By Benjamin Cox on February 9, 2021 at 4:46pm
L to R: Lausch and Milhiser
Illinois’ Congressional Delegation is unhappy with the current president over some recent terminations. The Chicago Sun-Times reports that President Joe Biden will ask for the resignation of nearly all Donald Trump-appointed U.S. attorneys, including the Chicago-based John Lausch and John Milhiser based in Springfield. Lausch has been heading the investigation in Illinois into the ComEd patronage and bribery scheme that has ensnared former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan and several of his associates.
18
th District Congressman Rodney Davis, 15
th District Congresswoman Mary Miller, and Senators Tammy Duckworth and Dick Durbin have all expressed their displeasure with the announcement, wanting to keep Lausch on the job. U.S. attorneys are nominated by a president, subject to Senate confirmation. Lausch received unanimous bi-partisan approval in the Senate in November 2017.
By Benjamin Cox on February 6, 2021 at 7:01pm
The Illinois GOP State Central Committee has selected a Brown County native as its next chairman of the Illinois Republican Party. Don Tracy was selected unanimously this evening by the committee to replace Tim Schneider, who announced his resignation in December.
The 70-year old Tracy is a businessman and lawyer with the firm Brown, Hay, & Stephens in Springfield. Born and raised in rural Mt. Sterling, he is the oldest of twelve children. Don and his eleven siblings own and manage Dot Foods, Inc. and its other national businesses and affiliates. Tracy is also the brother-in-law of 47th District State Senator Jil Tracy. Tracy becomes the first chairman of the Illinois Republican Party from outside Chicago and the collar counties since 1988.
By Benjamin Cox on January 29, 2021 at 5:03pm
An executive order by new President Joe Biden is already drawing ire from members of Illinois’ GOP Congressional Delegation. 18
th District Congressman Darin LaHood, 13
th District Congressman Rodney Davis, 15
th District Congresswoman Mary Miller, and 12
th District Congressman Mike Bost have all issued arguments against President Biden’s executive order canceling further construction of the Keystone XL pipeline that stretches from Canada into Illinois and down into Texas.
The $9 billion project was expected to transport 830,000 barrels of crude oil per day and according to Keystone XL’s website, was estimated to support about 11,000 jobs this year. The pipeline has a been a target of environmentalists and Democrat lawmakers for nearly a decade. The pipeline’s construction especially came under fire when toxic leaks were found during former President Donald Trump’s administration in South Dakota in 2017
By Benjamin Cox on December 22, 2020 at 11:02am
The first federal COVID-19 stimulus package since March is on its way. Several Illinois politicians weighed in on the 900 billion dollar legislation that received last minute approval. On the floor of the U.S. Senate on Monday, Sen. Dick Durbin says that Congress may have to come back to address the ongoing issues with unemployment throughout the country:
“Last week, a group of Democrats and Republicans-including myself-came together and introduced compromise emergency relief legislation in the areas where we could agree. This package did not include everything I think we needed. But after eight months of inaction, it served as the catalyst to move much-needed bipartisan COVID-19 relief forward to help American families and small businesses.