14th District Republican hopefuls face off
From the trail of signs outside, a voter may have thought Ethan Hastert and Randy Hultgren are the only two Republicans vying to unseat Democrat Bill Foster from the 14th Congressional District. Once inside Eagle Brook Country Club in Geneva, the crowd of buttons, T-shirts and bumper stickers quickly reminded voters that the Republican field for the February primary is crowded.
Jeff Danklefsen and Mark Vargas joined Hastert and Hultgren inside for the first public debate of the issues to a crowd of fellow GOPers on Sunday. The fifth Republican in the race, Jim Purcell, could not attend the debate because of a previous commitment.
Prescreened questions came at the candidates one after the other. Topics ranged from global warming and conflicts in the Middle East to the economy and the best ways to bring federal dollars back to Illinois. But with bill already past the U.S. House and awaiting consideration by the Senate, health care reform was perhaps the most timely topic.
All four candidates said there was little to nothing they liked about current bill.
"The bill gives government unprecedented power to control our health care," Danklefsen said. "Our care will be rationed. Just because health care is a problem doesn't mean government is the answer. The recent rationing of flu vaccines says it all. Government cannot do what the private sector can, (either) as well or on budget.
Danklefsen said he favors allowing consumers to shop for and purchase health insurance plans on an individual basis, the use of health savings accounts, litigation reform to end frivolous medical malpractice lawsuits and portable insurance, which allows an employee to move his or her coverage from job to job.
Vargas used the Cash for Clunkers program, which ran out of funds far sooner then the government planned, as another prime example of why Americans should be afraid of a public health care option.
"If I wanted national health care, I would've moved to Canada," Vargas said. Vargas favors the creation of a system that allows consumers to purchase health insurance from providers in any state, not just the state the consumer lives in. He also said solving the economy and solving health care go hand in hand.
"It goes back to jobs," Vargas said. "If everybody is working, health care isn't that big of an issue. We certainly need real reform, but government isn't the solution. Government is always the problem."
Hultgren was the first candidate to speak in favor of a provision in any health care reform bill that bans any federal funding for abortions.
"Life is important," Hultgren said. "Life is valuable. We are going to fight for life."
Hultgren said health care is an individual responsibility, not an inherent right that government should provide. Hultgren envisions a system where healthier people are rewarded with cheaper health insurance.
"There ought to be incentives," Hultgren said. "If we make choices that allow us to live healthier lives, more productive lives, we should benefit from that.
Hultgren repeatedly referred to the health care bill awaiting a Senate vote as the "Nancy Pelosi health care bill" and said Senate approval will have lethal consequences for Americans, mostly likely senior citizens.
"Literally, I promise you, it will kill people," Hultgren said. "It will cost lives. That is not the America that I want to live in."
Hastert said he also favors a ban on federal funding for abortions. He also alluded to his tenure on the campaign trail. Hastert, along with Danklefsen, announced their candidacies well before Hultgren, Vargas or Purcell. Hastert said he spent the summer meeting with constituents and experts to get their input. "They don't want the government injecting itself between them and their health care providers," Hastert said. "Doctors don't want to have to go through the federal government in order to provide health care to their patients."
The answer to better health care is increasing consumer choices and buying power, Hastert said.
"We should be able to pool together to purchase insurance in association health plans such that we can have the bargaining power as small businesses and individuals that large businesses do when it comes time to talking to the insurance companies."
Hastert also said tort reform would be a main plank in any health care reform bill he'd vote for if elected. "When doctors practice defensive medicine, we lose."
Hastert was also the only candidate to publicly state that he'll back whomever wins the Republican primary even if it isn't him. The other four candidates applauded when he made that announcement.