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Both Parties In Illinois React To Obama's State Of The Union

Pablo Martinez Monsivais

Reactions came quickly from both sides of the aisle after last night’s State of the Union speech. 

Illinois Senator Dick Durbin applauded President Obama’s challenge to Congress to pass specific economic proposals. Durbin says ideas like two free years of community college are hard to vote against. 

Durbin also raised questions about GOP priorities in the new Congress, such as the Keystone XL pipeline. Instead, he says Congress should address shortfalls in the Highway Trust Fund.

Durbin supports a hike in the federal gas tax to boost the fund, which needed help from Congress because revenue from those taxes haven’t kept up with spending. 

“It ends up building highways and bridges, and supporting mass transit around this country. It’s a symbol – an unfortunate political symbol that the Senate Republicans chose. The House Republicans repealing a major section of the Affordable Care Act. They really started out not in a very conciliatory way. I hope we can get beyond this, but those bills will just have to be debated and voted on.”

Republican Congressman John Shimkus says Obama offered no real specifics, only generalities. He opposes Obama’s proposal to offer free community college to many students, saying it only redistributes money that families are already saving for college by hiking taxes on college savings accounts.

“I love the community college system. Illinois has got one of the best. It’s a low cost, alternative, tax-supported. And it’s very doable. But to take money from citizens who have saved for this college education to pay for others is just wrong.”

Shimkus sees potential for common ground with the President on advances in medical and pharmaceutical technology.