On the first day of the Democratic National Convention, members of the Illinois delegation met for a breakfast with several speakers including Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth, U.S. Senator Cory Booker, Illinois Congressman Eric Sorensen, and Minnesota First Lady Gwen Walz.
The first day of the Democratic National Convention usually doesn’t draw much attention, but it was also expected to be the largest day of protest. Folks across the country were expected to march, calling for an end to U.S. military aid to Israel. Earlier this month, the Biden Administration announced that it was sending over $3.5 billion in military aid to the country.
During a press conference, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth addressed the Israel-Hamas war. The U.S. response has drawn protesters to Chicago. Duckworth is a veteran.
"We need to continue to support our ally Israel," Duckworth said. "At the same time, we need to remember the hostages need to come home. Many of them have died in captivity. But we also have to work to get humanitarian aid into Gaza."
As war protestors rallied outside of the convention center in Chicago, some delegates inside were also calling for a ceasefire in the Middle East. Alex Gallegos is delegate from Crete, Illinois. He wants to end military aid to Israel. He said that he believes Kamala Harris will have a different policy than the current one.
"She’s not going to get to that policy without of a little bit of effort, a little bit of push," he said. "That’s all I’m here for — to give her that nudge that she needs to change course and do the right thing.”
The energy was high as speaker after speaker addressed the Illinois delegation’s first morning breakfast as part of the Democratic National Convention.
State Representative Maurice West was there. He said that he hopes to hear about “kitchen table issues” this week.
“What's important, and what we can do to make things easier and take the load off of individuals," West said, "[and] to keep away from the partisan crap that we've been seeing over this time and, like we have already been hearing, bring joy back into politics and camaraderie back into this process.”
Also on his mind is the recent police killing of 36-year-old Sonya Massey of Springfield. The case has brought national attention to police accountability.
West has been a major proponent of Illinois’ SAFE-T Act. The state legislation brought forth changes to policing and the criminal justice system.
“It hurts that we have to lose individuals for this to happen," he said, "but I'm hoping it gets traction on the federal side for criminal justice reform bills that are just as remarkable or just as impactful as the Safe-T Act."
West says that it may be too early to tell if there will be further tweaks to the law at the state level.
Congresswoman Lauren Underwood is expected to be among the speakers at Monday's convention. Underwood's remarks will focus on healthcare and the view that the party's presidential nominee, Kamala Harris, is the best advocate for improving healthcare system and ensuring women's reproductive health. Underwood is registered nurse and represents Illinois' 14th congressional district.
