Tonia Khouri has steadfastly refused to back down from her call to have the state government seek federal assistance to secure better infrastructure for the people of Illinois.
In her latest video, the Republican candidate for 11th Congressional District -- which covers parts of Cook, Kane, Kendall, DuPage and Will counties -- said she plans to solve the problem. She also expressed her dismay over the way rival Rep. Bill Foster (D-IL) has handled the issue.
In the clip, Khouri highlighted the importance of building bridges and highways for her constituents. With her experience as the Economic Development Chairman of the DuPage County Board, the candidate said she has firsthand experience with local business owners who struggle due to the unreliable infrastructure of the district.
"Infrastructure plays a critical role in our local economies, especially here in the 11th District," Khouri said in her latest video posted online at the Illinois Review. “As chairman of Economic Development on the DuPage County Board, I’ve seen firsthand that our local businesses need our roads and bridges to be predictable and reliable."
To further explain her concern, Khouri detailed the infrastructure problems on Interstate 80. Specifically, the Republican candidate noted the issues over Houboult Road in Joliet. These problems, Khouri said, cause difficulties for the local economy of Will County.
While the local government has taken measures to ease traffic and relieve congestion in the area, Khouri said that the district is still in dire need of federal funding to complete the project. The candidate said I-80 needs to be expanded to accommodate the truck traffic in the county.
Khouri also took the opportunity to draw attention to the alleged lack of action on the part of Foster.
“It’s unfortunate that Bill Foster has not fought for reliable infrastructure during his time in Washington,” she said.
The Republican candidate said that Foster was “simply not doing his job,” when the Democrat failed to “fight for the people” of the district. Khouri said that her dissatisfaction with the way her opponent handled the position pushed her to challenge him. Foster served as the Illinois 14th Congressional District representative from 2008 to 2010.
“Unfortunately, we have a Congressman right now who is not up to the challenge. He hasn’t delivered for our district,” Khouri said. “He lacks the leadership ability to get things done. As your Congresswoman, I will push to invest in infrastructure. The difference is, I will be able to deliver.”
Khouri, a businesswoman who was born and raised in Glen Ellyn, has focused her campaign on three major concerns: national security, economic growth, and alleviating poverty. The Khouri family currently lives in Aurora.
“People have a choice this November,” Khouri said. “Go with the status quo, or vote for me.”
In 2012, Khouri officially became part of the public service sector when she was elected as a member of the DuPage County Board. She was re-elected in 2014 with over 61 percent of the vote.
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