Peter Roskam - Misplaced Pages

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Peter Roskam (Photo: From cookrepublicans.com)

Peter Roskam (born September 13, 1961, Hinsdale, Illinois) is a personal injury lawyer and a Republican member of the Illinois State Senate representing Illinois' 48th district. Roskam is currently the Republican candidate in the election for US Representative for Illinois' 6th congressional district to replace retiring 16-term incumbent Henry Hyde.

Personal history

Roskam was born in Hinsdale, Illinois and raised in Glen Ellyn, Illinois. Roskam received his B.A. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and his J.D. from the Chicago-Kent College of Law.

In 1984, Roskam taught history and government at All Saints High School in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. In 1985, Roskam served as a legislative assistant to Rep. Tom DeLay (R-TX), and in 1986 as a legislative assistant to Rep. Henry Hyde (R-IL). In the late 1980s, Roskam served as the Executive Director of Educational Assistance Ltd., a scholarship program for disadvantaged children. In 1992, Roskam was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives, serving from 1993 to 1999. In 2000, he was appointed to the Illinois State Senate where he currently serves. Roskam 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. He was named "Best Oral Advocate" by the American College of Trial Lawyers. The firm Salvi, Roskam & Maher is politically notable because former Republican Senate candidate Al Salvi and former Republican House candidate Kathy Salvi are also partners in the firm.

In 1989 the Wheaton Leader noted Roskam's actions as a private citizen in organizing a recycling program in Wheaton.

Roskam is a member of the Anglican Mission in America, an offshoot of the Anglican Church.

Roskam has worked in coordination with his mother, Martha Roskam, in a project to return lost dog tags from Vietnam to military personnel or their surviving relatives. This project has gained national media attention. Roskam also created Project Voices, a program to allow local residents to record messages to troops serving in Iraq as a sign of encouragement, gratitude, and support to U.S. servicemen and women.

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, has sponsored legislation increasing the penalties for repeat D.U.I. offenders, worked to streamline education programs, and was the lead sponsor of a law to maintain courts' power to hold deadbeat parents in contempt to ensure child support. Roskam has authored or co-authored fourteen bills to cut taxes.

While a legislator Peter Roskam has been awarded the "Constitutional Scholar Award" by the Illinois Judges Association, the "Outstanding Freshman Senator Award" by the Illinois Chamber of Commerce, and the "Leadership Award" by the Illinois Family Institute, and been named "Legislator of the Year" by the Illinois State Crime Commission, and "2002 Champion of Free Enterprise" by the Illinois Chamber of Commerce.

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.

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 benefited 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 to defeat.

Positions

Taxes

Roskam advocates renewing the national 2003 tax cuts, and has sponsored or co-sponsored fourteen pieces of legislation for lower taxes, including child tax credits and reducing the income tax, and has stated support for a research and development tax credit. As an Illinois General Assembly legislator, Roskam authored and supported several pieces of tax reduction legislation.

Stem-cell research

Roskam supports adult and umbilical cord stem cell research. Roskam has fought against embryonic stem sell research in the Illinois Senate. Describing the issue in 2004, Roskam said, "You're being asked to take one human life and cast it aside for the benefit of another." Roskam's campaign manager, Ryan McLaughlin, said that adult and umbilical cord research "is where the results are really occurring for individuals across the country", and said that other issues are more pressing for the Sixth district. However, the National Institutes of Health claims embryonic stem cells have greater potential. The Chicago Tribune noted, "Adult stem cells, usually from bone marrow transplants or umbilical cord blood, are widely considered less flexible than embryonic stem cells in forming many types of tissue."

Gun politics

Roskam's campaign manager says that Roskam supports "common-sense gun control provisions" in the gun politics debate. Roskam opposes the 1994 Federal assault weapons ban, for which Hyde voted. Roskam sponsored a bill in the state Senate which would have allowed retired military and police personnel to carry concealed weapons.

On July 15 2006, Roskam appeared at a National Rifle Association rally in Addison, Illinois. His appearance was protested by local families of victims of gun violence who oppose his position on gun control. The NRA has given $4,950 to Roskam's campaign.

While in the state Senate, Roskam sponsored gun legislation with two major components. One part called for the destruction of background check records within 90 days of a gun’s purchase. The other part closed the gun show loophole by requiring background checks on potential gun purchasers at gun shows. The Tribune noted gun-control advocates were supportive of closing the gun-show loophole; however, he recieved criticism from some police for the proposed destruction of background check records. Police use those records to investigate straw purchasers who buy guns for criminals and to prepare themselves when serving a warrant or making an arrest at a home. The proposed 90-day time limit is more lenient than federal standards, which require the FBI to destroy this type of record within 24 hours.

O'Hare Airport

Roskam opposes plans to expand O'Hare International Airport, and instead favors building a third regional airport in Chicago's southern suburbs. O'Hare expansion has been supported by many business groups, including the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce. Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert, a Republican from Illinois, supports O'Hare expansion, as does the local Republican leadership from DuPage County.

Other positions

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Peter Roskam's Law Firm (Photo: Chicago Tribune)

Peter Roskam is pro-life and opposes abortion except when the life of the mother is at risk, making no exceptions for rape or incest. Roskam supports the death penalty. Roskam opposes same-sex marriage and civil unions. He opposes the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA).

Roskam supports the use of earmarks in federal budgeting.

Roskam supports tort reform. However, the Chicago Tribune noted Roskam earned over $615,000 in 2005 as a personal injury trial lawyer. Terrence Lavin, former president of the Illinois Bar Association, recalled that Al Salvi and Peter Roskam promised, "We will never, ever vote for tort reform," when they asked him for a $25,000 donation. Roskam supports CAFTA. In 2005, Roskam received a 67% rating from the Illinois Environmental Council. In 2004 he scored 100%, while in 2003 he scored 40%.

1998 Congressional campaign

Roskam ran for Congress in 1998 in Illinois' 13th Congressional District (Map) 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 Biggert made the accusation that Roskam was protecting gambling and tobacco interests after he opposed her vote in support of an education reform package that would raise taxes on gambling boats, cigarettes, and phone bills..

In 1999, at Biggert's request, the Federal Election Commission (FEC) investigated a mailing sent out by a PAC, the Campaign for Working Families, in support of Peter Roskam. The FEC found CWF at fault for not reporting the cost of mailings and radio ads within the 24-hour requirement. The improper expenditures exceeded $69,000. However, the FEC did not conclude that the Roskam campaign was at fault or complicit in CWF's error, or that the Roskam Campaign asked for the mailing to be sent out. The PAC was led by conservative Gary Bauer.

2006 Congressional campaign

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Peter Roskam & Vice President Dick Cheney (Photo: Sun Times)

Roskam is currently running to fill Henry Hyde's open seat in the 6th Congressional district. He ran unopposed in the Republican Congressional Primary. His opponent in the November general election will be Democrat Tammy Duckworth.

2005

Roskam held a media event with and received support from Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform.

In 2005 Roskam ran afoul of FEC regulations for failing to report his fundraising expenditures for the third quarter of 2005 on time.

On September 22 2005, former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay hosted a $500 per plate ($1,000 for PAC donors) fundraising lunch in Washington D.C. for Roskam. Roskam had earlier said that he had "not had any contact with essentially for 20 years."

2006

On March 13 2006, Vice President Dick Cheney appeared at a fundraiser for Roskam. The event raised over $200,000. Cheney said, "Peter is an experienced public servant with a distinguished record in both houses of the state legislature. He works hard, speaks candidly and is perfectly in tune with the priorities and values of the Sixth District."

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. The largest union in the state, the Illinois AFL-CIO, gave Roskam a rating of 23% in 2005 and 15% in 2004, and endorsed Duckworth.

On the same date, Chicago Sun-Times columnist Lynn Sweet reported:

The EMILY's List help may become grist for the Roskam campaign. Most of Duckworth's political money comes from outside the congressional district, and Roskam is making an issue of it...Roskam, who has been a state senator for the past 12 years, has a long voting record that Duckworth is taking aim at. Duckworth, who is making her first run for office, has no record to attack."

On June 29 2006 The Cook Political Report, an independent non-partisan newsletter, rated the race for Illinois' 6th Congressional District as a "Toss-Up", meaning either party has a good chance of winning. Previously, The Cook Political Report had rated the race as "Lean Republican."

On August 20 2006, conservative political commentator Robert Novak reported:

National Republican strategists are deeply concerned about the possible loss of the district and have brought in an ace political operative to try to save the campaign...Jason Roe, chief of staff to Rep. Tom Feeney of Florida and an experienced campaign manager, has been brought in to buck up Roskam's flagging effort.

The Roskam campaign copied the Republican Party's talking points and included parts of the answers as their own for an AARP survey. The answers related to Medicare, Social Security, insurance plans and retirement. This has been criticized as plagiarism.

On August 30 2006, The Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights asked Roskam "to publicly denounce and repudiate" an NRCC direct mailing that the ICIRR claims is inaccurate and that treats immigrants as "some type of disease." The Roskam campaign has declined to repudiate the mailer.

Debates

A July 26 2006 Suburban Life newspaper article reported the candidates are expected to speak on WTTW/Channel 11, WBEZ radio and WBBM radio -- all debates that will be broadcast -- and at the College of DuPage. Dates have not been set. Roskam is seeking more public debates in district communities, while Duckworth wishes to limit the joint appearances to the initial four that have been planned. Roskam accepted an invitation from the Elmhurst Chamber of Commerce & Industry and the Elmhurst Kiwanis for a debate on Tuesday, August 19, but Duckworth declined. Both candidates were invited by Addison Mayor Larry Hartwig to appear on his public TV show, with only Roskam accepting.

On September 06, 2006 Roskam sent Duckworth an open letter, urging her not to "resort to the gutter politics of name calling". Roskam's letter was prompted by the latest Duckworth mailings and phone calling accusing Mr. Roskam to be a liar. Also, in the same letter Mr. Roskam asks Ms. Duckworth to "face to face discussions with voters"

Campaign contributions

According to FEC filings, both 6th district congressional candidates have received donations from various political action committees.

Roskam trails Duckworth slightly in fundraising. Roskam raised $1.86 million vs. Duckworth's $1.88 million. Roskam has more cash on-hand due to not having a primary challenger. Roskam has been more dependant on contributions from PACs. 60% of Roskam's donations came from individuals, while 76% of Duckworth's were from individuals. The Duckworth campaign has provided higher quality disclosure of contributions received, the difference in quality is roughly 5%.

Roskam's campaign has criticized Duckworth for raising funds from outside the district. This was noted in a April 24 Chicago Sun-Times article entitled "Duckworth rakes in cash -- but not from 6th District." Roskam received 92% of his donations from within Illinois, while Duckworth received 61% from within Illinois. A breakdown of cash donations by zip code appears to indicate a higher percentage of contributions to Roskam are from within the 6th Congressional District.

FEC disclosures show Roskam has received financial support from Americans for a Republican Majority, a PAC formed by DeLay.

FEC filings show that Roskam received $10,000 from Exelon Corporation's PAC. Donations were also received from the CEO, John W. Rowe, and numerous officers directly. Exelon is the parent company of Commonwealth Edison, the electric utility serving the district. Roskam accepted donations from major tobacco companies, including Altria (formerly known as Phillip Morris) and R.J. Reynolds.

According to the Illinois State Board of Elections, Roskam has received funding from Wal-Mart's Political Action Committee.

Notes

External links

Roskam's congressional campaign website
Roskam's GI Dog Tag website
opensecrets.org Total Raised and Spent: Illinois District 6
Website criticizing Roskam from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee

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