Prairie State Wire

Tim Schneider, Illinois Republican Party chairman, is calling for the resignation of state Rep. Stephanie Kifowit (D-Aurora) after she refused to apologize for remarks some insist wished death upon family members of a colleague at the height of testy House floor debate.

"Today, Illinois Democrats sunk to a new low, when Democratic State Rep. Stephanie Kifowit wished death upon family members/loved ones of her Republican colleague State Rep. Peter Breen. Kifowit should be ashamed of her remarks. Since Rep. Kifowit has refused to apologize to Rep. Breen, she should resign from office, as these remarks are unfit for someone serving public office,” Schneider said in an Illinois Republican Party press release.

The fireworks kicked off Tuesday when Kifowit, a retired Marine veteran, took to the House floor to chastise Breen (R-Lombard) after he raised concerns about a bill that would raise the amount of eligible damages to up to $2 million for families impacted by a recent deadly Legionnaires outbreak at a state-run veterans home in Quincy.

Tim Schneider, Illinois Republican Party Chairman

“To the representative from Lombard, I would like to make him a broth of legionella and pump it into the water system of his loved ones so that they can be infected, they can be mistreated, they can sit and suffer by getting aspirin instead of being properly treated and ultimately die. We are talking about talking our nation's heroes. We are talking World War II veterans that survived combat, survived war, survived unthinkable situations that they were put in to sit back put their faith and trust in the state of Illinois and have that completely, unabashedly disregarded,” Kifowit said after Breen had spoken.

The Chicago Tribune reported Kifowit, a retired Marine veteran, later claimed her remarks were “misinterpreted and mischaracterized.”

Schneider called on Democratic leaders to take immediate action.

"As leading Illinois Democrats, both Governor-elect Pritzker and Speaker Michael Madigan have a duty to speak out against Rep. Kifowit's extreme rhetoric, and tone down out-of-control public discourse,” he added. “They should do so immediately."

Fourteen people died following the outbreak and nearly 70 others became ill.