Certainty and encouraging words are what some people came to the Pere Marquette for last week.
There was a little of both delivered by U.S. Rep. Aaron Schock (R-Peoria) and State Sen. Bill Brady (R-Bloomington, the newly minted GOP gubernatorial candidate.
Democrats may rule the state, but at the Pere Marquette March 8, it was the Republicans who dominated.
No certainty
In one meeting room, the Peoria Area Chamber of Commerce Legislative Reception was going
on. Schock was the anxiously awaited guest.
In a large banquet room, not far away, hundreds of Republicans gathered for their Lincoln Day dinner anxiously awaiting the arrival of Brady.
“What we would like to hear is about job growth,” Phil Zeni, vice-president of development for WTVP, said while waiting for Schock at the chamber reception.
“We’d like to hear there is progress to be made along those lines.”
Zeni said he and others have grown weary of hearing nothing but partisan bickering. He said progress, not political battles, is what Americans need.
Peg Pendell, a retired psychologist, said she wanted to hear Schock address privacy issues and their erosion under The Patriot Act — a piece of legislation that gave the federal government much more power to spy on Americans.
“I have privacy issues. I want to see if anyone is willing to address those,” Pendell said.
When Schock arrived, he said his first year in office has been challenging. He said Congress has a full slate with two wars, the economy and health-care reform.
“The economic issues are what’s on the hearts and minds of people,” Schock said.
Schock said in his travels around the 18th Congressional District, people have told him they want “certainty.”
But, Schock said, certainty is in short supply, and that shortage is causing the economy to struggle toward recovery.
Schock said he has some encouraging news. He cited a highway bill he has been working on, which, he said, would create jobs. The highway bill, he said, is up for re-authorization this year.
The president, he said, has put it on hold.
Schock said he has introduced a bill that would jump start the highway bill if he can get enough bipartisan support.
Schock said the highway bill will cost $450 billion. There is, he said, $300 billion in funding from motor fuel taxes available, leaving a $150 billion gap.
Schock said the stimulus bill still has $300 billion in unspent funding. Schock said he proposes using half of that remaining money to fill the funding gap and move the highway bill forward.
“The bill would put people to work,” Schock said.
Schock said he has 80 votes right now, but that is far short of the 216 needed for passage.
“To me, this is one of the biggest jobs bills we could pass,” Schock said.
The question of health-care reform also arose.
“It’s uncertain. Politically they (Democratic freshmen) know it’s not a smart bill to vote for. If this bill does not pass, there is still a chance for health-care reform,” Schock said.
“We (the GOP) don’t believe you fix health care by adding 30 million uninsured Americans to Medicare and Medicaid, which is currently under-funded.”
But, Schock said, he cannot blame the majority for trying to get the bill passed their way.
“But, I find it disingenuous for them to say they have been bipartisan,” Schock said.
Following that, Schock addressed a question about Medicare reform. He said there have to be changes.
“But, when you bring it up, people get their guns and ropes,” he said. “The program is going broke. It needs to be reformed.”
Optimism
Brady, following a long delay, arrived at the Pere Marquette where he delivered a short address to the gathered Republicans at the dinner and then met with the press.
“Illinois stands for jobs, principals and reform. This is our chance,” he said. “Illinois can be a shining star.”
Brady said he has been asked why he is running. Brady said he is running because “machine politicians” in the past eight years have crippled the state.
“You know we can do better. That’s what this election is all about,” Brady said.
It will not be easy for the GOP to win the state’s highest office, he said.
“We can reach out to independents and democrats. We can create a groundswell,” he said.
Brady said he needs to tackle the culture of corruption in Illinois. But, the first priority, he said, is
creating jobs.
“We think we have a great opportunity if we stick to what the people want to talk about,” Brady said.
Turning to questions about tightening the fiscal reins, Brady said, Illinois has a responsibility to live within its means.
“Everyone has done that,” he said, “except the machine politicians.”
Washington, Ill. —
