On January 10, WCPT’s Joan Esposito talked to Illinois Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski, who described "some real wins" for her downstate district in her just-concluded first term in office (she was elected to a second term in last November's election).  

Budzinski also stressed the importance of bipartisan cooperation on issues like the farm bill and the budget, and underscored the need for better communication of Democratic achievements to counter misinformation.

"We need to tell our story," she said. "[I]n a lot of ways, in this last election, our story just didn't break through. It's making a difference in people's lives. It's deliverables. It's job opportunities. It's getting a good education. It's tackling affordable childcare. It's making sure you get high-speed internet access to your home that's affordable. These are the kind of everyday issues that Democrats champion every day, and we have to keep working on telling our story of what we're doing to deliver."

Catch "Joan Esposito: Live, Local and Progressive" weekdays from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/live-local-progressive).