Janice Schakowsky

Janice D. "Jan" Schakowsky has been a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives since 1999, representing the 9th District of Illinois. The district includes many of Chicago's northern suburbs, including Evanston, Skokie, Glenview and Rosemont. It also includes a large portion of Chicago's North Side bordering Lake Michigan.

Iraq War
Schakowsky voted against the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002 that started the Iraq War.

Environmental record
For more information on environmental legislation, see the Energy and Environment Policy Portal

Schedule posting
Schakowsky posts her daily schedule online. An archive of her daily postings can be found here.

Support for anti-hunger funding and food stamp initiative
Rep. Schakowsky, along with Reps. Tim Ryan (D-OH), Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), and Jo Ann Emerson (R-Mo.) participated in the Congressional Food Stamp Challenge, a program which would have public officials eat on $21 a week, reflecting the average national weekly food stamp benefit. The challenge was issued in an effort to increase federal funding for anti hunger programs.

Support for gun control
Schavowsky cosponsored H.R. 1022 (Assault Weapons Ban Reauthorization Act of 2007) on March 7, 2007.

Husband imprisoned for fraud
In 2004, Schakowsky's husband, Robert Creamer, was indicted on federal charges of operating three check kiting schemes that defrauded banks of at least $2.3 million while he ran an Illinois public interest group called the Illinois Public Action Fund. Schakowsky herself sat on the Board of Directors of the organization during the time that Creamer committed the fraud.

Creamer was also charged in the indictment with failing to pay more than $300,000 in federal income taxes for employees of the group and for himself between 1996 and 2000. Four other counts allege he filed false income tax returns between 1996 and 1999.

In August 2005, Creamer pleaded guilty to two bank fraud felonies. In June 2006, he reported to the Federal Correctional Institute in Terre Haute, Indiana, where he served a five month term.

National security and foreign policy
As the Chief Deputy Democratic Whip, Schakowsky, along with other representatives, requested a briefing by Secretary of Defense Robert Gates on January 23, 2007 regarding the role of military contractors in the alleged torturing of detainees.

During the March 2007 debate of the Iraq supplemental spending bill, Rep. Schakowsky supported an amendment by Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) requiring withdrawal of American forces by the end of 2007. Schakowsky stated: “No more chances. No more waivers. No phony certifications. No more sending millions of dollars to send our children into the meat grinder that is Iraq...It is time to spend the money to keep them safe and bring them home.”

Background
Schakowsky was born in Chicago May 22, 1944, and graduated from the University of Illinois in 1965. A longtime consumer rights advocate, she was responsible for a 1969 law requiring the printing of freshness dates on groceries. She was Program Director of Illinois Public Action, Illinois' largest public interest group, from 1976 to 1985. She then moved to the Illinois State Council of Senior Citizens as executive director for five years until 1990, when she was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives. She served four terms.

Congressional Career
Sidney Yates, who had represented the 9th District since 1949, except for an unsuccessful run for the Senate in 1962, had announced in 1996 that he wouldn't run for reelection in 1998. Schakowsky easily won the Democratic primary, which all but assured her of election in the heavily Democratic 9th. She won in November with 75 percent of the vote and has easily won reelection three times with 70 percent or more of the vote.

2006 elections
In 2006, the Republicans nominated Michael P. Shannon to face Schakowsky in her November 2006 bid for reelection. (See U.S. congressional elections in 2006) Schakowsky retained her seat.

Positions and Views
Schakowsky is known for her support of women's issues while in Congress, and is a close friend of House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D, CA). She reportedly phoned every female partner in law firms in Chicago during her first run for office in 1998, and has gained national acclaim for her fundraising prowess.

She was one of the earliest and most emphatic supporters of U.S. Sen. Barack Obama before his win in the 2004 Illinois Democratic Primary.

Hawkish on Israel
This is what Ali Abunimah, the founder of ElectronicIntifada, has to say about Jan Schakowsky (21 February 2007): Here in Illinois you have representatives like Jan Schakowsky who is seen on the very far left on many many issues, but she is to the right of Ariel Sharon when it comes to Israel. This is an old problem in the Democratic party.

Money in politics
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Committees in the 110th Congress (2007-2008)

 * House Committee on Energy and Commerce
 * Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection
 * Subcommittee on Health
 * Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
 * House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence

Committee assignments in the 109th Congress (2005-2006)

 * House Committee on Energy and Commerce
 * Subcommittee on Commerce Trade and Consumer Protection - Ranking Minority Member
 * Subcommittee on Environment and Hazardous Materials
 * Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations

Coalitions and Caucuses

 * Mayor's Appointee, Evanston Energy Alternatives Task Force, 1989-1993
 * Congressional Human Rights Caucus
 * Congressional Progressive Caucus
 * Democratic Homeland Security Task Force
 * Democratic Steering Committee
 * Vice Chair, House Democratic Caucus Special Committee on Election Reform
 * Delegate, White House Conference on Aging

Boards and other Affiliations

 * Governing Council, American Jewish Congress-Midwest Region
 * Advisory Board, Better Existence with HIV
 * Advisory Board, Child Care Center of Evanston
 * Policy Council, Citizen Action of Illinois
 * Secretary, Conference of Women Legislators
 * Board of Directors, Council for Disability Rights
 * Illinois Pro-Choice Alliance
 * Board of Directors, Illinois Public Action
 * Advisory Board, Illinois Task Force on Child Support
 * Advisory Board, Infant Welfare Society of Evanston Incorporated
 * Chair, Government Agency Division, Jewish United Fund
 * Mother's Voices
 * National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
 * National Organization for Women
 * Advisory Board, Neighbors at Work
 * Advisory Council, Palliative Care Center of the North Shore
 * Advisory Board, Rogers Park Community Action Network
 * Skokie Chamber of Commerce
 * Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees
 * Advisory Board, Women for Economic Security
 * Host Committee 2005, Letelier-Moffitt Human Rights Award

External resources

 * Official website
 * Campaign website
 * BuzzFlash Interview, Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky
 * Open Secrets - 2006 congressional races database

Local blogs and discussion sites

 * The Sam Adams Alliance Blog- Tea Party"
 * Philosophe Forum
 * Prairie State Blue - Statewide Illinois Progressive Politics Blog

External articles

 * Roxana Tiron, "House Dems seek Gates briefing," The Hill, January 24, 2007.
 * Ali Abunimah, Ali Abunimah discusses Rice trip, FlashPoints.net, February 21, 2007.
 * Matthew Cardinale, "Three US Reps Now Support Cheney Impeach Bill," Atlanta Progressive News, April 29, 2007: Reps. Dennis Kucinich and William Lacy Clay re Efforts to initiate the impeachment of Vice President Dick Cheney
 * Faiz Shakir, "Schakowsky On Iraq Visit: ‘Surge Is A Failure,’ Warns There Is ‘Major PR Effort Going On’," Think Progress, August 10, 2007.