Illinois Congressional Delegation
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Illinois Congressional Delegation Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL) Senator Dick Durbin, a Democrat from Springfield, is the 47th U.S. Senator from the State of Illinois, the state’s senior senator, and the convener of Illinois’ bipartisan congressional delegation. Durbin also serves as the Democratic Whip, the second highest ranking position among the Senate Democrats. Senator Durbin has been elected to this leadership post by his Democratic colleagues every two years since 2005. Elected to the U.S. Senate on November 5, 1996, and re-elected in 2002, 2008, and 2014, Durbin fills the seat left vacant by the retirement of his long-time friend and mentor, U.S. Senator Paul Simon. Durbin sits on the Senate Judiciary, Appropriations, Agriculture, and Rules Committees. He is the Ranking Member of the Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Immigration and the Appropriations Committee's Defense Subcommittee. Senator Durbin makes approximately 50 round trips a year between Washington and Illinois. He is married to Loretta Schaefer Durbin. Their family consists of three children--Christine (deceased), Paul and Jennifer--as well as three grandchildren, Alex, Ona and Floyd. They reside in Springfield. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth is an Iraq War Veteran, Purple Heart recipient and former Assistant Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs. She was among the first Army women to fly combat missions during Operation Iraqi Freedom after deploying to Iraq in 2004 as a Blackhawk helicopter pilot for the Illinois Army National Guard. Duckworth served in the Reserve Forces for 23 years before retiring from military service in 2014 at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. On November 12, 2004, her helicopter was hit by an RPG and Duckworth lost her legs and partial use of her right arm. Senator Duckworth spent the next year recovering at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, where she quickly became an advocate for her fellow Soldiers. Following her recovery, she became Director of the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs, working to create a tax credit for employers who hired Veterans, establish a first-in-the-nation 24/7 Veterans crisis hotline and develop innovative programs to improve Veterans’ access to housing and health care. In 2009, President Obama appointed Duckworth to be Assistant Secretary of Veterans Affairs, where she coordinated the joint initiative with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to end Veteran homelessness. She was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2016 after representing Illinois’s Eighth Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives for two terms. Senator Duckworth and her husband Bryan are the proud parents of two daughters, Abigail and Maile. Congressman Bobby Rush (D-IL-1) Rush is an honorably discharged veteran of the United States Army and an ordained minister with a master’s Degree in Theology. In addition to his congressional responsibilities, Rush is the pastor of the Beloved Community Christian Church of God in Christ in Chicago. Rush listens to his constituents with a pastor’s ear and acts on their needs with a politician’s skill. A legendary figure in modern American politics, Congressman Bobby Rush exhibited extraordinary leadership skills long before his 1992 election to Illinois' First Congressional District. Rush was born in Albany, Georgia, in November 23, 1946, under extremely segregated conditions. Rush’s family moved to Chicago in 1953, when he was seven years old. In 1963, at the age of seventeen, Rush enlisted in the U. S. Army and served honorably until 1968. Later, Rush made history when he formed the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party after having been inspired by the activism of Stokely Carmichael and others. During this time, Rush formed the Free Medical Clinic in Chicago. It was later that Rush would confront the political establishment with a more traditional approach. Rush secured the position of alderman of Chicago’s Second Ward in 1983 and he continued to serve as an alderman until 1992, when he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. Rush participates on the subcommittees on Telecommunications, Trade and Consumer Protections, and Energy and Power, as well as on the House Committee on Commerce. These three entities account for three-quarters of all national legislation. During his term, Rush has served as member of the U.S. delegation of the North Atlantic Assembly and sponsored many community-based initiatives. Congresswoman Robin Kelly (D-IL-2) Congresswoman Robin Kelly has dedicated her career to public service as an advocate for Illinois families. Since being elected to serve the 2nd Congressional District in 2013, she has worked to expand economic opportunity, community wellness, and public safety across the state, championing numerous initiatives to generate job growth, reduce health disparities, and end gun violence. Congresswoman Kelly is a Member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee (the main investigative body of the House) and serves as the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Information Technology, where she has focused her efforts on improving cyber-security, strengthening IT-infrastructure, and encouraging new and emerging technologies. Kelly also serves on the Oversight Committee's Subcommittee on Health Care, Benefits, and Administrative Rules. As the senior Illinois representative on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, the Congresswoman has laid out a forward-thinking foreign policy vision for the United States and has been an outspoken proponent of diplomacy, international human rights and the need for clear and thoughtful American leadership abroad. Congressman Daniel Lipinski (D-IL-3) Dan Lipinski is a proud native of Illinois’ Third Congressional District, which includes parts of the southwest side of Chicago, southwest Cook County, and northeastern Will County. Now in his seventh term, Rep. Lipinski has distinguished himself as a champion of the middle class. He is a leader on transportation issues, the promotion of American manufacturing, job creation through research and technological innovation, strengthening Buy American laws, restoring fiscal responsibility, and honoring America’s veterans and seniors. He has earned a reputation as a legislator who brings people together to solve problems, even during historic congressional gridlock. Lipinski is the most senior member from Illinois on the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, serving on three subcommittees: Aviation; Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials; and Highways and Transit. On the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, he is the third most senior Democrat and serves as Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Research and Technology, and also sits on the Subcommittee on Energy. His district includes Argonne National Laboratory. Lipinski is known throughout the district for his top-notch constituent services and his work on behalf of veterans and senior citizens. Prior to serving in Congress, he taught American Government at the college level, including at the University of Notre Dame. In the current Congress, he is one of just a dozen trained engineers in Congress. Rep. Lipinski and his wife, Judy, reside in Western Springs. In their free time, they are avid runners, participating in numerous races each year, ranging from two-mile sprints to half- marathons. Congressman Jesús “Chuy” Garcia (D-IL-4) Jesús “Chuy” García is a progressive leader who has fought to improve the lives of all people. Chuy emerged as a national leader during his 2015 bid for Mayor of the City of Chicago. Chuy received an outpouring of support and acclaim and has continued to be vocal on local and national policy issues. As Alderman, Chuy secured city funds to construct the giant Little Village Arch that sweeps across 26th Street in the 22nd Ward. He also pushed through an ordinance providing help for immigrants with filling out forms, writing letters and applying for green cards issued by the federal government. Chuy left the City Council to run for the Illinois Senate in 1992 and became the first Mexican-American elected to that post. He succeeded in passing legislation that set limits on fees charged by notary publics to immigrants for assistance with legal matters. Chuy also won passage of a bill requiring interpreters be made available to hospital patients who could not speak sufficient English to understand their treatment options. In 2010, Chuy was elected to the Cook County Board of Commissioners, a legislative body that allocates the county’s $3.5 billion budget. He was named floor leader by Board President Toni Preckwinkle and helped enact the reform agenda. Chuy stood up to an army of real estate lobbyists and pushed through a ban on the practice of some suburban landlords refusing to rent homes to low income families, veterans, the disabled and others who rely on housing choice vouchers. He is the member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Illinois's 4th district, serving since January 3, 2019. Congressman Mike Quigley (D-IL-5) Mike Quigley was elected to Congress to represent Illinois’ 5th District on April 7, 2009. A former Cook County Commissioner who began his career through community service in the Lakeview neighborhood, Mike has served his community for more than thirty years. His election to Congress was an opportunity to take his unique style of reform-minded politics, which Chicagoans have known for years, from Cook County to Washington. In 2015, Mike was appointed by Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi to serve on the influential House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI). The committee oversees the activities of the entire Intelligence Community. Representing Chicago, one of the nation’s largest cities and a major hub for travel and commerce, Mike brings to the committee a unique understanding of the national security challenges we face and has championed policies that will really keep America safe. He believes the government has both the capability and responsibility to strike the proper balance between protecting our nation’s security and safeguarding the civil liberties of its citizens and will serve as a watchdog over our intelligence agencies.