On Thursday, Aug. 7th, U.S. Representative Mike Quigley spoke to a crowd of his constituents at the historic Hideout (1354 W Wabansia).

Hideout owner and NBW Board member Tim Tuten began the night by introducing Representative Quigley and praising him for the support he provided when he purchased the small business.

He also recognized Rep. Quigley for his support of the Chicago Independent Venue League.

From the beginning, Quigley demonstrated his deep commitment to the success of small businesses in Chicago.  

After an in-depth discussion of foreign policy and the state of tariffs and the federal government, the conversation began to turn more local.

When questioned about a potential mayoral run in 2027 he did not rule it out, saying a lot of work had to be done, and he was currently in the process of collecting petitions to begin running for his next term in congress.

He is concerned about the city’s impending budget crisis, and urged better coordination between the CHA and the CTA since housing and transit are inseparable as issues.

Halfway through the audience Q&A portion, our staff asked Representative Quigley how he plans to support Chicago’s industrial and manufacturing firms as they navigate troubled waters.

He started by stating the need for comprehensive immigration reform, but much of his answer was spent discussing public engagement and education.

He noted that people simply don’t realize the high number of industrial and manufacturing companies in Chicago. Manufacturing represents 12% of Chicago's GDP.

Tariffs pose threats to Chicago's manufacturing industry, and hurt our relationships with other countries who purchase our goods. So much of Illinois’ corn is exported, and he stressed the importance that the public understands that dynamic.

The final point he made was that job training needs to meet demand. He wants more focus on tech and trade training, and he no longer wants community college to be considered a “failure.” Indeed, industrial and manufacturing jobs do not require advanced degrees and pay on average $82,000 plus benefits.

It was a pleasure to see Representative Quigley speak his mind; NBW looks forward to partnering with him to protect and grow manufacturing and industrial companies in our service area.

Image credit: The Hideout