McHenry Times

Rep. Allen Skillicorn (R-Dundee) earned a round of applause when his argument during recent House debate prompted Rep. Laura Fine (D-Glenview) to withdraw House Resolution 544.  

HR544 opposes President Donald Trump's proposition to move $54 billion from humanitarian and environmental spending at home to military abroad. It was rejected by a half-dozen Republicans before Skillicorn ended the debate during the General Assembly's current veto session. 

“To the resolution Mr. Speaker, I am sure we can find waste, fraud and abuse in the federal government,” Skillicorn said, according to video of the debate. “There are plenty of ways we can cut, but I know I am an elected Illinois legislator, and I think that we should spend more of our time looking at Illinois finances."

Illinois has become notorious for government ineptitude after not passing a budget for more than two years, longer than any other state in U.S. history, and for a terrible credit rating, a huge amount of debt and the suffering of state services. Skillicorn made the point that Illinois has other things to worry about right at home.

“I am going to call right now that this body of 118 members should call out for a forensic audit of Illinois finances,” Skillicorn said, suggesting that legislators worry about the money they are taking from state taxpayers rather than what the federal government is doing. “That would be where our time would be best served."

Fine's resolution would have assurred that the $54 billion Trump proposed for the military should go to humanitarian needs instead.

"We urge the United States Congress to move our tax dollars in exactly the opposite direction proposed by the president, from militarism to human and environmental needs," her resolution reads.