Kinzinger contrasts himself with rival
16th Congressional District candidate touts work of House freshmen
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| U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Manteno, talks with Randy and Kathy Faber of Sublette during an event Wednesday at Dixon’s Loveland Community House. Kinzinger, a conservative tea party favorite who won his 11th District seat in 2010, is taking on longtime incumbent Rep. Don Manzullo, R-Egan, in the 16th District, which includes Lee County. (David Rauch/drauch@saukvalley.com) |
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DIXON – U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Manteno, said Wednesday that he has been disappointed with his party before.
During a campaign event in Dixon, Kinzinger, a candidate in the 16th Congressional District, said the Republicans controlled Washington from 2001 to 2007. During that time, he said, they let the deficit explode.
Then the GOP lost control of Congress.
“The Republicans deserved to be kicked out,” he said to an audience of about 45 people.
Kinzinger, who represents the 11th District, is facing Rep. Don Manzullo, R-Egan, who has represented the 16th District for two decades.
Because of redistricting, the two men are running for the same seat. The new 16th District includes Lee County.
Kinzinger, who rode the national tea party wave to win his seat in 2010, said Manzullo has taken advantage of pork-barrel spending more than any other Republican congressman in Illinois.
He said he and the 86 other freshmen in Congress ended earmarks, which are considered pork-barrel spending.
He called this a major difference between him and Manzullo.
Later in his speech, he acknowledged that he and Manzullo voted the same way most of the time.
“Don Manzullo and I are friends, and we’ll stay friends,” he said.
Over the last year, the freshman class insisted on greater openness with the public, Kinzinger said. For instance, he said, the House must now put a bill on the Internet for 72 hours before a vote.
Kinzinger said he wanted to cut the budget, but called for protecting the military, Social Security and Medicare from drastic cuts. For the two social programs, he said, the government should keep the same level of benefits for those 55 and older.
“I believe it’s a conservative principle to maintain our commitment to our seniors,” he said.
On energy, Kinzinger said President Barack Obama should approve the Keystone pipeline, which would transport oil from Canada to the Gulf Coast. The project would employ 20,000 people and increase domestic energy supplies, he said.
Obama has 2 months to make a decision on the pipeline. The president originally wanted a year to decide, waiting until after the November election.
“My guess is he’ll end up approving it,” Kinzinger said.
On immigration, he said he wanted a fence along the border. He said he favored legal immigration but argued that a sovereign nation needed to control its borders.
He asked that people be careful not to demonize immigrants.
“If I were in Mexico, I’d try to get in, too,” he said.
