Judy Biggert
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Judy Biggert | |
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| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office January 6, 1999 |
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| Preceded by | Harris Fawell |
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| Born | August 15, 1937 Chicago, Illinois |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Rody Biggert |
| Religion | Episcopalian |
Judith Borg "Judy" Biggert (born August 15, 1937 in Chicago, Illinois), American politician, has been a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives since 1999, representing Illinois's 13th congressional district (map).
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[edit] Personal Life
Judy Biggert was born in Chicago on August 15, 1937 and attended New Trier High School in Winnetka, Illinois. She is married to Rody Biggert, with whom she has four children: Courtney Caverly, Alison Cabot, Rody Biggert, and Adrienne Morrell, and seven grandchildren: Martin Bray, Gillian and Grant Patterson Caverly, and John Henry, Matthew, and Ethan Cabot, and Greer Morrell. The couple lives in a 138-year-old home in Hinsdale, Illinois.[1] Biggert graduated from Stanford University and Northwestern University's School of Law.
After graduating with a law degree, Biggert began her legal career as clerk to judge Luther Merritt Swygert of United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. She is a member of the American Bar Association, the Illinois State Bar Association, the DuPage Bar Association, and the DuPage Association of Women Lawyers.
On April 3, 2008, Biggert presented with the ASME President's Award by ASME President Sam Zamrik as recognition for her "leadership in advancing the science, engineering and technology enterprise which is so vital to this nation"[2]
In a report entitled Family Affair released on June 18, 2007, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington noted that Biggert's daughter Adrienne Morrell is a registered lobbyist for Health Net, the 6th largest publicly traded for-profit managed health care company, where she has worked since 2004; previously Morrell was a lobbyist with America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), the chief health insurance industry lobby.[3]
On August 1, 2007, Biggert voted against the Children's Health and Medicare Protection Act of 2007, which is opposed by Health Net and AHIP because it would eliminate the 12% subsidy ($157 billion over ten years) given to private Medicare Advantage plans above what it would cost to cover the same people under the traditional Medicare program (and raise the federal cigarette tax by 45 cents to 84 cents) to reauthorize the State Children's Health Insurance Program which covers 6.6 million children, expand it to cover an additional four million uninsured children in low-income families, and prevent a scheduled 10% cut in doctor's Medicare payments in 2008.[4][5][6][7][8]
Biggert has received $17,000 in campaign contributions from large drug companies.[9] She voted against allowing Americans to import prescription drugs from Canada to save on costs.[9] 14:22, 7 May 2008 (UTC)129.171.150.81 (talk)
[edit] Legislative career
Biggert began her legislative career in 1992, when she was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives to serve the newly created 81st District. She became the first member of the Illinois House in the 20th Century to be named to leadership after serving only one term.[citation needed] She was re-elected in 1994 and 1996 before running for Congress in 1998. Biggert defeated Peter Roskam in the Republican primary. Biggert earned 61% of the vote to win the seat opened up by the retirement of U.S. Rep. Harris Fawell.[citation needed]
Biggert was cited by Glamour Magazine as one of the "New Female Power Players" and by Fortune Magazine as one of "The Picks of Congress' New Litter."[10]
In 2000, Biggert was re-elected with 66% of the vote, and her winning margins have been similarly large in elections since then.[citation needed] She is currently serving on the House Education & Labor Committee, the House Science & Technology Committee, and the House Financial Services Committee — on which she is the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit.[citation needed]
Biggert's other subcommittee assignments include: Housing and Community Opportunity (Financial Services); Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit (Financial Services); Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education(Education and Labor); Higher Education, Lifelong Learning, and Competitiveness(Education and Labor); Energy and Environment (Science & Technology), Technology and Innovation (Science & Technology)[11]
Biggert undertook bipartisan support for the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) and was key in working with the employer and insurance communities to enable the passage of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act in the House on April 25, 2007 [1]. She was an initial cosponsor of the bill [2]. She was present when President George W. Bush signed the bill into law on May 21, 2008 [3].
Biggert also serves as Co-chair of the Congressional Missing and Exploited Children's Caucus.[citation needed]
[edit] Committee Assignments
- Financial Services Committee
- Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit (ranking member)
- Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity
- Education and Labor Committee
- Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education
- Subcommittee on Higher Education, Lifelong Learning, and Competitiveness
- Science & Technology Committee
- Subcommittee on Energy and Environment
- Subcommittee on Technology and Innovation
- Co-Chair of the Caucus on Women's Issues
[edit] Legislation and voting record
Biggert has voted with President Bush 79% of the time and with the Republican Party 89% of the time.[9]
Two of Biggert's initiatives during her first term became law: the Cybertipline legislation to report and track down computer-based sex crimes against children, and another bill which increased penalties for traffickers of Ecstasy. She helped write the No Child Left Behind legislation.[10] She also helped write the Sarbanes-Oxley legislation.[10] Both of these bills have received criticism for increasing the size of government and adding intrusive regulation into businesses (in the case of Sarbanes-Oxley) and schools (No Child Left Behind).[3]
According to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, Biggert has received $29,000 in campaign contributions from companies related to large oil and gas industries and she has voted for the energy bill, which gives those industries subsidies, each year.[9] She voted for bills in both 2004 and 2005 that would shield a Saudi Arabian royal family-owned group from liability for a possibly cancer-causing gasoline additive, MBTE, that seeped into the groundwater in New England.[12] The bill provided for federal money to clean up the MBTE and to give grants to the Saudi company to help them develop different technologies.[12]
On October 20, 2007, Biggert's amendment to expand research into hydrogen energy storage was approved in Congress.[13]
[edit] Electoral history
- 2006 Race for U.S. House of Representatives—13th District
- Judy Biggert (R), 58%
- Joseph Shannon (D), 42%
- 2004 Race for U.S. House of Representatives—13th District
- Judy Biggert (R), 65%
- Gloria Schor Andersen (D), 35%
- 2002 Race for U.S. House of Representatives—13th District
- Judy Biggert (R), 70%
- Tom Mason (D), 30%
- 2000 Race for U.S. House of Representatives—13th District
- Judy Biggert (R), 66%
- Tom Mason (D), 34%
- 1998 Race for U.S. House of Representatives—13th District
- Judy Biggert (R), 61%
- Susan Hynes (D), 39%
- 1998 Race for U.S. House of Representatives—13th District Republican Primary
- Judy Biggert (R), 45%
- Peter Roskam (R), 40%
[edit] References
- ^ Meet Judy. Judy Biggert Congresswoman 13th District of Illinois.
- ^ ASME (May 2008). NEWS Online.
- ^ a b Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (June 18, 2007). Family Affair. CREW. Retrieved on 2007-08-02.
- ^ Miller, Lorraine C. (August 1, 2007). Final Vote Results for Roll Call 787 on passage of H.R. 3162 Children’s Health and Medicare Protection Act of 2007. Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives.
- ^ AMA (May 22, 2007). AMA calls for financial neutrality in Medicare Advantage. American Medical Association. Retrieved on 2007-08-02.
- ^ AMA (June 23, 2007). Medicare physician payment reform. American Medical Association. Retrieved on 2007-08-08.
- ^ Pear, Robert (August 2, 2007). "House passes children’s health plan 225-204". The New York Times: p. A13.
- ^ Alonso-Zaldivar, Ricardo (March 26, 2007). "Insuring kids may squeeze seniors". Los Angeles Times: p. A1.
- ^ a b c d GOP Auction House. Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
- ^ a b c About Judy. Judy Biggert.
- ^ Judy's Resume. Judy Biggert Congresswoman 13th District of Illinois.
- ^ a b [http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2005/05/16/saudis_lobby_to_limit_liability_on_additive/: Saudis lobby to limit liability on additive] at the Boston Globe accessed on May 30, 2007
- ^ New fuel to avoid energy doomsday. Daily Herald (2007-10).
[edit] External links
- U.S. Congresswoman Judy Biggert official House site
- Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- Voting record maintained by The Washington Post
- Campaign finance reports and data at the Federal Election Commission
- Campaign contributions at OpenSecrets.org
- Biography, voting record, and interest group ratings at Project Vote Smart
- Issue positions and quotes at On The Issues
- Current Bills Sponsored at StateSurge.com
- SourceWatch Congresspedia — Judy Biggert profile
- Re-Elect Judy Biggert official campaign site
| Preceded by Harris W. Fawell |
U.S. Representative of Illinois's 13th Congressional District 1999– |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
