Voters to Congress: Get to Work

Citizens gave a clear message Thursday to during the second day of his and it appears both the Congressman and his , are hearing it.

“They are frustrated Washington is not working,” Dold said at his Highland Park campaign office in between campaign stops in Lake Forest, Zion, Waukegan, Libertyville and Highwood. “They want us to roll up our sleeves and get things done.”

If Congress does not act by the end of the year, tax rates lowered during the administration of former President George W. Bush will go up and prescribed spending cuts will take place. Both Schneider and Dold do not want to wait.

“If I were in Congress now I would have been working on it already. I would not be waiting,” Schneider said. “This Congress isn't doing its job. We have an obligation to our kids to responsibly reduce the deficit and to do that, Congress needs to stop kicking the can down the road.”

Though neither Dold nor Schneider would flatly say Congress should act before the Nov. 6 general election, Dold is ready to work with any willing member of Congress to avoid the crisis that could occur.

“I will work with anyone to create some certainty for the entrepreneur, the job creator. The time to do it is now not in the so called lame duck session,” Dold said. “I don’t want to see defense decimated,” he added referring to some of the automatic spending cuts that come Dec. 31 if Congress fails to act.

While Dold was touring the District, Schneider received the endorsement of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Wednesday. The HRC is the largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans, according to HRC Communications Director Michael Cole-Schwartz.

 The organization backed Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Highland Park) in all of his campaigns for Congress, according to Cole-Schwartz.

Schneider has supported same sex marriage since he began his campaign for Congress more than a year ago. “We must end the two-tiered system created by the Defense of Marriage Act (and) eliminate discrimination in the workplace,” Schneider said.

. He told Patch in February his opinion is based on his religious beliefs. He indicated today that position has not changed.

“Marriage is between a man and a woman,” Dold said in February. “If you want a civil union you should have it. There is no reason people who love each other and want a life together should not have protection (under the law).”