Both U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider, D-Highland Park, and his Republican opponent in the Nov. 3 election, Carl Lambrecht of Highland Park, believe the cost of living must be reduced, but they have different ideas about the best way to achieve it.
Lambrecht, 93, an optical lens designer who has made lenses for airplanes and submarines, said reducing the number of school districts in Illinois will reduce the cost of education, making less tax money necessary.
“I think the reduction of school districts will be a great help,” he said. “It will reduce the number of superintendents. We need more teachers for the students.”
Schneider, 65, and first elected in 2012, is seeking his 12th term in the U.S. House of Representatives representing the 10th Congressional District. He said different approaches are needed to reduce the cost of groceries, imports, and housing, among other expenses.
“I’m hearing from people all across our district that the cost of living is simply too high,” he said. Everything from groceries and everyday goods to housing to healthcare, energy, even childcare and care for adult parents.”
Schneider and Lambrecht exchanged their ideas on affordability, immigration and its enforcement, Social Security, artificial intelligence and other subjects during an online forum Saturday sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Lake County.
Voters across much of Lake County, as well as parts of Cook and McHenry counties, will decide between Lambrecht, Schneider and four write-in candidates who will represent them in the U.S. House when they cast ballots Nov. 3, vote early or by mail.
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Pointing out there are 850 school districts in Illinois, while there are only 20 in Florida with more people than Illinois, and 200 in Indiana with fewer residents, Lambrecht called for reducing the number of school districts as his solution to the accelerating cost of living.
Pointing out that the imposition of tariffs “arbitrarily imposed around the world (by President Donald Trump) on a whim or a moment he gets angry” increases the cost of goods, Schneider said Congress must reclaim its constitutional authority over tariffs, which will significantly reduce costs.
Making it easier for farmers to get “crops in the ground,” reducing the cost of imports by dealing with tariffs, as well as the accelerating cost of diesel fuel and building four million homes in the next four years are all part of Schneider’s ideas for making life more affordable.
“How do we (make) it easier for people to get into a home they can afford, maintain a home for their family, and not have to put more than 30% of their income toward housing?” Schneider said. “We have to increase the labor supply, training people to fill the jobs of construction from carpenters to electricians and so on.”
Recognizing that benefits for Social Security and Medicare may be reduced in the next 10 years if Congress does not act, Schneider said the trust fund must be bolstered by Congress like it was in 1986, ensuring benefits would remain robust beyond a potential window.
Lambrecht said Social Security and Medicare are very important to a lot of people, as they are to him at his advanced age. As the lifespan of Americans increases, more resources are needed to keep the programs healthy.
“In the early days it was extremely well funded because people were dying typically at 65, so there were only a few of us left to enjoy it,” Lambrecht said. “Now people are living into their 80s, 90s and even 100s, and for many of these people it’s very important they have it.”
Making it clear his only guiding principles are “the Ten Commandments given to us by Moses (and) the Constitution of the United States,” Lambrecht said he is not ready to impose regulations on artificial intelligence (AI).
“I don’t know if there is much regulation required at this time,” he said.
Schneider said government regulation is necessary and urgent.
“We need to see transparency,” Schneider said, insisting AI companies be held accountable. “These companies that are developing these large language models, frontier models that are increasingly (gaining) the ability to break out and act on their own. We need to make sure that doesn’t happen.”
When asked by the forum moderator whether the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency should be “supported, reformed or abolished,” both Schneider and Lambrecht said reform is in order.
Blaming Trump’s policies of using ICE to “terrorize our communities, not to keep us safer,” Schneider said changes should be mandated immediately so the organization stops acting arbitrarily.
“We need to reform how we are protecting our borders,” Schneider said. “We need border security we can count on and doesn’t terrorize our communities but actually protects our communities, protects our borders and makes our nation safer, but also done in a way that holds up our values (treating) people like law enforcement does, with dignity.”
Indicating reform of government agencies is always important, Lambrecht said ICE is no exception. He was firm on his thoughts about security at the country’s borders.
“We need sealed borders and only let people come in who are vetted,” he said.
Other issues discussed included the wars in Ukraine and Iran, immigration and humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Write-in candidates James Jay Mote, Alexandria Keating-Sofiakis, John Minarcik and Thomas Rudd are also on the ballot.
Early voting is underway between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. at the Lake County Courthouse & Administration Building in Waukegan through Oct. 16, when it expands to 17 other locations throughout the county. Some are open extended hours, including weekends. A complete list with times and locations is on the Lake County Clerk’s website.
The 10th District extends along the Wisconsin state line from Lake Michigan to just west of Hebron in McHenry County. The Lake County portion hugs the shoreline south to Lake Cook Road, and continues west to the eastern part of Buffalo Grove. From Buffalo Grove, the district goes northwest on a jagged path through Mundelein, Fox Lake, and into McHenry County. It includes portions of northeast Cook County as well.