Rodney Davis, Republican candidate for 15th Congressional District in Illinois
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15th Congressional District in Illinois. Candidates are listed alphabetically.
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Name: Rodney Davis
Political party (if applicable): Republican
Age as of June 28, 2022: 52
Campaign website or social media page: electrodney.com; facebook.com/ElectRodney; twitter.com/ElectRodney
Office seeking: Republican nominee for U.S. representative, 15th Congressional District in Illinois
Are you an incumbent?: Yes
Have you run for elected office before? (Please list previous offices sought): Yes, I was first elected to Congress in 2012.
Occupation: Member of Congress
Education: Bachelor’s degree from Millikin University in Decatur
Describe your most significant achievement in office and a single policy you would like to work on in your next term, if you were reelected. One of my most significant accomplishments is working with President Trump and Republicans in Congress to reform our tax code and cut taxes for middle-class, working families and small businesses. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act lowered tax rates for individuals and businesses, simplified tax forms, doubled the standard deduction and Child Tax Credit, and kick-started economic growth in our country. Contrary to what many Democrats have said, IRS data shows the Trump tax cuts benefited middle-class, working Americans the most. We should always be working to boost take-home pay for American workers and allow them to keep more of their hard-earned paycheck. I also passed a law, signed by President Trump, that addresses the student loan debt crisis by allowing employers to pay $5,250/year of their employees’ student debt tax-free. My Employer Participation in Repayment Act treats student loan payments just like tuition assistance benefits in our tax code. It’s a unique, public-private partnership to reduce student debt. Democrats who are pushing to “cancel” debt are being dishonest. It’s morally wrong to force middle-class taxpayers to foot the bill for something that benefits primarily wealthier individuals. My law is a reasonable, fair proposal to address this crisis.I’m leading the charge in the House to make the Trump Tax Cuts permanent. My legislation, the Protecting Family and Small Business Tax Cuts Act, would make the individual rates and deductions permanent so we can protect these tax cuts for working families and continue the economic growth they generated. My bill currently has 109 co-sponsors in the House.
What is the most important issue in Illinois and the United States? How would you address it? The top issue facing families in every state, including Illinois, is out-of-control inflation and an economy that’s just not working for the American people. Inflation is a tax on every American, and it makes working and living more expensive for everyone. Whether it’s filling up your gas tank or filling your grocery cart, it’s more expensive to live under President Biden. Some estimates show that the historic inflation we’re seeing costs the typical American family over $5,200 a year. On gasoline, American families are now paying roughly $5,000 a year to fill up their tanks. That’s up from roughly $2,800 Americans were paying just a year ago.Inflation and high energy prices are caused in part by the policies of Democrats in Washington. President Biden and the Democrats who control Congress are pushing their “Green New Deal” agenda and huge increases in government spending at the same time. These policies raise prices for American families.In Congress, I’m fighting against excessive government spending and working to cut red tape, get government out of the way, make the Trump Tax Cuts permanent, and make more things in America. I’m also working to unleash the American energy sector so we can boost American energy production and lower energy prices for families. That’s how we can combat inflation and make America affordable again.
Who are your top three campaign contributors? I am proud of the support I have received from the grassroots, individuals, groups, employers and employees of businesses in the district, the men and women of labor, and more, including the National Rifle Association, Carpenters, Operating Engineers, Realtors, U.S. Steel, Archer Daniels Midland, Illinois Corn Growers Association, Caterpillar, Deere & Company, and many others.
Why should people vote for you? I am asking for your vote because I am a conservative Republican who never sacrifices my core values and principles, and I also work to govern and get things done in Washington. My opponent can’t say the same.I have dedicated my time in Congress to providing top-notch constituent services, helping citizens cut through red tape and navigate the federal bureaucracy. I’m a pro-Life, pro-Second Amendment conservative who is working to support our police, protect taxpayers, secure our southern border, make things in America again, fight inflation, and most importantly, hold the Biden Administration accountable for all the damage they’ve done.That’s why I’ve been endorsed by Congressmen Mike Bost and Darin LaHood, former Congressman John Shimkus, many Republican state lawmakers who represent the 15th District, the Susan B. Anthony List, who is one of America’s leading pro-life organizations, the Illinois Farm Bureau ACTIVATOR, Illinois Fraternal Order of Police, 19 current and former sheriffs, and many others. In past elections, I was endorsed and supported by the National Rifle Association as well.I served as a co-chair of President Trump’s campaign in 2020 and supported his agenda in Congress during his time in the White House. I think he was a hugely successful President and our country would be better off if he was still in the White House. For four years, I was attacked by Democrats for working with President Trump and his Administration, and I won’t back down from my record. Nancy Pelosi and Democrats have spent tens of millions of dollars against me because they know I’m a strong voice for Republicans in Washington.I’d be honored to have your vote in the Republican Primary on June 28th.
The metro-east is home to Scott Air Force Base and one of the biggest veteran populations in Illinois. How have you supported servicemembers and veterans in Congress, and how would you serve them in the future if you are reelected? I am a strong supporter of our troops and veterans in Congress. I’ve worked with Congressman Mike Bost, who has endorsed me in this race, to support Scott Air Force Base and its mission. Most recently, we’ve been working together to protect Scott from potential defense spending cuts.I’ve also worked with Congressman Bost to ensure that our veterans get timely access to the benefits they’ve earned through serving our country in uniform. I also wrote and passed into law the Hire More Heroes Act, which helps small businesses cut through federal red tape and incentivizes them to put more veterans on their payrolls, creating jobs for our veterans.I was proud to vote in support of the defense budget, which boost military spending, gives our troops a well-deserved pay raise, responds to new threats from China and Russia, investigates Biden’s disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan, funds important programs and facilities like Scott, and much more. Contrary to what my opponent has been saying, the defense budget prevented Biden from dishonorably discharging troops who refuse to take the COVID vaccine, and also protects the Second Amendment rights of servicemembers. My opponent Mary Miller opposed the defense budget and voted with AOC, Bernie Sanders, and the Socialist Squad to defund our military, putting our national security risk in a dangerous time. Voting against the defense budget means critical military facilities like Scott Air Force Base would lose funding. I have a record of standing up for our troops, veterans, and Scott Air Force Base. My opponent doesn’t.
What policies would you pursue to help Illinoisans recover economically from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and deal with inflation? To get our economy moving again, we need to move on past the pandemic and get government out of the way of American workers and small business. I have called on President Biden to end the federal public health emergency declaration which has been used to force ridiculous COVID mandates and measures on the American people. It’s long past time to rein in government’s pandemic powers so we can get our country back to normal and let individuals assess and manage their own risks. We can’t afford any COVID vaccine mandates, lockdowns, or other COVID policies from the state or federal government.To deal with inflation, we need to rein in excessive government spending. I have voted and spoken out against the Democrats out-of-control spending bills in Congress. Shortly after President Biden took office, Democrats passed a nearly $2 trillion spending bill, which is in addition to regular federal spending. On top of that, Biden and Democrats have been pushing for a massive, multi-trillion-dollar tax-and-spend package. Economists across the political spectrum, left and right, have said that the Democrats’ massive spending has contributed to inflation.I’ve introduced legislation to block any new inflationary government spending. I’ve also introduced legislation to improve our supply chains and make more things in America, including more domestic energy production. We can avoid supply chain crisis and protect against price spikes by bringing manufacturing back to our shores and making sure we aren’t as reliant on foreign, overseas nations for goods that are critical to our economy. Pursuing a “Made in America” economic agenda is good for the American worker and it will make our economy more resilient.
Should Congress pass a law on abortion or should the issue be left to the states? If you support a national law, what would you like to see the law do? I am proudly pro-life and proud of my pro-life record. I’ve been a strong, vocal advocate for life and the unborn and have been fighting against the Democrats’ radical, pro-abortion agenda. I’ve worked to counter Governor J.B. Pritzker’s radical abortion policies as well. That’s why I have been endorsed by the Susan B. Anthony List, one of America’s leading pro-life organizations. They’ve given me an A+ rating for my pro-life work in Congress.I support the U.S. Supreme Court overturning the Roe v. Wade decision. It was wrongly-decided, and I hope the Court’s pending decision empowers states to enact pro-Life laws and protect the unborn. I will continue working in Congress to limit abortion, advance pro-life policies, and protect life.Democrats in Congress are pushing radical abortion policies. Their legislation would abolish pro-life laws at the state level and allow for abortion on-demand until birth nationwide. It would roll back conscience protections for those who object to abortion, nullify parental involvement laws as they relate to minor children receiving abortion, and expand taxpayer-funding of abortion. These are policies opposed by most Americans, and I’ve strongly opposed and voted against their pro-abortion agenda in Congress.
This story was originally published May 31, 2022 at 6:00 AM.