During a virtual debate on Sept. 30, U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Evanston, and Seth Allen Cohen, her Republican opponent, agreed the U.S. should continue supporting Ukraine in its war with Russia, but disagreed on the nine other questions they were asked.
From taxes to gun violence, women’s reproductive health to war in the Middle East and more, Cohen and Schakowsky have different ideas about what the government should do giving voters in the 9th Congressional District a distinct choice.
Voters will decide whether Schakowsky or Cohen will represent the 9th Congressional — encompassing parts of Lake, Cook and McHenry counties — when they cast their ballots in the Nov. 5 general election, with early and mail voting already underway.
Rep. Jan Schakowsky joins Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Illinois members of Congress during a press conference in the offices of Planned Parenthood of Illinois in reaction to the leaked draft decision from the Supreme Court that showed their intention to overturn Roe v. Wade, on Tuesday, May 3, 2022. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune)
First elected to Congress in 1998, Schakowsky, 80, is seeking her 14th term. A one-time public school teacher, she was a consumer activist before entering elective politics and continues to promote legislation aimed at those issues, among others.
Growing up in Buffalo Grove, Cohen, 27, joined the U.S. Marine Crops after graduating high school. He served four years on active duty from 2016 to 2020 before going on reserve status with a rank of sergeant. He graduated from the University of Chicago with a degree in economics last spring, and is working on his MBA there.
Agreeing at the League of Women Voters forum Sunday the U.S. should continue supporting Ukraine militarily as long as American troops are not fighting in Europe, Cohen and Schakowsky displayed different ideas on everything else.
Though both Schakowsky and Cohen said tax reform is important, their ideas for change are vastly different. Cohen prefers a flat tax of 10%, but would settle for keeping the progressive income tax with a floor of 5% and a ceiling of 12%
“Those who are wealthier may use services more, but to tax someone more because they are successful is antithetical to the American experience and the American dream,” Cohen said. “If I had it my way, we’d have a 10% flat tax with no deductions.”
Criticizing the tax cut passed during the administration of former President Donald Trump, Schakowsky said ordinary people should be able to keep a fair share of their revenue, while giving $2 trillion in tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans is wrong.
“That’s what has to be changed right now,” she said. “We are not spending too much money. This is the richest country in the world right now. We can absolutely make sure people have the funds they need. The minimum wage right now is $7.25 federally. It’s wrong.”
Bemoaning the 2022 Dodds U.S. Supreme Court decision giving each state the right to make its own laws regarding women’s reproductive health, Schakowsky said more women are dying today because of the ruling.
“Roe v. Wade was not the beginning of women having abortions. It was the end of women dying from abortions,” she said. “It’s just shocking. Now we are seeing women dying every day across the country or getting into horrible situations.”
Affirming his belief the Supreme Court made the right decision in the Dobbs case, Cohen said the Constitution is very clear when giving the individual states the ability to make their own rules governing a woman’s right to choose whether or not to have an abortion.
“I don’t see abortion. I don’t see reproductive rights anywhere in the Constitution,” Cohen said. “Roe v. Wade was wrongly decided. I’m very happy Illinois gets to make its own decision, that Florida gets to make its own decision and California gets to make its own decision.”
When the forum moderator asked the candidates about ways to curb gun violence, Cohen said during his time in the military he saw a lot of people using “so-called” assault weapons and he never saw any abuse.
“It’s absolutely crazy to believe guns are the problem and not people,” he said. “Guns are not the issue. It’s Americans behind the guns. The last two decades, depression is sky-high. Loneliness is sky-high. People feel alone and disconnected from this world.”
Praising Illinois for banning assault weapons, Schakowsky said the nation must have the same rule immediately. She is distressed the leading cause of death among children comes from gun violence.
“It is our moment right now that we have to make sure we eliminate the most dangerous weapons and put controls on the weapons that are still available,” she said. “It is just shocking to me our children dying at the hands of, and families are losing loved ones because of gun violence.”
As Cohen and Schakowsky agree on American foreign policy with Ukraine, their view on the current war in the Middle East between Israel and two terrorist organizations — Hamas and Hezbollah — are not the same.
Making it clear Hamas is not part of the solution in the current war, Schakowsky said she does not believe the current Israeli government is making a sufficient effort to end the war, obtain the release of the Israeli hostages and create a lasting peace. Continued war is not the answer.
“We need to do it together through diplomacy,” she said. “We have to stop this war. I am for a ceasefire Then we have to have a two-state solution. They we’ll have justice for the Palestinians, as well as safety for Israel.”
Calling the current War in the Middle East a “moral imperative,” Cohen said if an attack were perpetrated on the United States by a neighboring terrorist group, the American people would be “clamoring” for war.
“Hamas is an evil, terrorist organization,” he said. “There can be peace in the Middle East, but only if the American government wholeheartedly supports its closest ally who helps them fight terrorists throughout the Middle East to annihilate Hamas, to annihilate Hezbollah. (It) is the only way to get safety for the Palestinian people, for the Lebanese people.”
The 9th District includes all or part of Buffalo Gove, Tower Lake and Hawthorn Woods as well as parts of Cook and McHenry Counties.
