People in the news

Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.)

U.S. Representative (since 1999)

(Congress Bio Directory)

Why She Matters

Schakowsky's suburban Chicago district is one of the most liberal in the country and she's one of the most liberal members of Congress. She's pledged to be an influential voice in some of this Congress' key debates, including the fight to reform the nation's health care system.

Schakowsky has been a key ally of Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and was an early supporter of an Illinois politician named Barack Obama.

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Background

At a Glance

Career History: Representative, Illinois General Assembly, (1990 to 1999); Director, Illinois State Council of Senior Citizens (1985 to 1990); Program director, Illinois Public Action Council (1976 to 1985)
Birthday: May 26, 1944
Hometown: Chicago, Ill.
Alma Mater: University of Illinois, B.S. (Elementary Education), 1965
Spouse: Robert Creamer
Religion: Jewish
DC Office: 2367 Rayburn House Office Building(202) 225-2111
District Office: Chicago: 5533 BroadwayChicago, IL 60640(773) 506-7100Evanston: 820 Davis StreetSuite 105Evanston, IL 60201(847) 328-3409

Path to Power

Schakowsky grew up in Chicago, Ill.

She earned a degree in elementary education from the University of Illinois in 1965 and taught in a Head Start program for two years after graduation.

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Schakowsky became a stay-at-home mom after the birth of her two children, but found time to organize six women into the National Consumers Union. In 1969, the group printed a handbook showing consumers how to decipher bar codes to learn when perishable supermarket goods were made.

The booklets shamed many major food manufacturers into printing clear "sell-by" dates on their products.

From 1976 until 1985, Schakowsky worked at the Illinois Public Action Council, a progressive consumer advocacy group. As program director, she focused on protecting people from toxic chemicals and fought for energy reform.

In 1980, Schakowsky divorced and later remarried Robert Creamer, the executive director of the Illinois Public Action Council.

Illinois State Council for Senior Citizens

In 1985, Schakowsky became director of the Illinois State Council of Senior Citizens. She helped seniors organize to demand lower-cost prescription drugs and benefits and tax breaks. She remained on the Illinois Public Action Committee's board.

In 1989, Schakowsky organized a Chicago senior citizens' rally protesting an increase in the cost of catastrophic illness coverage under Medicare. The seniors won national attention after a group of them chased after Rep. Dan Rostenkowski (D-Ill.), then Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, and blocked his car.

Illinois General Assembly

In 1990, Schakowsky parlayed her success as an organizer into a seat on the Illinois General Assembly, where she represented the 18th District, Chicago's wealthy northern suburbs.

She served for eight years on that body, chaired both the Human Services Appropriations Committee and the Labor and Commerce Committee, and was as a Democratic Floor Leader and Secretary of the Conference of Women Legislators.

She sponsored bills strengthening the Hate Crimes Act, supporting public libraries, and guaranteeing homeless people the right to vote.

U.S. House of Representatives

In 1998, Schakowsky entered the race to represent Illinois' 9th district, comprising the liberal northern areas of Chicago and the wealthy northern suburbs of Evanston and Niles. In a tough, three-way Democratic primary, Schakowsky was "known as a liberal, feisty activist for seniors, consumers and women," the Associated Press reported.

Schakowsky beat more moderate and better-known opponents, including J.B. Pritzker, the heir to the Hyatt hotel fortune who is also the brother of Obama campaign finance chair Penny Pritzker.

"I don't think I can be defined as too far left in a district like this," Schakowsky said at the time.

She sailed to victory in the general election.

Robert Creamer's Bank Fraud Scandal

Schakowsky's 1998 congressional win came despite the fact that during the campaign her husband Robert Creamer was under investigation for bank fraud. In 2004, he was indicted for bank fraud and tax violations. In 2005, he pleaded guilty to charges that he perpetrated a check-kiting scheme and failed to collect withholding tax from an employee.

"In my heart, I know that these mistakes do not define or diminish this good man, or the good work that he has done over the last 40 years or that he will do in the future," said Schakowsky.

Creamer served five months in an Indiana prison, but has since returned to politics, where he is known as a prominent Chicago political fundraiser. He is also a guest-blogger for The Huffington Post.

Democratic Majority

In January 2007, Schakowsky's longtime friend Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) was elected as the first female Speaker of the House. Pelosi appointed Schakowsky chief deputy whip, a crucial post in the Democratic leadership.

Schakowsky faces re-election in 2010.

The Issues

Schakowsky's district clings to Lake Michigan, covering Chicago's northern neighborhood and wealthy northern suburbs.

Schakowsky, who is a member of the Progressive Caucus, is a good match for the liberal district. She is a passionate advocate for women's rights and was an early dissenting voice in the Iraq War debate. The former consumer advocate still lists consumer protection among her top priorities.

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Health-Care Reform

Schakowsky has called universal health care her "top priority in Congress."

Schakowsky sits on the House Energy and Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Health, chaired by Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-N.J.) She pledged to use her post to pass meaningful health-care reform in 2009.

At President Obama's March 2009 health-care roundtable, Schakowsky joined labor leaders to argue that a public health insurance option, offered alongside private plans, would help reduce costs and force private insurers to become more efficient.

In the ramp-up to the 2009 health-care reform debates, Schakowsky wrote an op-ed in the Chicago Sun-

Times arguing for a public plan. She said a public health insurance option would foster competition and reduce costs. Less costly health care would relieve some of the economic strains on small businesses and encourage economic growth, she argued.

Like many Democrats, Schakowsky also held health care roundtables for constituents in her district when COngress was in recess.

Out of Iraq

Schakowsky has opposed the War in Iraq from its beginning.

Just before the October 2002 House vote to authorize the war, Schakowsky quietly built a coalition of antiwar Democrats. "Quietly, they went from lawmaker to lawmaker 'asking people how they would vote, and if they were unsure, convincing them that they would be far from alone if they vote no,'" The Washington Post reported.

Their efforts resulted in more than half of the House Democrats voting against the bill.

In 2005, as public support for the war waned, Schakowsky helped found the Out of Iraq Caucus. Later, Speaker Pelosi chose Schakowsky to head the House Select Committee on Intelligence.

But Schakowsky drew criticism from constituents when she supported the 2007 Iraq Spending bill, later vetoed by President Bush, which funded the troops, but did not to set a withdrawal date, as many Democrats wanted.

Since the Democrats reclaimed the majority, Schakowsky has been facing more criticism from liberal constituents who are wondering why Democrats haven't passed legislation to end the war.

"If we could pass it, I would stop this war today," she told The Washington Post. "But there aren't the votes to do that."

Women's Issues

Schakowsky calls women's rights one of her passions. She serves as the Democratic chair of the bipartisan Congressional caucus on Women's Issues, and she is a strong supporter of abortion rights. She has been endorsed by the abortion rights group Emily's List.

In February 2009, she joined Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) to introduce the Health Care for Women Act, which would commit Congress to passing a law providing quality health care for all women, with a focus on reproductive health.

Consumer protection

Schakowsky has pledged to strengthen privacy laws and increase consumer safety in products including cars, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.

She has also fought to strengthen safety standards for baby and toddler products.

In the 110th congress, Schakowsky introduced bills advocating a wide variety of consumer protections, including setting safety standards for baby products, labeling cosmetics for allergens, and ensuring the safety of school lunches and hospital meals.

The Network

Schakowsky is close friends with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). The Speaker appointed Schakowsky chief deputy whip.

Schakowsky was an early fan of Barack Obama, who also hails from Illinois. During Obama's 2004 Senate campaign, Schakowsky predicted he would, "march right onto the national stage and the international stage."

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Campaign Contributions

An early Obama supporter, Schakowsky gave $1,000 to his 2008 presidential campaign.

Schakowsky has donated to the campaigns of many liberal female candidates, and has given frequent $1,000 donations to Emily's List, which supports pro-choice female candidates including Schakowsky.

Additional Resources