David Gill—Democrat

Top priority if elected: Gill said it is to restore the public’s trust in government.

“People have been working harder and harder for 40 years in this country; they’ve been more productive and they don’t see the rewards for that,” Gill said. “And ultimately, they’re not able to have the purchasing power that they ought to have. Having the millionaires and billionaires pay their fair share, that’s something Uncle Sam can do to help the economy.”

Stance on the Affordable Care Act: Gill has stated that many of the provisions in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act are a step in the right direction, including those that prohibit insurance companies from denying coverage to people with preexisting conditions, allowing people to remain on their parents’ health insurance plans until age 26, eliminating lifetime caps on coverage and requiring insurance companies to spend at least 80-85 percent of premiums on medical care rather than administrative costs.

However, Gill has said “the ACA relies too much on insurance companies that put profit ahead of quality patient care. I believe that the best way to expand access to health care is to allow all Americans, regardless of age, to buy into Medicare, which is much more cost efficient than private insurance companies.”

Plan for dealing with the national debt/fiscal cliff: Gill advocates higher tax rates for those earning more than $250,000 a year, with no increase in taxes for those in lower income brackets. He believes Congress has a problem with its priorities, stating that rather than just cutting spending, we should be focusing on spending more efficiently and putting that money towards growing our economy for the future. Gill said this can be done by cutting subsidies to oil companies as well as protecting Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security and financial aid from cuts.

Plan to bring more jobs to Illinois: Gill wants to end tax breaks for outsourcers, roll back free-trade agreements like NAFTA and CAFTA, improve infrastructure and revitalize the manufacturing sector. He also wants to “tap” top research universities for innovations in energy production and medicine. Gill also plans to assist small businesses.

“I support Small Business Administration programs that guarantee loans made by community banks to small businesses,” Gill said. “There are also a number of proposed tax incentives that will encourage small business growth, including tax credits for hiring new workers, tax credits for hiring veterans and tax deductions for investing in new equipment.”

Plan to reduce rises in tuition at colleges and universities: Gill believes the U.S. should return to the days when financial aid primarily consisted of grants, rather than primary loans as is the case today. Gill believes those currently in Congress have not made funding for higher education a top priority.

“I think that we should return to the days when Pell Grants were far more accessible and loans for school were available at much lower interest rates.”

Gay marriage: “For years, I have been an outspoken advocate for the freedom to marry for all Americans, including gay and lesbian couples … In Congress, I will push to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act.”

Abortion: “I fully support a woman’s right to choose and believe women should make their own healthcare decisions, not politicians. As an emergency room doctor, I know we must protect critical health services for all women. In Congress, I will fight any attempts to limit access to birth control for American women.”

Rodney Davis—Republican

Top priority if elected: Davis said the looming expiration of the Bush Era tax cuts is creating an atmosphere of uncertainty for small businesses. Davis said we should extend the tax cuts to provide certainty of tax expenses for these businesses, to “enable our businesses to feel comfortable to expand and hire once again, providing much-needed jobs to our college graduates.”

Stance on the Affordable Care Act: “Obamacare is not free — it’s going to cost 2.6 trillion dollars.” Davis sees the Affordable Care Act as contributing to the reluctance businesses have to hire new workers, because of the added cost and burden Davis claims Obamacare puts on these businesses. However, Davis does support the sections of Obamacare that provide healthcare to those with pre-existing conditions, the removal of life-time caps and allowing students to remain on their parents insurance until age 26.

Plan for dealing with the national debt/fiscal cliff: Davis wants to audit each and every federal program to cut any wasteful spending, while at the same time extending the Bush tax cuts for all income brackets.

“We have to have a vision in America to cut spending and attack our national debt. Let’s go ahead and cut spending, cutting out the waste and fraud in all areas of government that we find it, then go in and see what we have to do to cut our discretionary spending so we can preserve and protect Social Security, Medicare, Pell Grants and affordable student loans,” Davis said.

Plan to bring more jobs to Illinois: “Almost every day I speak with the job creators,” Davis said. “What they tell me is they need certainty with what their tax bill and their healthcare costs are going to look (like) at the end of the year. They’re not going to invest in people unless they have that certainty to make those long term investments in their business.”

Plan to reduce the rise of tuition at colleges and universities: Davis said he plans to protect Federal Pell Grants and to keep student loans affordable, but ultimately, low tuition doesn’t matter unless you can find a job upon graduation.

“The policies of the last three and a half years have not done nearly enough to attack the unemployment rate or to create the jobs necessary.”

Gay Marriage: “I am for defining marriage as between a man and a woman and for leaving it up to the states to determine if they will allow civil unions.”

Abortion: “I am pro-life, with exceptions for rape, incest and the life and health of the mother.”