Illinois Republicans are howling about Democratic corruption in Springfield, but the real scandal is how both parties use partisan outrage to distract from a paralyzed Congress writing blank checks for foreign wars while delivering nothing for working Americans.
Down in Illinois, House GOP Leader Tony McCombie is demanding a special investigative committee after Rep. Carol Ammons was indicted on 10 federal corruption charges—including wire fraud and lying to the FBI—and former Rep. Harry Benton resigned over unspecified “inappropriate behavior.” It’s an easy target. Democratic Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch is shielding Ammons, booting her from the caucus but refusing to call for her resignation because she is “innocent until proven guilty,” while keeping the investigation into Benton hidden from the public. Prosecutors say Ammons and her family pocketed over $100,000 through a scheme involving campaign funds and state grants, according to Shaw Local Enewspapers. McCombie is right that “the people of Illinois deserve answers,” but demanding transparency from the other side is cheap theater when your own party’s house is on fire in Washington.
While Springfield Republicans posture over a state legislator, Washington Republicans can’t even run a floor vote. The House is at a standstill because a coalition of GOP reps is blocking procedural rules over the Senate’s failure to pass the SAVE America Act. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna isn’t “drinking the Kool-Aid” that voter ID language can survive the Senate’s Byrd rule in a reconciliation bill. Meanwhile, the clock is ticking on a third reconciliation package that was supposed to tackle affordability and healthcare. Republican Study Committee Chairman August Pfluger warned that if the bill doesn’t move right after recess, “then I think it’s in real trouble.”
Instead of delivering for Americans, the GOP is scrambling to fund another foreign entanglement. President Trump declared the ceasefire with Iran “over,” launching strikes that have Republicans fearing a midterm backlash from spiking gas prices. Now, Rep. Mark Harris says Congress has a responsibility to fund these military operations, but insists it shouldn't be a “blank check.” Yet shoving war funding into a reconciliation bill to bypass the filibuster is the ultimate blank check. POLITICO reports that GOP lawmakers worry Trump is “screwing us into political oblivion” as the cycle of escalation restarts. It’s a bipartisan failure: Democrats protect their corrupt members, and Republicans prioritize funding overseas strikes over the domestic agenda they promised voters.
Every dollar shoveled into the Strait of Hormuz is a dollar not spent securing the border or lowering inflation. When the dust settles on Ammons’ indictment and the latest strikes on Iran, working Americans will still be staring at high gas prices and a do-nothing Congress. The outrage in Springfield is real, but the permanent ruling class in Washington is counting on you not noticing the distraction.
