In Illinois’ 16th Congressional District; incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood and the Democratic challenger Paul Nolley, and in the 17th District; incumbent Democrat U.S. Rep. Eric Sorensen and challenger Republican Dillan Vancil, hear it every day: high gasoline prices, high diesel prices, high cost of fertilizer for farmers.
There's not a lot of support for President Donald Trump's approach to tariffs on either side of the congressional races, even the Republicans are creating some distance because of the disproportionate effect blanket tariffs have had on farmers.
“I think it's the Achilles' heel on the economy,” LaHood said.
LaHood added there is a place for some targeted trade protection moves.
“Clearly, China has engaged in unfair trade practices. Let's use tariffs to go after a bad actor like China. But there are other countries where using blanket tariffs doesn't work,” he said.
LaHood acknowledged there may not be a voting majority to reassert congressional control over trade policy by reviving the United States-Mexico-Canada [USMCA] trade agreement. He pointed to the courts as a solution, which have invalidated some of the president's tariffs. LaHood does back something Trump is considering to offer short-term relief: a ban on diesel exports.
Though Goldman Sachs said that is only a temporary help and would actually send prices of gasoline higher.
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LaHood's opponent, Democrat Paul Nolley, is also no fan of tariffs in the short term, though he finds a different answer to the longer term economic affordability issue than LaHood.
“A big reason for the cost-of-living crisis that we're in right now is that people's wages haven't caught up and that corporations are just able to run amok right now,” Nolley said.
Nolley said measures to improve the ability of workers to unionize to get better wages is an approach to affordability. He said he believes falling unionization rates are to blame for the disconnect between rising productivity and slowing wage growth.
Nolley said a national health insurance program would improve long-term affordability, and shorter-term, restoring cuts to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act and a change to Medicare would help.
“The next step is to allow people who are 50 and above to buy into Medicare to make sure that people at the kind of last stage of their career, when they have more health concerns, are able to buy into that,” Nolley said.
LaHood voted for Medicaid cuts and work requirements for SNAP. He suggested permitting reform to allow easier development of energy sources will help drive down the cost of electricity and fuel. That's a bipartisan project that could also make it easier to develop renewable energy sources, he said.
In the 17th district, Republican challenger Dillan Vancil said he supports easing some barriers to energy development.
“We've got to invest back in our coal. You know, nuclear with the many reactors, and then also natural gas. We've got to get those going,” Vancil said.
Vancil said wind and solar might have a place, but he's not keen on incentives to develop that sector. Part of rising electricity prices comes from increased demand for power, partly driven by the growth of the data center industry, and Vancil has an approach.
“Texas is no longer adding any data centers because they can't supply the power for them. We are in that same predicament here in Illinois,” he said.
Vancil said once data centers are built, they don't really add that many jobs to an economy. Vancil’s opponent, Democratic incumbent Eric Sorenson, said ending the war in Iran would be a big step toward lowering fuel prices and pressures on families.
“Where is the diplomacy? Where are we moving forward?” Sorensen asked.
Sorenson said he has other ideas to improve affordability.
“For instance, I have [proposed] the Homegrown Fertilizer Act, which right now for farmers there's only two big companies that provide the fertilizer. Now with the problems with the import markets because of this administration, we need better competition. It's going to lower the cost of groceries at the store when the input cost for farmers goes down,” he said.
Like fellow Democrat Paul Nolley, Sorensen emphasized healthcare reform and lowering housing costs as approaches to ease the cost of living.
All the candidates support making the winter blend of E-15 gasoline available year-round to add market demand for farmers.
None of the candidates in the 16th or 17th District offer a firm idea of how to assemble enough votes to pass a new Farm Bill, or move back to the traditional coalition that gets enough votes: SNAP food assistance for the Democrats and crop insurance and conservation supports for Republicans.
