Judy Biggert (R-Ill.)

U.S. Representative (since January 1999)

(Congress Bio Directory)

Why She Matters

Biggert, the congresswoman from Illinois' 13th district, is a moderate Republican who was first elected in 1998 with the help of typically left-leaning groups like the Human Rights Campaign and Planned Parenthood.

Biggert primarily focuses on education and labor, regularly working on largely non-controversial legislation in these areas, like a bill barring employers and health insurers from discrimination against people who have costly diseases revealed through genetic testing and another expanding funding for education for the homeless.

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Background

At a Glance

Career History: Member, Illinois House of Representatives, (1992-1998); Hinsdale Board of Education (1982-1985); Practicing attorney (1975-1998)
Birthday: August, 15, 1937
Hometown: Chicago, Ill.
Alma Mater: Northwestern University, J.D. 1963; Stanford University, B.A. 1959
Spouse: Rody
Religion: Episcopalian

Committees: Education and Labor ; Science and Technology ; Financial Services (Chair, Subcommittee on Insurance, Housing and Community Opportunity)
DC Office: 2113 Rayburn HOB, Washington, DC 20515-1313, Phone: 202-225-3515
District Office: 6262 S. Route 83, Suite 305, Willowbrook, IL 60527, Phone: 630-655-2052
Email
Website

Path to Power

An Illinois native, Judy Biggert was born in Chicago, Ill., on August 15, 1937, and attended New Trier High School in Winnetka, Ill. She earned a bachelor's degree in international relations at Stanford University in 1959 and a law degree from Northwestern University in 1963.

Biggert began her law career by clerking for a federal appellate court judge. A self-described "former carpool mom and assistant soccer coach," she later practiced estate and real-estate law from home while raising her four children.

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Before entering politics, Biggert worked for years for local charity and community organizations. She served on the Hinsdale Township Board of Education and was chairman of both the Visiting Nurses Association of Chicago and the Village of Hinsdale Plan Commission.

Biggert and her husband Rody live in Hinsdale, Ill. They have four grown children and nine grandchildren.

Early Political Career

Biggert first entered politics in 1992, when she was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives in the newly created 81st district. She served there for six years, working in several leadership positions and earning a reputation as a moderate.

In 1997, incumbent Rep. Harris Fawell (R-Ill.) announced his retirement from the U.S. House and endorsed Biggert to replace him. She ran for his seat in Illinois' 13th district in 1998, campaigning for abortion rights and opposed most gun control (though she had been for it in 1992). With endorsements from Planned Parenthood and the Human Rights Campaign, plus $402,000 of her own money, Biggert won with 61 percent of the vote.

Illinois' 13th district consists of the southwest suburbs of Chicago and is home to Argonne Laboratories, into which Biggert has funneled millions of federal dollars. The district is safely Republican, and Biggert has faced no serious reelection challenges.

U.S. House

While Biggert has easily held onto her seat, attempts at moving up within party leadership have been less successful. In 2000, she ran for secretary of the Republican Conference and lost to then-Rep. Barbara Cubin (R-Wyo.). In 2002, Biggert ran for the same post when Cubin moved to another, but when it became obvious Biggert would lose, she withdrew her nomination.

In 2004, Republican leaders asked Biggert if she wanted to run against Barack Obama for the U.S. Senate; she passed.

Biggert was chosen by former House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) to serve on the House Standards of Official Conduct Committee. She was willing to investigate then-Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas) in 2005, but the committee declined a partisan fight. Biggert did serve on the panel that investigated former Rep. Mark Foley (R-Fla.) in 2006; no sanctions were issued.

The Issues

Biggert has described herself as a mainstream Republican and a centrist. Wary of ultra-conservatives, she has a moderate voting record, particularly on social issues. She supports embryonic stem-cell research and abortions rights, with the exception of late term abortions. She has also voted consistently in favor of homosexual rights, seeking expanded hate-crime protections and an end to "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."

In the House, Biggert has concentrated on education, labor and technology issues. She sponsored a bill that would allow employees to earn compensatory time rather than overtime, a move she said would help working mothers. The bill was strongly opposed by labor unions, and GOP leaders cancelled a roll call when it became obvious the bill would fail.

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Biggert voted for No Child Left Behind; she also sponsored legislation to make education more accessible to homeless children and to help children with eating disorders. After 2005's Hurricane Katrina, she opposed a proposed school voucher program for evacuees.

The Illinois Republican helped spearhead the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act, which prohibits insurance companies from discriminating on the basis of genetic information. And she sponsored legislation to give the Energy Department $165 million over three years to build a supercomputer; the language passed in 2004.

In the 112th Congress, Biggert chaired the House Financial Services Committee subcommittee on Insurance, Housing and Community Opportunity. She began working on legislation to curb mortgage fraud and improve public-housing services. She wants to use her chairmanship to promote housing counseling and create homeless youth shelters.

Energy and the Environment

Biggert says she supports an "all of the above" energy strategy, which would include expanding U.S. drilling opportunities and developing more alternative and renewable energy.

While Biggert did vote for the energy acts of 2005 and 2007, which aimed to improve energy and fuel efficiency, she opposed cap-and-trade legislation, trade-in vouchers for fuel-efficient cars and loans for energy efficiency purposes.

In recent years, Biggert has focused her attention on keeping destructive Asian carp out of Lake Michigan. Her district includes Romeoville, Ill., where the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers constructed an electronic barrier to protect the lake from carp. Biggert has sought funding for protective measures. "We have to protect the greatest freshwater bodies we have," she said. "This would be a real disaster."

Immigration

Biggert is opposed to illegal immigration and paths to citizenship such as the DREAM Act. She co-sponsored 2006 legislation to erect a Mexican-American border fence, and voted for increased border security. She is a strong advocate of the E-Verify system, which aims to reduce the number of illegal immigrants working in the U.S.

Health Care

An ardent opponent of President Obama's 2010 health-care overhaul, Biggert co-sponsored legislation to repeal the act. She believes it will ration care, create waitlists and limit choices.

"Whether it's dropped coverage, higher costs, or lost jobs, the unintended consequences of the administration's plan have piled up," Biggert said. "This law is not salvageable."

Budget and the Economy

Biggert supported President Bush's 2001 and 2003 tax cuts and believes the cuts should be permanently extended. She voted for Obama's 2010 tax plan, and is against stimulus and bailout plans.

The Network

Biggert has served on the House ethics committee, which she was assigned to by former House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.).

Biggert's main network is a group of centrist House Republicans known as the Tuesday Group, chaired in the 112th Congress by Reps. Charlie Dent (R-Pa.) and Jo Ann Emerson (R-Mo.).

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Additional Resources