Duckworth opponent Kathy Salvi calls for cutting off Ukraine aid

CHICAGO - The Republican running against Senator Tammy Duckworth called Wednesday for cutting off American aid to Ukraine.

"This is another example of the Washington elite just sending our money, spending our money to oblivion," said Kathy Salvi.

Stopping the aid would dramatically increase the likelihood of a quick Russian conquest of the embattled central European nation.

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Salvi is a north suburban personal injury lawyer and anti-abortion activist. She wants the U.S. to seal off the border with Mexico to reduce the flow of illegal narcotics.

"We need to protect our southern border. And I would like to see $4 billion, not $40 billion, you know, sent to Ukraine, I’d like to see $4 billion sent to the south to protect and secure our southern border," Salvi said.

By contrast, Sen. Duckworth joined other lawmakers a few days ago in a letter to President Joe Biden urging him to speed up the delivery to Ukraine of billions of dollars’ worth of additional, sophisticated weapons systems.

"And I do support the development — the delivery of air defense artillery. And you're seeing now on television, I think you're seeing footage of Ukrainians putting that to use. And the people of Illinois should be very proud that it was the Illinois National Guard that helped to train the Ukrainian military," Duckworth said.

Salvi is a staunchly pro-life activist who says it's the pro-choice Duckworth who is an "extremist" on abortion.

"The law in Illinois is nine-month elective abortion, taxpayer-funded. This is the law in Illinois that my opponent supports. And she wants to let this law be the law throughout all 50 states. This is extreme, radical," Salvi said.

But Salvi declined to answer when FOX 32 Chicago asked several times if there are any circumstances — rape, incest or to preserve the life of the mother — in which abortion should be legal.

"I’m going to go on to what the issue is, I think I’ve answered this well enough. And you can press me on and on," Salvi said.

The 54-year old Duckworth said some abortion bans effectively outlaw certain contraceptives. Duckworth said the treatment she and her husband used to conceive two daughters would now be illegal in some states. Abigail was born in 2014; Maile in 2018.

"If life begins at the fertilization of an egg, that means many forms of birth control, like IUDs, which are in use in particular by low-income women; many forms of birth control, Plan B, as well as fertility treatments like IVF could become inaccessible," Duckworth said.

Salvi also said that instead of holding hearings related to the January 6th riot at the U.S. Capitol, Congress should focus on inflation and how to bring it under control.

The two U.S. Senate candidates have stark differences across a range of issues. They both join FOX 32 Chicago this weekend on Flannery Fired Up.