Rep. Robyn Gabel (D-Evanston) told The Daily the speech was well received by both Republicans and Democrats in the assembly and his speech provided a framework for a “more productive and mature” political environment.
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Obama’s return to Springfield comes nine years after the freshman USA senator stood on the Capitol steps to announce he was running for president.
Activists have delivered over 1 million signatures to the White House demanding that Obama sign an executive order on dark money.
In an address to the Illinois General Assembly, Obama said he regretted his failure to apply to Washington politics the lessons he had learned about working across the political aisle as a state senator. With a rich history rooted in IL, most of Obama’s visit will be among old friends.
Hard to argue with, and the timing is ideal because on Wednesday the governor is scheduled to present lawmakers with a state budget for the fiscal year that begins in July.
“This is an important part of the issue – we have an importation of our politics nationally on cable and talk radio and it seeps into everything”, Obama said.
President Barack Obama receives a standing ovation after addressing the Illinois General Assembly, Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2016, at the Illinois State Capitol in Springfield, Ill. “I think that’s something that all of us as Americans have to insist from each other”, he said. Bernie Sanders. Similar to Obama in 2008, Sanders has found popularity campaigning against Hillary Clinton with a populist message and his early rejection of the invasion of Iraq. He says, unless Democrats and Republicans find a way to work together, it’s going to be tough to tackle the nation’s biggest challenges. In what one should assume will be many speeches in the coming months reflecting on his legacy as President, Obama said he cared about repairing things for the future.
Elected officials will make up the bulk of Obama’s audience along with invited guests, the Illinois House Speaker’s office said.
Meanwhile, Democrats who control both chambers of the legislature have butted heads with Rauner since the Republican and former businessman took office a year ago.
With Congress and Springfield stalemated and presidential candidates bragging about standing their ground, Obama said of that extreme partisanship, “when I hear voices in either party boast of their refusal to compromise as an accomplishment in and of itself, I’m not impressed”. “We need to work together toward better jobs, educating our children, supporting small business, pension reform, term limits and making IL the state that people want to call home once again”.
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Obama ended his speech on Wednesday by echoing the 2007 speech that kicked off his presidential campaign.
