Gov. Quinn goes to D.C. with words of warning

Gov. Pat Quinn warned Thursday that eliminating federal government programs would hurt rather than help the struggling economy, during a trip to Washington, D.C., where he met with Illinois’ congressional delegation.

During meetings with representatives and senators in Sen. Dick Durbin’s office, Quinn discussed a range of issues, chief among them jobs and the budget.

“We’re going to stick to our approach of investing in people and education, in health care, human services and public safety,” he said in a meeting with reporters later. “For all these folks who just want to eliminate government programs, well we’d better think about it.”

The governor was particularly worried about potential cuts to Illinois’ scientific research facilities, such as Fermilab and Argonne National Laboratory. Such cuts could cause the state to lose its leading scientists, as well as the potential to advance on technology that would make Illinois the electric vehicle capital of the nation.

This was a key point of discussion between the governor and freshman Rep. Randy Hultgren, a Winfield Republican and member of the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology.

Quinn pushed a progressive agenda of investment, particularly in infrastructure.

“Last year we had the biggest roads program in the history of Illinois. This year it’ll be even bigger,” he said. “This is part of having a strong economy. You’ve got to have good infrastructure, and we’re investing in that, far more than any other state in the union.”

He also encouraged investment in high-speed rail and plans to talk with Durbin about the jobs that could be created by implementing high-speed rail.