By Illinois Radio Network/Greg Bishop
SPRINGFIELD – Candidates for the two congressional districts in central Illinois have stark political differences on some unresolved policies heading into the midterm elections.
With less than two weeks until election day, debate season is in full force. This week, candidates for the 13th and 18th congressional districts separately debated their opponents. The districts span almost entirely across central Illinois.
The farm bill was brought up during a debate hosted by the State Journal-Register in Springfield. 18th congressional district Democratic Challenger Junius Rodriguez said he doesn’t like the policy that’s being hashed out to require able-bodied people to work to get food assistance.
“This is another one of those areas we’re trying to demonize those who are poor and demonizing those who struggle and I think it’s a wrongheaded policy,” Rodriguez said.
Republican incumbent U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood said everyone deserves a hand up.
“And that’s what the [Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program] is all about,” LaHood said. “But I look at it, the best social service program in this country is a J O B, is a job. And that’s what we’re trying to do. It’s going to save taxpayer money in the end.”
LaHood said he hopes to get a finalized farm bill on the books before the end of the year, but that will wait until after the Nov. 6 election.
The two faced off two years ago when LaHood easily won with 72 percent of the vote over Rodriguez’s 28 percent.
Betsy Dirksen Londrigan is the Democrat challenging incumbent 13th congressional district Republican Rodney Davis. At a debate at Millikin University this week, Londrigan made clear that she’s in it to ensure individuals with pre-existing conditions are covered and everyone has access to quality health care.
“We don’t want to lose the ability for kids to stay on our insurance, the pre-existing condition coverage, the caps being left in, we don’t want to lose any of that,” Londrigan said.
Davis said Londrigan has mischaracterized his record. He also said that Londrigan supports policies that take Medicaid dollars from the elderly who need it to expand the program to able-bodied adults. He said the real issue is control of Congress.
“If [California U.S. Rep.] Nancy Pelosi takes over the speaker’s gavel once again with the support of my opponent, we’re going to move backwards into a discussion of impeachment versus results,” Davis said.
Davis touted Republican policies of tax cuts and deregulation spurring on the economy. Democrats say the tax cuts are ballooning the national debt.
Davis and Londrigan agreed on getting more infrastructure money back to the district, discussed immigration, veterans affairs and trade.
