Krishnamoorthi, Diganvker disagree on current climate-change strategy
Democratic U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi and Republican challenger Jitendra "JD" Diganvker agree climate change is real, but they differ on whether President Donald Trump's administration is maintaining the right amount of U.S. leadership on the issue.
Though the two Schaumburg residents vying for the 8th Congressional District seat both support technological innovation as a way to combat climate change, a key element in their disagreement is whether the U.S. should have withdrawn from the Paris Agreement, an international effort to mitigate global warming.
Diganvker said he doesn't know exactly why Trump withdrew from the agreement but doesn't believe it cost the U.S. its influence.
"I don't think so, because things change ... next week or next month," Diganvker said. "I see this president as a great negotiator. He's creating a space to negotiate in the interest of all countries and that's going to happen. Look at what happened with Korea. We are talking. ... And climate change, same thing's going to happen."
Diganvker said the U.S. and its president have a moral responsibility to lead on this issue and will.
"So I have faith that we're going to have a good deal on the table soon and we'll be working for the future safety of the whole nation, the whole world," he said. "What other country can do that? Do you expect that from China? I don't think so. Do you think Russia can do that? I don't think so. So we have that authority and we will perform well to that."
Krishnamoorthi said withdrawing from the Paris Agreement sent the wrong message to the world and created uncertainty with regard to the nation's foreign partners.
His only consolation, he added, is that the market appears to be ahead of the government in addressing climate change.
"I disagree that the president artfully did something great for our country by withdrawing from the Paris climate change accord," he said. "As you may know, I was a former businessman, and my company did solar research and development work. One of the things I really believe is that the solar revolution has occurred and it will continue regardless of what this administration or any government does."
Krishnamoorthi said wind energy is becoming popular even in traditionally Republican states like Texas and Iowa, but he believes Trump and the Republican caucus are propping up the fossil fuel industry by subsidizing it against its true financial costs.
"That being said, right now we have to continue with policies that allow for innovation in the renewable energy space," Krishnamoorthi said. "I'm proud that in this last vote, with regard to (the Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy) - that's basically the program that the federal government set up to fund small innovation grants in the renewable energy sector through the Department of Energy - we were able to actually increase the amount of money spent there. So that's a really good thing."
The 8th District is roughly centered in Schaumburg and includes parts of northwest Cook, northeast DuPage and northeast Kane counties.