A broadcast debate in Urbana between the candidates for Illinois’ 13th Congressional District seat covered issues that ranged from healthcare to preventing gun violence.
The debate was held in the WILL-TV studios on the University of Illinois campus in Urbana. It aired live Thursday night on WILL AM and FM Radio and Springfield’s NPR Illinois (WUIS). It will be repeated Monday night at 8 p.m. on WILL-TV. Davis and Londrigan will debate Oct. 29 in Normal.
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Rep. Rodney Davis[2] defended his support of Republican healthcare legislation at the debate held in the WILL studios in Urbana, and moderated by The 21st host Niala Boodhoo. And Democratic challenger Betsy Dirksen Londrigan[3] continued her charge that the bill Davis supported would deny coverage for people with preexisting conditions.
In answer to a question about Londrigan’s support for Medicare expansion, Davis changed the subject to the charge made in attack ads that a GOP healthcare bill he voted for last year would have quote “gutted protections for pre-existing conditions”. Davis said he would never support a bill that did that, because his wife is a cancer survivor with a genetic predisposition to cancer that could appear in his children.
“That’s why I stand here and stand everywhere to say, don’t believe the lies that’ I’m trying to take away preexisting condition coverage,” said Davis.
Londrigan said while the Republican bill would not allow outright denial of coverage for preexisting conditions, it could allow rate hikes that many could not afford.
On the issue of gun violence, Londrigan called for federal universal background checks on gun buyers. That proposal would expand the current background checks to include people buying from private gun sellers.
“And we can keep guns out of the hands of violent offenders
