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Peter Roskam (b. September 13, 1961, Hinsdale, Illinois) is a Republican member of the Illinois State Senate representing Illinois' 48th district. Roskam is currently the Republican candidate in Illinois' 6th Congressional District (map). His opponent in the November general election is Ladda "Tammy" Duckworth.
Personal history
Roskam is a 1983 graduate of the University of Illinois where he received his B.A. and a 1989 graduate of the IIT-Chicago-Kent College of Law from which he received his Juris Doctorate.
In 1984 Peter taught history and government at All Saints High School in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. In 1985 Peter served as an assistant to Congressman Tom DeLay (R.-TX.), and in 1986 as an assistant to congressman Henry Hyde (R.-IL.). In the late 1980s Roskam served as the Executive Director of Educational Assistance Ltd., a scholarship program for disadvantaged kids. In 1992 Peter was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives where he served for six years. In 2000 he was appointed to the Illinois State Senate where he currently serves. Roskam currently resides in Wheaton, Illinois with his wife Elizabeth and their four children.
Roskam is a partner in the law firm Salvi, Roskam & Maher; a personal injury firm which handles cases such as automobile accidents and injuries, medical malpractice, dog bites, and slip & falls. The firm Salvi, Roskam & Maher is politically notable because former Republican Senate candidate Al Salvi is a partner, as is Al's wife Kathy Salvi.
Peter Roskam supported the campaign of Kathy Salvi in the 2006 Republican Primary for the 8th Congressional District, making the maximum allowable contribution. Kathy Salvi, a personal injury attorney like Roskam, was defeated in the primary by David McSweeney.
Roskam is a member of the Anglican Mission in America, a Christian missionary organization established in 2000. It is led by a bishop from Rwanda and aims to be an alternative to the Episcopal Church. The group opposes the ordination of women to the priesthood but supports the ordaination of female deacons . It has been described by the Anglican Journal as a "right-wing faction" of the Anglican Church .
Peter Roskam has worked in coordination with his mother Martha Roskam in a project to return lost dog tags to military personnel or their relatives. This project has gained national media attention .
Illinois State Senate
Roskam is currently the Republican Whip, the Republican spokesman on the Executive Committee, and a member of the Rules Committee, Environment and Energy Committee, Insurance and Pensions Committee, and Judiciary Committee. In the Senate Roskam has sponsored legislation giving the Supreme Court of Illinois authority to reverse a death penalty sentence, and has sponsored law increasing the penalties for repeat D.U.I. offenders.
In 1992, the Illinois Attorney General investigated Roskam's state house fund for failing to report a mailing list it received from the 501c3 charity he was running at the time. The Attorney General passed it on to the Internal Revenue Service.
In January 2005, Roskam fought the passage of the Illinois Human Rights Act on the grounds that it would require churches and religious organizations that view homosexuality as a sin to hire homosexuals. Supporters of the act believe this claim to be a misrepresentation stating that the act contains an explicit exemption for churches and religious organizations. However, all but two of Roskam's fellow Republicans in the Illinois State Senate also objected to the act and voted against it. The Beacon News reported that fellow Republican State Representative Joe Dunn found the Republican's objection to the act offensive. Dunn said, "I was just really turned off by what was coming out of the mouths of some of my fellow party members," and "I just didn't like the hatred and bigotry and intolerance I was hearing," and "It was just disgusting, what they were trying to do." Business groups, such as the Chicago Chamber of Commerce, were in support of the legislation.
The Chicago Tribune noted Roskam received criticism from police for proposed legislation that called for the destruction of background-check records within 90 days of a gun’s purchase. Police use those records to investigate “straw” purchasers who buy guns for criminals. Law-enforcement officers also use such records to properly prepare themselves when serving a warrant or making an arrest at a home.
In the senate Roskam fought a proposal made by Illinois State Comptroller Dan Hynes to fund stem cell research. Supporters argue that the proposal could have enticed investment and been good for the state economy. Roskam faced bipartisan opposition with Republican State Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka, State Senator and DuPage County GOP Chairman Kirk Dillard, and Republican House Minority Leader Tom Cross all supporting the stem cell research initiative. Major medical and educational institutions, such as Northwestern University, supported the proposal, which Roskam helped defeat. A poll conducted by ABC News/The Washington Post shows that on July 30, 2005, 60% of Republicans, and 53% of conservatives supported stem cell research.
Positions
Peter Roskam is pro-life, favoring banning abortion in all cases except when the life of the mother is at risk, and makes no exceptions for cases of rape or incest. Roskam opposes stem cell research, gun control, and same-sex marriage, and supports making the Bush tax cuts permanent, supports a research and development tax credit, and opposes the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). Roskam touts his endorsement by Phyllis Schlafly, the founder of the Eagle Forum and a well known critic of the ERA. Roskam supports CAFTA.
1998 Congressional Campaign
Roskam ran for Congress in 1998 in Illinois' 13th Congressional District to replace retiring Congressman Harris W. Fawell but lost in the Republican Primary to Judy Biggert. Roskam received 40.07% of the vote to Biggert's 45.03%. In that race Judy Biggert made the accusation that Roskam was protecting gambling and tobacco interests based on a vote on an education reform package that would raise taxes on gambling boats, cigarettes, and phone bills . Roskam was endorsed by Congressman Henry Hyde; however, Judy Biggert was endorsed by incumbent 13th district U.S. Representative Harris W. Fawell, Governor Jim Edgar and Kirk Dillard, a Hinsdale state senator who is now the DuPage County Republican chairman.
2006 Congressional Campaign
Roskam is currently running for U.S. Congress to fill Henry Hyde's open seat in the 6th Congressional district. He ran unopposed in the Republican Congressional Primary. Roskam's previous congressional campaign was in the neighboring 13th district.
Roskam held a media event with and received support from Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform. Norquist is a highly controversial figure, having been linked with Jack Abramoff. Norquist has also called for the end of government-run education.
On March 13, 2006, Vice President Dick Cheney appeared at a fundraiser on behalf of Peter Roskam. The event was able to raise over $200,000. In his comments Cheney defended President Bush's policies on the Iraq War and domestic surveillance, adding that Peter Roskam would be a strong partner.
On May 9, 2006, two local labor unions, the Teamsters, and the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150 endorsed Roskam for the congressional seat. Unions traditionally align themselves with Democrats, but the Teamsters have previously have endorsed other Republican candidates in the district.
According to the Daily Herald, on October 26, 2005, Roskam's campaign manager, Ryan McLaughlin, was arrested for drunken driving after a traffic stop in Elmhurst. This is of particular embarrassment to the campaign because Roskam cites enhancing DUI penalties as a chief legislative accomplishment.
Republican J.P. "Rick" Carney, former DuPage County Recorder of Deeds who was then exploring a run in the district, joked about Roskam's previous loss in a different congressional district (the 13th) and said, "If he loses this race, he'll run in the 14th , when Hastert retires."
His opponent in the November general election, helicopter pilot Major Ladda "Tammy" Duckworth of the U.S. Army lost both legs to a rocket propelled grenade attack in the Iraq War. The race is expected to be highly competitive, since Duckworth has been able to attract national media attention, appearing on national news programs such as ABC's This Week.
FEC
In 1999 the Federal Election Commission (FEC) investigated a mailing sent out by a PAC in support of Peter Roskam at the request of his opponent in the primary Judy Biggert. The PAC was led by conservative Gary Bauer and paid over $10,000 in fines.
In 2005 Roskam ran afoul of Federal Election Commission (FEC) regulations for failing to report his fundraising expenditures for the third quarter of 2005 on time.
Contributors
According to Federal Election Commission filings, both 6th district congressional candidates have received large donations from various political action committees .
Roskam's contributors via committees include: 21st Century, Allianz of America, Allstate, Altria (formerly known as Phillip Morris), American Academy of Ophthalmology, American Bankers Association, American Chiropractic Association, American Council of Engineering Companies, American Crystal Sugar Company, American Dental PAC, American Family Insurance, American Hospital Association, American Medical Association, American Osteopatic Information Association, American Road and Transportation Builders Association, American Associaton of Anesthesiologists, American Success PAC, Americans United in Support of Democracy, Association for Manufacturing Technology, Aramark, Associated Eqiptment Distributers, Associated General Contractors of America, Assurant, AT&T, Auction Markets, Back America's Conservatives PAC, Barnes and Thornburg, Bayer, BellSouth, Care PAC, Carolina Majority PAC, Cingular Wireless, CNA Financial, Committee for the Preservation of Capitalisim, Commutnity Bankers Association of Illinois, Conservative National Committee, Conservative Opportunity Leadership and Enterprise PAC, Constellation Energy Group, Continuing a Majority Party PAC, Council of Insurance Agents and Brokers, Credit Union Legislative Action Council, Croplife America, Cummins Allison, Dealers Election Action Committee of the National Automotive Dealers Association, Deloiette and Touche, Democracy Beleivers PAC, Doing Our Nation's Service PAC, D.R.I.V.E, Dykema Gossett, Eagle Forum, Edison International, Engineers PAC, E.R.I.C. PAC, Family PAC, Freedom Project, Good Fund, Growth and Prosperity PAC, Hanson Professional Services, Hartford Financial Services, Heart PAC, Hill and Knolton, Hoosier PAC, HSBC North America, Humana, Lamb FedPAC, Independent Community Bankers of America, Indepenant Insurance Agents of America, International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150, IRL PAC, J.P. Morgan Chase, Keep Our Majority PAC, LaSalle Bank, Longhorn PAC, Majority in Congress PAC, Majority Initiative to Keep Electing Republicans PAC, McGuire Woods, MILEAD Fund, Motorola, MWH Americans, Nalco PAC, Namic PAC, National Telecommunications Cooperative, National Association of Health Underwriters, National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors, National Association of Mortgage Brokers, National Association of Realtors, National Beer Wholesalers Association, National Emergency Medicine PAC, National Restaurant Association, National Rifle Association, New American Leadership Fund, New PAC, Nicor, Outback Steakhouse, People For Enterprise Trade and Economic Growth, Pfizer, Price Waterhouse Coopers, Promoting Republicans You Can Elect, Property Casualty Insurance Association of America, Prosperity Helps Inspire Liberty PAC, Prosperity PAC, Qwest Communications, R.J. Reynolds, Reform PAC, Rely on Your Beliefs Fund, Republican National Coalition for Life PAC, Road to Victory PAC, SHW-PAC, Sprint-Nextel, St. Paul-Tavelers, Superior California Federal Leadership Fund, Texas Freedom Fund, Together For Our Majority PAC, Union Pacific, United In Freedom, U.P.S., United Transportation Union, UST, Verizon Communications, Vulcan Materials, and Wal-Mart.
FEC records show Roskam has received a contribution from the John S Fund. The John S. Fund is the PAC for John Shimkus, a Republican representaitve from Illinois. Recently the funds treasurer, lobbyist Mark Valente, resigned.
FEC disclosures show Roskam has received financial support from Americans for a Republican Majority, a PAC formed by Tom DeLay, who is facing criminal charges. Roskam was quoted as saying, "Knowing what I know now about what Tom DeLay's been accused of, my attitude would be to support him." The Hill reported Roskam hosted Tom DeLay at a fundraiser for Roskam's congressional campaign in 2005.
FEC disclosures indicate the law firm Winston and Strawn made financial contributions to Peter Roskam. Winston and Strawn's CEO is Republican James R. Thompson, who served as the audit committee chairman for Hollinger International, which is now under investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission. Winston and Strawn is also politically notable for being the law firm which represented former governor and Republican George H. Ryan in his corruption trial.
FEC filings show that Roskam received large donations from Exelon Corporation's PAC. Donations were also rececived from the CEO, John W. Rowe, and numerous officers directly. Exelon is the parent company of Commonwealth Edison, the electric utility serving Roskam's district. Currently ComEd is seeking a controversial rate hike, which is opposed by local governments and groups including the Citizens Utility Board. Further adding to the controversy, Exelon is being sued by Will County residents and the State's Attorney for potentially hundreds of millions of dollars due to leaks of radioactive material, tritium, at the Braidwood Nuclear Generating Station.
External links
- Peter Roskam's Illinois State Senate website
- Peter Roskam's congressional campaign site
- Roskam's anti tax site
- Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee website on Roskam
- Roskam's GI Dog Tag website