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Welch claims Republicans were thankful for the “new day” in the House, but HGOPs beg to differ

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Illinois

* From Brenden Moore’s interview of House Speaker Chris Welch…

Moore: Speaking of partisanship, there’s a sign outside your office that says ‘it’s a new day,’ which has been a slogan of yours this past session. But, some Republicans don’t feel like it’s a new day.

Welch: I don’t even think Republicans believe what they’re saying. If they would drop their talking points for a minute and you actually talk to them outside of the playground that we’re in, they would be honest with you and tell you that it is a new day. Many of them have come and sat in this office and they’ve said, everyone of them, this is the first time they’ve ever been in the speaker’s office.

I have thank you notes in my office — I got one when I arrived here today from a Republican, thanking me for the help that I gave on an initiative. There’s countless of those. I’m not gonna put individuals out there, that’s not what I’m here to do. They know that I’m here, they know that I’ve been accessible and open to them and working with them, and I have helped not just Democrats, but several Republicans get priorities done this session. I’m gonna continue to do that, regardless of the partisan political rhetoric that’s being spewed out there.

* I asked HGOP spokesperson Eleni Demertzis for a response…

He’s probably right - ‘new things’ that happened this session were massive budgeting errors, abuse of power to change Chamber rules to fix said errors, Republicans cut out of all negotiations on major issues, and a huge uptick in social media usage from the Speaker’s office talking about how hard he is working. Definitely some ‘new things’ for the people of Illinois. Despite the flowery rhetoric, this session was bitterly partisan and another disappointment for taxpayers. Actions speak louder than words.

Discuss.

posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Jun 21, 21 @ 1:12 pm

Comments

Republicans were so delusional about Mike Madigan that they thought they would magically be a majority party once he was gone.

Comment by Ducky LaMoore Monday, Jun 21, 21 @ 1:17 pm
What’s a Republican spokesperson going to say other than “until the new speaker is a Republican, not enough has changed?”

You can’t blame Elani for doing the job, but you can blame Moore for not seeing the inevitability

Comment by Socially DIstant watcher Monday, Jun 21, 21 @ 1:23 pm
=== Despite the flowery rhetoric, this session was bitterly partisan and another disappointment for taxpayers. Actions speak louder than words.===

(Sigh)

We’re ALL taxpayers, not just Raunerites or Chris Miller types.

Also, if actions speak louder than words, that “bro-shake” by Welch and Durkin… was Durkin being disingenuous at the end of session?

Durkin just bein’ polite? Phony for the cameras?

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Jun 21, 21 @ 1:24 pm
MJM budgets were often passed with more than 5 minutes to spare. So it is indeed a new day.

Comment by Donnie Elgin Monday, Jun 21, 21 @ 1:29 pm
Its the big things that matter. No matter how many nice tweets the new Speaker posts or how many times he stops by a House GOP members event, when it counted, meet the new boss, same as the old boss. The budget, major legislation, remap; not a lot of daylight between the two Speakers.

Comment by Red Ranger Monday, Jun 21, 21 @ 1:37 pm
Blue Collar Jobs & Invest in Kids being held harmless, trailer fees getting fixed, Dems sticking with Tim Butler on the Capitol Township vote.

What are: three things that wouldn’t have happened under the old regime, Alex?

Credit for the social media own, though, Eleni.

Comment by Not for nothing Monday, Jun 21, 21 @ 1:41 pm
The reality is the GOP is the super minority with no strategy or leadership.

Comment by Chicagonk Monday, Jun 21, 21 @ 1:46 pm
The party of cry berries.. lacking a strategy.

Comment by Wow Monday, Jun 21, 21 @ 1:52 pm
Charlie Wheeler saying he was struck by the progressive nature of some of the bills makes me more sympathetic to the HGOP statement than if was just a partisan sounding like a partisan.

Comment by Blake Monday, Jun 21, 21 @ 2:06 pm
==The budget, major legislation, remap; not a lot of daylight between the two Speakers.==

Why would there be from a policy perspective. They’re both still Democrats. Democrats control the General Assembly. Obviously Democratic priorities rule the day. Why anyone thought there was going to be some miraculous change in policy making just because the Speaker changed is beyond me.

Comment by Demoralized Monday, Jun 21, 21 @ 2:09 pm
I’m guessing “cry berries” was autocorrect but I’m stealing it anyway.

Comment by Cheryl44 Monday, Jun 21, 21 @ 2:15 pm
===Despite the flowery rhetoric, this session was bitterly partisan and another disappointment for taxpayers. Actions speak louder than words.===

The House GOP spends more time imagining that they’re leaders than all of the children of Illinois combined.

Have they offered up anything that could remotely resemble an alternative that would be legal, feasible, or pass?

I’m truly jealous of these folks. I don’t know whether my problem is my neck isn’t long enough, or that I just don’t have enough sand. I would be incapable of pretending that what I was doing was meaningful if I were them — but then again some of them are probably waiting for the fascist dictatorship to come and arrest all the Democratic elected officials. Maybe that’s how they live with themselves.

Comment by Candy Dogood Monday, Jun 21, 21 @ 2:19 pm
The interview reads like a tall tale, a mythical republican’t setting aside politics while in a private conversation, then sending thank you notes.

Comment by Huh? Monday, Jun 21, 21 @ 3:12 pm
But it is a new day for the ILGOP. For years they wanted Madigan gone. Why in some years it seemed like it was all they wanted to talk about. And now after all of these years it’s finally happened. And the ILGOP finds itself in the exact same spot it was in when Madigan was here. Be careful what you wish for.

Comment by Pundent Monday, Jun 21, 21 @ 3:18 pm
Capital infrastructure is always bipartisan - not always a 50/50 share of projects - but always bipartisan.

Using $1 billion in ARPA dollars and providing them exclusively to projects in Dem districts was offensive and completely wrong.

Comment by 4 percent Monday, Jun 21, 21 @ 3:55 pm
Demoralized, the Speaker was the one that called it a new day and my point is/was, the new day looks a lot like the old days, just with some nice pictures on Twitter.

Comment by Red Ranger Monday, Jun 21, 21 @ 4:06 pm
Memo to Capt Fax
You should get one of those math whiz kids you hanf with to check da facts with 2 or 3 agreed bills list we bet there were more unanimous rolls calls than in the last 20 years. Yikes

Comment by Annonin' Monday, Jun 21, 21 @ 4:22 pm
Actions speak louder than words. GOP must be speechless

Comment by Rabid Monday, Jun 21, 21 @ 6:48 pm