Illinois Congressional Delegation Bios
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Illinois Congressional Delegation Bios 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 Assistant Democratic Leader, the second highest ranking position among the Senate Democrats. Also known as the Minority Whip, 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, and Rules Committees. He is the Ranking Member of the Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on the Constitution 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. Duckworth served in the Reserve Forces for 23 years before retiring from military service in 2014 at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. 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. In 2004, Duckworth was deployed to Iraq as a Black Hawk helicopter pilot for the Illinois Army National Guard. 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 and testified before Congress about caring for our Veterans and wounded warriors. Following her recovery, she became Director of the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs. In 2009, President Obama appointed Duckworth to be Assistant Secretary of Veterans Affairs. At VA, Duckworth coordinated the joint initiative with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to end Veteran homelessness. She also created the Office of Online Communications to improve the VA’s accessibility, especially among young Veterans, and also worked to address the unique challenges that Native American and female Veterans face. In the U.S. Senate, Duckworth serves on several influential committees that give her an important platform to advocate for Illinois’s working families and entrepreneurs: the Environment & Public Works Committee; the Energy & Natural Resources Committee; the Commerce, Science, & Transportation Committee; and the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Committee. Senator Duckworth lives in Hoffman Estates with her husband Bryan, an Army Cyber Warrant Officer, and their daughter Abigail. Congressman Bobby Rush (D-IL-1) United States Representative Bobby L. Rush is a transcendent American leader who keeps his legislative and policy interests sharply focused on the needs of his constituents — especially the most vulnerable. As a member of Congress, Rush stands on the shoulders of a long line of patriots and public servants who have gone before him and who are ardent believers in our Constitution. Chicago and her surrounding communities are a microcosm of America. While large parts of Rush’s district include communities that can boast world class health and educational institutions and a diverse array of businesses, there are others where youth unemployment and acts of violence are far too common. 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. He and his wife, Carolyn, have a blended family with seven children including a son who lost his life to gun violence in 1999. Congresswoman Robin Kelly (D-IL-2) Congresswoman Robin Kelly is honored to represent the citizens of Illinois’ 2nd Congressional District. Since her election in 2013, she has worked to expand economic opportunity and promote public safety, sponsoring numerous bills to generate job growth and end gun violence. As a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Kelly serves on key committees, including the Foreign Affairs Committee and its Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere and Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade. A New York native, Kelly moved to Illinois after high school to attend Bradley in Peoria, where she earned her B.A. in psychology and an M.A. in counseling. She later received a Ph.D. in political science from Northern Illinois University. She lives in Matteson with her husband, Dr. Nathaniel Horn, and has two adult children, Kelly and Ryan. 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 sixth 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. Rep. 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. 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 Luis Gutiérrez (D-IL-4) Now in his twelfth term, Congressman Luis V. Gutiérrez is the senior member of the Illinois delegation in the U.S. House of Representatives. He is an experienced legislator and energetic spokesman on behalf of his constituents in Illinois' Fourth District in the heart of Chicago, who first elected him to his seat in 1992. At the beginning of the 113th Congress in January 2013, Rep. Gutiérrez took a leave of absence from the House Financial Services Committee, where he was the third ranking Democrat, to take a less senior position on the Judiciary Committee. He did this so that he could work directly on two signature issues that have defined his career: gun violence prevention and comprehensive immigration reform. Married and both a father and grandfather, Rep. Gutiérrez was born and raised in Chicago to parents who had themselves migrated to Chicago from Puerto Rico in the early 1950s. He previously served as an Alderman in the City of Chicago and has been a teacher, a social worker and a cab driver, among other diverse experiences. 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 serving as an aide to former 44th Ward Alderman Bernie Hansen, Mike has served his community for more than thirty years. As the only Illinois member of the House Committee on Appropriations, Mike is using his position to prioritize investments in innovation and Chicago-area infrastructure, which will grow the local economy and spur job creation. At the start of the 114th Congress, 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. Mike did his undergraduate work at Roosevelt University, earned a master’s degree in public policy from the University of Chicago, and a law degree from the Loyola University School of Law, all in Chicago. He also served as an adjunct professor of political science at Loyola University Chicago and Roosevelt University, lecturing on politics, the environment and local government. He was a practicing lawyer for more than a decade. Mike lives with his wife Barbara in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood, where he has lived since 1982. His daughters, Alyson and Meghan, are both grown and out of the house but he has his dog Scout to keep him busy. Congressman Peter Roskam (R-IL-6) Chicagoland native Peter Roskam is in his fifth term in the United States House of Representatives, serving the 6th District of Illinois. Roskam is a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, where he sits on the Health Subcommittee and chairs the Oversight Subcommittee. Active on national security issues and promoting America’s role in the world, Roskam leads the House Democracy Partnership, assisting legislatures in emerging democracies; serves as a co- chair of the House Republican Israel Caucus, the largest Republican congressional organization dedicated to strengthening the U.S.-Israel relationship; and serves on the Board of Directors for the National Endowment for Democracy. Roskam graduated from the University of Illinois before spending his early career in the office of his mentor, legendary Congressman Henry Hyde. He later earned his J.D. from IIT Chicago- Kent College of Law and began a law practice, where he developed significant experience as a litigator.