CHAMPAIGN – Republican Congressman Rodney Davis says infrastructure is a top priority, but he voted no on President Biden’s bipartisan infrastructure law.
He says Jan. 6 rioters should face charges for breaking the law, but he is not willing to criticize Republicans who encourage their beliefs.
These are some of the fine lines Davis walks as he navigates a new legislative district and a Republican Party still defined by former president Donald Trump.
“I don’t think I’ve changed at all. I’m still proud of my bipartisan record,” Davis said. “I’m a conservative who actually is proud of being able to get things done here. And I’m not going to sacrifice my core values and principles that I ran on when I first ran in this district in 2012.”
Davis spoke with The 21st this week about his recent votes and his perspective on those promoting false claims of election fraud in the 2020 presidential election.
Davis currently represents Illinois’ mixed urban and rural 13th District. He recently announced he will run for re-election in the newly redrawn 15th District, a safe Republican district that includes his hometown of Taylorville. Democrats in Springfield drew the district to loop around the urban areas in his old district.
Yes to infrastructure, just not this law
Improving highways and transit are some of Davis’ top priorities, he says. He recently spoke at an event celebrating new hydrogen-fuel buses in Champaign-Urbana as a rare Republican clean energy booster.
Despite his focus...
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