Democrat criticizes Mary Miller, outlines priorities during 15th District forum

[copied from https://www.theintelligencer.com/news/article/il-15th-district-candidate-forum-22480713.php]

Jennifer Todd, the Democrat challenging U.S. Rep. Mary Miller in the 15th Congressional District, participated in a League of Women Voters candidate forum Oct. 5 at The Wildey Theatre.

With Miller absent, Todd was given five minutes to introduce herself. After the League confirmed Miller would not attend, questions were sent in advance so Todd could address them during her remarks.

A video of her full remarks is available with this story at theintelligencer.com.

Todd said voters deserved to hear competing ideas and have the chance to ask questions and challenge candidates. She described herself as a second-generation nurse, a mother, the daughter of a veteran and someone raised in a union home in southern Illinois.

She said Congress has a responsibility to hold the presidential administration accountable.

“Congress is responsible for providing oversight to make sure the executive branch is following the law and respecting the Constitution,” she said.

Todd criticized Miller for not upholding the War Powers Resolution, which generally requires the president to notify Congress within 48 hours of sending U.S. forces into hostilities and to end an unauthorized deployment within 60 days unless Congress approves or extends it.

“My opponent, Mary Miller, has multiple chances to uphold the War Powers Act and has not done so,” Todd said.

Critics say Trump continued military action against Iran beyond the resolution’s 60-day limit without congressional authorization. His administration argued that the initial hostilities ended during a ceasefire. U.S. military action later resumed, and Trump notified Congress in July.

Todd also said she supports strong restrictions on stock trading by members of Congress and their immediate families, arguing that public service should not become private enrichment.

“We’re here to serve the public trust, not to make a buck,” Todd said.

She called for the congressional ethics committees to hold members accountable for using insider information.

On government overreach, Todd said the government has a responsibility to protect people but must respect constitutional limits. She said she would use her oversight role to speak up when the government crosses those boundaries.

“Every person deserves the right to due process,” she said.

Todd also addressed the impact of federal policy on rural healthcare, citing Jersey County as an example.

Todd blamed the law she called the “big beautiful bill” for cuts to rural healthcare, saying rural hospitals would be “hit tremendously.” She said Jersey County was “losing their ambulance service, going down to one rig for the whole county.”

ersey County’s Planning Committee agenda included a discussion and recommendation regarding the county ambulance service on Sept. 3. On Oct. 2, Sens. Tammy Duckworth and Dick Durbin announced a $300,000 federal grant for Jersey Community Hospital District to support EMS training, recruitment, certification courses and equipment. The announcement did not specify whether the grant would cover ambulance operating costs.

H.R. 1 changed Medicaid and created a $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program over five years. KFF, an independent nonprofit organization that researches health policy, estimates federal Medicaid spending in rural areas could decline by $137 billion over 10 years.

Jason Koch

Editor

Jason Koch is the editor of The Edwardsville Intelligencer. He has been a professional journalist since 2006, previously working as an editor and reporter in Terre Haute, Ind., Belleville, Ill., and Warrenton, Mo. He has won multiple awards from both the Indiana and Illinois APME and from the Illinois and Missouri press associations.