Melissa Bean

Melissa Bean earned a high school diploma from Maine East High School and a bachelor's degree from Roosevelt University. Her career experience includes owning a business and serving as the U.S. Representative from Illinois' 8th Congressional District from 2005 until 2011. She has been affiliated with the following groups:

One Million Degrees

Junior Achievement

World Business Chicago

JPMorgan Chase

Mesirow Financial[1]

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Campaign websiteBean's campaign website stated the following:RESTORING THE AMERICAN DREAMThe American Dream should be within reach for every family in the 8th District—not just the wealthy or well-connected. Melissa Bean focused her work on strengthening the middle class, expanding opportunity, and helping families achieve economic security. Melissa Bean will:• Address housing, healthcare, energy, and education costs to help American families• Invest in public education, workforce training, and apprenticeships tied to good-paying jobs• Empower workers and small business owners to earn more and get aheadImmigration and Due ProcessAmericans feel unsafe when masked ICE agents are deployed into their neighborhoods unnecessarily. President Donald Trump and Kristi Noem continue to condone violence and intimidation in our communities by ICE. We need to hold those accountable for unlawful and unconstitutional acts, at the agency and individual level. Melissa Bean is leading on the issue by calling for DHS Secretary Kristi Noem’s firing or formal removal from office.ICE agents are untrained and unchecked. Greater oversight, including body cams are necessary and should be federally mandated. When ICE or CBP act outside of their scope of authority, local police should have the ability to order them to cease and desist or arrest them, in the interest of safety.America needs an immigration system that is fair, humane, and consistent with our values. Melissa Bean voted for the DREAM Act. She believes we can uphold the rule of law while treating people with dignity and respecting due process. Melissa Bean will:• Support comprehensive immigration reform with a pathway to citizenship• Oppose Trump’s mass deportation and family separation policies• Demand accountability and constitutional due process in immigration enforcement• Hold rogue ICE agents accountable for following unlawful orders from the Executive Branch.HealthcareFamilies in Illinois’ 8th District deserve affordable, accessible, high-quality care—without fear of losing coverage, being denied care because of pre-existing conditions, or having politicians interfere in personal medical decisions.As a member of Congress, Melissa Bean proudly voted for the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). She supported expanding access to affordable healthcare, strengthening employer-based coverage, and protecting Medicare. She opposed efforts to roll back patient protections and worked to reduce costs while improving quality of care. Melissa Bean will:• Protect and strengthen the Affordable Care Act, including ironclad protections for pre-existing conditions and extending tax credits that have lowered premiums for thousands of families in Illinois’ 8th District.• Lower overall health care costs by pursuing reforms throughout the system and continue to allow Medicare to negotiate directly to lower prescription drug prices.• Reverse the Republican Medicaid cuts that jeopardize our hospitals, reduce coverage, and increase overall costs for the system that families in Illinois’ 8th District will incur.Workers’ RightsWorkers built the middle class—and protecting workers is essential to rebuilding it. In Congress, Melissa Bean supported fair labor standards, workplace protections, and policies that promote shared economic growth. Melissa Bean will:• Champion worker training and upward mobility• Promote fair compensation and benefits to build economic security• Incentivize employer pension plans for a secure retirement• Incentivize profit sharing to address the widening wealth gap• Protect the right to organize and collectively bargain• Strengthen workplace safety and labor enforcementSmall BusinessSmall businesses are the backbone of Illinois’ economy and the heart of our communities. With real business experience, Melissa Bean understands what it takes to grow a business, meet payroll, and manage risk responsibly. Melissa Bean will:• Expand access to affordable capital for small businesses• Reduce unnecessary red tape while maintaining strong consumer protections• Support local economic development and entrepreneurshipEducationEvery child deserves a high-quality public education, and every teacher deserves the resources to do their job well. Melissa Bean understands the critical federal role in supporting students, educators, and families. Melissa Bean will:• Fight to restore the U.S. Department of Education and the important funding it provides our community schools.• Fully fund the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and expand federal support for special education staff, mental health services, and classroom resources• Stand with teachers and public schools by opposing vouchers that drain our schools of tax dollarsYoung American Empowerment PlanToo many young people feel hopeless about their future. This includes those who have college degrees, but have difficulty finding quality job opportunities with the wages and benefits they need to build a strong future. That’s why Melissa Bean will work to promote her Young American Empowerment Plan to:• Invest in high-quality public education for all students• Make higher education more affordable and expand job training programs that prepare young people to compete in a changing global economy• Ensure access to affordable and secure healthcare• Develop ladders of upward mobility in housing and employmentEnergy, Environment, and Climate ChangeWhile the Republican Majority in Congress remains in denial about the most significant threat to the future of humanity, under Democratic control, addressing climate change will be a top priority. The reality is clear and protecting our air, water, planet, and future should not be a partisan issue. Melissa Bean has a strong voting record supporting science-based policies that protect families and strengthen our economy, and she will work to build consensus on necessary action needed now. Melissa Bean will:• Invest and advance efforts that cut emissions, scale clean energy technology and deployment, and expand energy-efficient infrastructure, which will have the added benefit of creating new career paths for future generations• Protect clean air and water by curbing or removing super-pollutants and holding polluters accountable• Support climate solutions that lower energy costs and support local communitiesArtificial Intelligence (AI)Artificial intelligence is a powerful tool that can drive economic growth, optimize healthcare and education tools, and strengthen American competitiveness—if the United States leads with innovation and responsibility. Melissa Bean has worked at the intersection of policy, technology, and complex systems, giving her firsthand experience with how innovation boosts productivity and creates opportunity. Melissa Bean will:• Champion U.S. leadership in AI by investing in research, workforce development, and public-private partnerships• Encourage responsible AI adoption across industries to improve efficiency and create good-paying jobs• Establish clear rules that protect rights and safety without hampering innovation or driving talent overseasCryptocurrency & Digital AssetsBlockchain and digital assets offer an opportunity to modernize financial systems, expand access, and keep the United States at the forefront of financial innovation. Melissa Bean understands financial markets and emerging technologies and the importance of balancing innovation with consumer trust. Melissa Bean will:• Support clear, pro-innovation regulatory frameworks that provide certainty and protect consumers• Promote U.S.-based blockchain innovation so jobs, capital, and talent stay in America• Expand access to safe, modern financial tools that lower costs and increase financial inclusionDigital Safety for KidsChildren deserve to be safe online, and parents should not be left alone to confront powerful tech companies. Melissa Bean passed ground breaking legislation that protected children on the internet. She has long supported family-centered policies and understands the challenges parents face in the digital age. Melissa Bean will:• Hold tech companies accountable for harmful practices• Strengthen protections for children’s privacy and mental health online• Empower parents and educators, close loopholes children use to bypass age restrictions, and support school efforts to ban phones during class time.RESTORING AMERICAN VALUESDemocracy, freedom, and the rule of law are core American values—and they must be defended every day, not just during elections. The Republican-led Congress has abandoned its role as a check on the president, while the current administration has repeatedly violated constitutional principles and overreached with executive power. Melissa Bean has a proven record of effective leadership rooted in respect for the constitution, democratic institutions, and peaceful governance. Melissa Bean will:• Defend democratic institutions from political interference and extremism• Protect civil liberties and equal rights for all Americans• Stand up for the rule of law and reject political violence in all formsDemocracy and ElectionsThe very ideal of democracy has been under attack for far too long, and American’s trust in our electoral system has significantly eroded in recent decades. Voting is a fundamental right, and our elections must be fair, secure, and accessible. Melissa Bean has consistently supported efforts to secure elections and rejected partisan interference in election administration. Melissa Bean will:• Strengthen elections security by introducing her “My Vote’s Been Counted” legislation to incorporate technology solutions that let voters ensure, after the fact, that their vote has been counted accurately, and was not lost or subject to fraud.• Protect and expand voting rights, including early and mail-in voting• Oppose voter suppression and intimidation in all formsGovernment AccountabilityPublic office is a public trust, and members of Congress must be accountable to the people they serve. Melissa Bean earned a reputation as a serious legislator focused on transparency, ethics, and results—not political theater. Melissa Bean will:• Support stronger ethics rules and accountability standards, particularly to rein in corruption and to enforce laws meant to stop any President from monetizing the White House for personal or family gain• Increase transparency in what Congress is doing; her “Congressional Accountability Bill” ensures taxpayer-funded Congressional websites are sources of information and not merely promotional websites for members of CongressCampaign Finance ReformA functioning democracy requires an engaged and informed electorate. But finding accurate, non-partisan, and trustworthy data is extremely challenging. Making matters worse, big special interests often drown out the voices of everyday voters. Melissa Bean will:• Increase transparency to stop “dark money” from influencing campaigns, by requiring full disclosure of all political spending• Support small-donor and public financing reforms• Work to overturn the effects of Citizens UnitedReproductive RightsMelissa understands that reproductive freedom is a non-negotiable fundamental right that should not be interfered with by any government entities. She has consistently voted to ensure that individual privacy is respected and to shut down legislative efforts to undermine personal autonomy and decisions that should rightfully remain with individuals, families, and their doctors—not politicians or government bureaucrats. She has also consistently voted against the numerous attempts by Republicans to use the Hyde Amendment to deny reproductive choice for low-income women. Melissa Bean remains committed to:• Codifying the rights and protection afforded under Roe v. Wade once and for all• Expanding healthcare privacy protections• Defending access to abortion, contraception, and IVF nationwide• Opposing any federal abortion ban or efforts to criminalize patients or providersEquality for AllAmerica is strongest when everyone is treated with dignity and respect. For gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender Americans, that means the freedom to live openly, love who they love, and be protected under the law—without fear of discrimination or political attacks. Melissa Bean has backed that belief with action, voting to end “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” so service members could serve openly, voting against the so-called Defense of Marriage Act, which would have outlawed marriage equality. Melissa Bean will:• Fight efforts to reverse constitutional protections for marriage equality, because the government should never stand in the way of love and equality.• Protect civil rights: Defending equal treatment in housing, employment, health care, and — Melissa Bean's campaign website (February 11, 2026)Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.