concerns of your district versus the priorities of your party?

If there were ever a conflict, I’d prioritize the concerns of the district that I’d represent.

Has Congress given up its Article I powers during the Trump administration? How would you restore congressional authority?

Congress has ceded parts of its Article I authority to the Executive across many administrations, including presidents of both parties. However, the speed and scope of de facto power transfer has accelerated under the Trump administration. In addition to the war powers and appropriations powers discussed elsewhere in this questionnaire, another glaring area of Congressional inaction to exert its own power is with respect to tariffs.

Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution makes it clear that tariffs are in the remit of Congress. Specifically, Congress’ enumerated powers include to “lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises” as well as “regulate Commerce with foreign Nations.” The issue is not whether the language is sufficiently explicit, but rather Congress has ceded its Constitutional role to the President through inaction and complacency. Hence, another point of my Trump Accountability Plan is that Congress needs to reassert its Constitutional role. To be clear, I’m not opposed to all tariffs. When used skillfully for specific purposes, tariffs can be an important tool. However, blanket tariffs animated by only the President’s whim and whimsy are devoid of merit. No President should have the power to unilaterally decide economic policy without consulting Congress.

What is your position on U.S. intervention, specifically Ukraine, Israel and Venezuela?

Ukraine is fighting at the frontlines of the war on freedom. I will advocate for continued assistance to Ukraine so that they can continue to defend their homeland from Putin’s unprovoked war of aggression. In addition, I support Israel’s right to exist and defend itself in accordance with its obligations under humanitarian law. I will call for a two state solution in which Israelis and Palestinians enjoy security in their own respective self-governing countries.

In Venezuela, Maduro was a corrupt, dangerous leader. Yet, by abducting the leader of a sovereign country, Trump has upended the system that has kept us safe since World War II. The legal analysis here, whether considering international or domestic law, couldn’t be more clear: kidnapping a foreign leader has no legal basis. Maduro’s fitness to lead was immaterial to whether we could legally kidnap him. The UN Charter prohibits any war of aggression, including the use of force against the political independence of any state. Trump’s actions signal to the world that the U.S. has withdrawn from the rules-based international order as the framework for relations between countries and Trump has instead subscribed America to a system of power through dominance. Might is right. In this new (old) system, what could we possibly say when Putin tries to take Ukraine or when Xi tries to take Taiwan? We had grounds to call out Putin for taking Crimea. Now we have become Putin. In their press conference, Trump and Hegseth kept marveling at the capabilities of the world strongest military, as if the capacity could ever excuse the culpability of being used as a tool for an oil grab. We took control of another country yet again with no plan for what comes next.

Do you believe the President should have the constitutional authority to order military strikes and detain a foreign head of state without prior Congressional authorization? Why or why not, and where should Congress draw the line between executive action and its own constitutional war powers?

I served as a military lawyer for over eight years, including three and a half on active duty. Our only hope to stop this unchecked executive action is for Congress to reassert its Constitutional prerogative to declare war. Per my Trump Accountability Plan, Congress must finally repeal the 2001 AUMF that has served as the justification for military action in over 20 countries, strengthen the War Powers Resolution, and exercise oversight over Hegseth’s DOW. There can be reasonable debate about what “declare” means in the context of modern warfare. However, the general principle should be that no President should be able to initiate military action against a country without Congressional approval. We shouldn’t be thrown into a military conflict without the direct input of Congress and the constituents they represent. In addition, the War Powers Resolution should be strengthened to mandate earlier reporting. For instance, in advance of Trump’s abduction of Maduro, the administration informed oil executives but not Congress.

Having served in Iraq, advised commanders in combat zones on matters of life and death, and advised four star commanders on legal decisions of strategic level national security consequences, I can credibly propose my plan to reinsert Congress into the war authorization process to serve as a check on this President’s imperial aspirations.

Do you believe any conduct of the current administration needs to be investigated?

In the context of a DOJ that is directly controlled by the President, Congress must actively wield its investigatory power as well as consider its full menu of remedies.

The administration has several senior officials who are openly directing and defending violations of law by their departments. For example, Kristi Noem is sending ICE to terrorize communities and now murder citizens. Pete Hegseth is encouraging the military to commit war crimes, such as committing perfidy during his illegal boat strikes. Some Democrats talk about impeachment, but we know that won’t work without the Senate. But if Democrats retake even just the House in 2026, I will call on Congress to exercise its inherent contempt power.

In contrast to the criminal contempt of Congress that is a statutory power, inherent contempt power is different because rather than being rooted in statute, it is implied by Congress’s inherent investigatory function. By flexing its inherent contempt power, Congress can issue a contempt citation against Noem and Hegseth, after which they would be arrested by the Sergeant-at-Arms of the House, brought to the House floor, held to answer charges by the presiding officer, and then be subjected to punishment, including fines or even imprisonment until the end of that session of Congress in 2029. The purpose would be to either compel Noem and Hegseth to rein in their out of control agencies or detain them to prevent further lawlessness. In the face of an executive branch trying to maximize its power, Congress needs to act as aggressively with its constitutional tools.

As effective as Congress can be at investigating, the federal government must also have an independent Department of Justice. Rather than opening up a new prosecution office under the direct supervision of the Vice President, a more effective way to empower the Department of Justice would be to insulate the Attorney General role completely from the president’s influence. Under my plan, instead of the president appointing the AG, the role would be elected by the American people. Specifically, the AG would be elected to a four year term during the midterms, alternating with the elections of the president. For a model of how executive power would work in effect, we need only look at the states, 43 of which (including Illinois) have an AG who is elected independently of the Governor. A constitutional amendment would likely be required, but this idea could garner bipartisan support, as every out-of-power party would like a chance to stand up to the party in the White House during the midterms. If we had this model now, we’d have an opportunity to send an executive branch official to DC to defend the rule of law. And that’s just it: Trump has shown us how our current system of checks and balances is insufficient if Congress decides to sit back and watch. We need an independently elected AG at the DOJ to restrain executive power from within the executive branch.

Has the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) gone too far in its recommendations?

As a former civil servant at the U.S. Department of Commerce, I was personally impacted by DOGE’s cuts. Specifically, some of my work was funded by USAID, which this administration immediately targeted. Despite the fact that USAID was funded by money allocated by Congress with the full force of law, DOGE directed that those funds be instead used to increase the size of the budget for ICE. This was a clear violation of our Constitution’s separation of power structure, and Congress refused to act. DOGE’s cuts have had disastrous consequences. In the foreign assistance space, for example, over 600,000 people have died whose lives could’ve been spared. DOGE ordered the incineration of medicine, food, and other life-saving supplies that USAID had in transit and storage around the world. We can all agree that fraud, waste, and abuse should be eliminated. However, by firing 17 Inspectors General in Trump’s first week, this administration removed our primary tool of addressing those issues.

How will you work across the aisle to pass legislation?

I was deployed in the Middle East on January 6, 2021. Envision a Joint Operations Center, a large room with approximately 40 people and large screens in front. Given the time zone difference, we watched the events at the Capitol play out in the early evening. Some of us were angry; others cheered. Political affiliations were made plain. However, when it came time for that night’s operation, we switched the screens displaying the news coverage to the drone feeds. We all returned to our desks to perform our respective tasks. The mission was a success. I see parallels with the situation we face as a country. We will always have political disagreements, some deeply felt. But when it comes time to conduct the mission – finding how we can face our great challenges ahead – we have to be able to turn off the politics and get to work. I’ll take that understanding to Congress.

Do you support term limits for House members, and if so, what limits?

Term limits for House members shifts power from elected representatives to unelected staff members. Rather than reduce government accountability, I’d prefer to make elections more competitive through campaign finance reform. Removing the influence of corporate and other special interests would help level the playing field for candidates to challenge incumbents. In addition, elections would be more competitive if all states agreed to prohibit gerrymandering. The only way this can be accomplished is for Congress to facilitate a nationwide compact by the states to employ independent redistricting commissions in drawing the new legislative districts after the 2030 census.

What is your stance on border security and immigration reform?

Just like every other country, we need to have strong border security and immigration laws, and we’ll need to have a law enforcement agency to enforce those laws. But first we need new immigration laws including pathways to citizenship. The first step is to establish that the responsibility of enforcing those laws can no longer remain in the hands of an agency guilty of so many abuses.

The current ICE/CPB apparatus is past the point of reform and must be dissolved and rebuilt from scratch in order to restore confidence. ICE shortened the training period for ICE agents from six months to six weeks. In contrast, I underwent four months of initial training before I was allowed to practice law in the military. ICE’s lack of training puts everyone at risk due to their unlawful tactics like brandishing weapons at people, brutalizing protestors, and even detaining citizens who film them.A woman was needlessly murdered and her children will grow up without their mother. There’s no accountability for what happened, and it is completely unacceptable.

Do you support changes to Social Security or Medicare to ensure long-term solvency?

Social Security and Medicare are promises made to generations of Americans that paid into the system and deserve the dignity of their retirement being secured against the whims of politicians who don’t have the courage to do what’s right. I strongly believe that what the Trump administration is doing right now - applying the “DOGE” perspective to the Social Security Administration and foolishly slashing customer service and frustrating seniors who rely on these benefits is doing enormous damage. For decades, the wealthiest among us have used tax loopholes to avoid paying income, payroll, capital gains, and local taxes. Before we ask a single social security recipient to make a sacrifice, we have to have a tax system that is fair. When we have fairness in the system, we can make reasonable adjustments to stabilize the trust fund and ensure retirement security for our seniors.

What should Congress do to address healthcare affordability?

Congress needs to address the fundamental problem of our country’s healthcare system. Specifically, for many people in this country, their healthcare is linked to their employment. If you lose your job, you lose your healthcare. When there are so many payors like private employers in the system, leverage is dispersed in negotiations with drug companies, insurance companies, and hospital companies. Those megacorporations effectively control access to healthcare and make decisions based on profitability rather than patient outcomes. Thus, the long-term solution to lower the cost of healthcare is to consolidate healthcare coverage into one responsible public payor that can offer universal healthcare care for all citizens. This would give the government leverage to bring down costs across the system, including for prescription drugs. Of course, while everyone in our country would be covered, we should also allow for commercial availability of private supplemental options for those who choose to also pay out-of-pocket. Another reason that giving everyone access to healthcare will lower costs is because preventive medicine is far cheaper than waiting to treat a health crisis.

Is the CDC a trustworthy, qualified source of information under RFK Jr.? How should public health policy be managed?

Whether in the context of the DOJ, the Federal Reserve, or the CDC, the infusion of politics into an apolitical institution impairs public trust. RFK’s approach to public health is not to follow the science, but instead bend government policy to advance preformed conclusions often rooted in conspiracy. While many CDC employees remain dedicated to science, the institution’s routing of information through RFK’s political filters diminishes the credibility of any CDC recommendations. Congress should remove the CDC from DHS oversight and instead establish the CDC as a fully independent agency like the Federal Reserve such that its decisions are insulated from political interference.

How should Congress regulate artificial intelligence, if at all?

Simultaneously the most dangerous and compelling technological invention, AI is ripe for responsible regulation. We must balance our embrace of innovation against caution worthy of such a threat. AI is unique among human inventions, as it has the potential for agency, such that it can act and make decisions of its own volition. We must take steps now to ensure that AI remains a tool and never becomes a master. Not only do we need responsible guardrails that keep humanity at the center of AI innovation, we also need to criminalize the use of AI by any government employee to fabricate public communications of any kind.

If Democrats win the House in 2026, how do you feel about calls for impeaching President Trump?

I’m open to impeachment of President Trump, but I see limited utility of the approach if the Senate lacks the votes to convict, as has happened the last two times. I have much more confidence in the efficacy of the measures discussed in my Trump Accountability Plan to end this administration’s lawlessness.

If Democrats win the House, what issues should oversight committees investigate first?

Operation Midway Blitz and similar ICE operations around the country are the primary means of the President’s authoritarian agenda to terrorize immigrant and minority communities while quashing dissent. There is no place in America for the government to deploy untrained, masked agents to ask for papers and detain anyone who stands in their way of acting with express cruelty. To both seek redress for abuses and introduce deterrence, the Democrat-led House of Representatives must create a commission that is dedicated to ensuring ICE accountability. By using the full force of the law, we will subpoena the Department of Homeland Security to disclose travel records, vehicle logs, and agent rosters to identify every masked ICE agent who committed a crime. Congress will impeach every single ICE agent who has violated the rights of Americans and ban them from ever holding a job in the federal government again. The commission will also have cases ready for the DOJ to examine once its independence is restored.

What issues, if any, do you agree with Republicans on?

I’m not sure what issues Republicans stand for these days. No coherent governing philosophy underlies the current party other than loyalty to follow the whims of an unpredictable president.

Should private equity and hedge funds be allowed to purchase so many homes?

As discussed above, I will push for legislation that places conditions and restrictions on private equity, hedge funds, and other institutional investors from permanently owning single family homes.

Do you support or oppose the expansion of work requirements for SNAP recipients? Why?

I oppose deliberately designing administrative hurdles that are overly complex so as to in effect trim the lists of participating eligible citizens. Many SNAP benefits are unable to work, and adding a work requirement for eligibility would simply lead to more people starving in this country. The government has other tools available to target fraud and improper payments in social safety-net programs

Who are your top donors? How often do you speak with them?

I’ve received grassroots support from individuals, labor unions, and national veteran organizations. I’m not accepting money from corporate PACs.

How would you reform U.S. trade policy so that farms don’t need repeated bailouts from tariff impacts?

The need for bailouts of the farming industry is exacerbated by the market chaos arising from Trump’s unpredictable and biological use of tariffs. As discussed earlier, the first step is for Congress to reclaim its power to regulate commerce through tariffs. In addition, Congress should take steps to disrupt the high concentration of corporate power across the agricultural industry. If more small business owners were to operate farms, the market could more quickly adjust to changes in demand, reducing reliance on large bailouts across the industry. Congress should also empower farmers to pursue methods of diversifying revenue, such as investing in renewable energy projects on their properties.