The candidates for Illinois’ 13th Congressional District found some areas of agreement in their first debate, like lowering interest rates on student loans, and criminal justice reform.
But incumbent Republican Rodney Davis and Democratic challenger Mark Wicklund have different solutions for high healthcare costs.
During the debate, Wicklund said Congress should be working together to move towards a single-payer healthcare system, or Medicare for all. He says heavy ‘middle management’ has brought on higher premiums.
“I’d like to see a program that removes that middle man, leaving our insurance companies, which have been around – they know the business and how to negotiate, and allow them to manage the health care program that our country so direly needs – that makes it equal health care for everybody in this country, and not just those with the most amount of money, or the Cadillac insurance plans, we see a lot of that in this country," Wicklund said.
Davis wants to repeal the Affordable Care Act, and for Congress replace it with a plan that covers pre-existing conditions.
Wicklund says he gives Davis credit for withdrawing his support of Donald Trump after the recent discovery of a 2005 video in which the nominee made vulgar comments about kissing and touching women without their consent.
The two candidates also discussed Congress' 11 percent approval rating, according to one poll. Davis admitted some of the gridlock in Washington is indefensible. He blamed the Obama administration.
“But we have a stagnant economy, we have stagnant job growth, and this president hasn’t introduced a balanced budget his entire two terms… for eight years. I have personally supported balance budgets every single year that I’ve been given a chance to vote on a budget. These are types of things that lead to more polarization," Davis said.
Davis said there hasn’t been enough attention placed on bills that have passed the U. S. House addressing the opioid crisis, mental health reform, and a highway bill to rebuild roads and bridges.
Wicklund said President Obama still manages to accomplish a lot despite a Republican majority in both chambers of Congress, but he says Washington is lacking pure leadership in either chamber.
On gun control, Wicklund said Congress need to close the ‘gun show loophole’ that allows the purchase of weapons from neighboring states, including Indiana. Davis said he co-sponsored legislation awaiting Senate action that would address mental health issues tied to gun violence.