SUN CITY – Republican Senate candidates Jim Oberweis and Doug Truax met in Drendel Ballroom on March 4 for a debate on issues and a chance to portray themselves as the best candidate to emerge from the primaries to challenge the incumbent Sen. Dick Durbin.
Oberweis, who has served in the Illinois Senate for one year, used examples of his state legislative experience to answer how he would handle situations in the U.S. Senate. Oberweis admitted to not achieving as much as he’d like as state senator due to a partisan disadvantage.
“It’s very difficult when you’re one of 19 Republican senators and there are 40 Democrats,” he said.
He called the December passing of a bill he sponsored to raise speed limits from 65 to 70-mph on most of Illinois’ interstate highways an accomplishment.
A newcomer to politics, Doug Truax is co-owner and managing partner of Veritas Risk Services, LLC, a strategic risk consulting firm in Oak Brook. Along with his party outsider status, Truax listed his knowledge of healthcare, tax policy, and military experience (he is a West Point graduate and served six years active Army duty) as his strengths.
Jim Oberweis (left) and Doug Truax (right) met in Drendel Ballroom on March 4 for a primary debate. The two men hope to challenge Dick Durbin for his U.S. Senate seat. (Mason Souza /Sun Day Photo)
George Sebastian, moderating for the Civics Committee-hosted forum, asked candidates to define the U.S.’s role in international conflict.
Truax called for a “strong and focused” foreign policy, and warned against d
rawing red lines while not backing them up.
Oberweis agreed on caution in drawing lines, and said Americans are “tired” of constant conflict. He said international conflict is complicated, and it is often difficult to tell who is right and wrong.
On tax policy and thoughts on alternative tax formats, Oberweis said he agrees with some forms of a flat tax, but his priority is simplifying the tax code.
“Our tax code has gotten so onerous that it’s become incredibly difficult for very educated people to fill out their own tax returns,” he said. “We could save our country a lot of cost by making that much simpler.”
Truax agreed on simplifying taxes as a solution.
“I think that just from a do-ability standpoint of getting things done in D.C., I think it’s probably easier at this point to simplify the system, leave some deductions like the mortgage and charitable deductions, but then take a look at everything else and lower rates in general,” he said.
Obamacare was another area where the candidates found common ground. Though he favors keeping young adults on their parents’ insurance until age 26, the ability to purchase across state lines, and finding a way to help those with pre-existing conditions, Oberweis called the Affordable Care Act “fundamentally not fixable.”
“I truly believe the magic words are ‘repeal and replace,” he said.
Truax also felt that the law should be repealed and that interstate competition for healthcare plans would help prices come down naturally. He said the costs of Obamacare will be a weak point for Democrats in coming elections.
“We have to make sure that we put somebody up there that can take them to task on that, and I can do it,” Truax said.
On Medicare and Social Security reform, Truax said “all the great ideas are out there” but partisan fights keep them from getting put into action.
Oberweis said aligning the eligibility age for both programs would reduce costs, and means testing for Social Security could work, depending on what the nature of the program is.
“Fundamentally, we need to decide is Social Security a retirement program, in which case means testing doesn’t make a lot of sense, or is it some type of a welfare program or redistribution program, in which case means testing clearly does make sense,” he said.
