Democratic U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth says there is a deep division in the country that does not help the political process.
She said President Trump’s State of the Union address didn’t make this any better. She also said Senator Romney didn’t exactly vote “against” the president.
“He’s just the only one that voted that the president was guilty,” she said. “Many of the Republicans said that he was guilty but said that they were not going to vote that he was guilty because they feel like in an election year, the president can do anything he wants, which I think is not what the constitution says.”
She emphasized the need for bipartisan cooperation on issues that can move the country forward. Duckworth cited work with GOP Senator Deb Fisher of Nebraska on infrastructure development, even during the impeachment hearings.
Duckworth is also concerned about the current situation in Venezuela, particularly on humanitarian grounds.
The leadership of Venezuela has been contested since January 2019 between current President Nicolas Maduro and opposition leader Juan Guaido. Support for the two men is divided across the world, with the United States recognizing Guaido as the country’s legitimate leader. Duckworth said the current economic crisis there isn’t being helped by the government’s actions.
“I have real concerns for the hunger issues, the human rights abuses that are happening in Venezuela right now and the fact that they have not accepted aid from other countries for their people who are starving. It’s certainly very worrisome,” she said.
Duckworth also expressed apprehension about the fate of several Citgo executives, five of whom are American citizens. They have been imprisoned for more than a year, and their final status remains in limbo. President Trump hosted Guaido at Tuesday’s State of the Union address and met with him again the following day.
Senator Duckworth made these comments shortly after an event in Rockford Friday.
Chase Cavanaugh is a reporter with WNIJ in DeKalb.