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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 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.
Roskam was born in Hinsdale, Illinois and raised in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, located in today's 6th Congressional District.
In 1984 Peter taught history and government at All Saints High School in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. In 1985 Peter served as a legislative assistant for Health Care and Education to freshman Congressman Tom DeLay (R.-TX.), and in 1986 as a legislative assistant for Foreign Affairs and Judiciary 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. Peter was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives in 1992 where he served until 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 which handles cases such as automobile accidents and injuries, medical malpractice, bodily injury, slips & falls, dog bites, pedestrian injuries, and wrongful death. 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 is a partner, as is Al's wife Kathy Salvi.
In 1989 Roskam was noted by the media for his actions as a private citizen in organizing a curbside recycling program that continues in Wheaton, Illinois today (Wheaton Leader, May 3, 1989) .
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 . It has been described by the Anglican Journal as a "right-wing faction" of the Anglican Church . The church opposes the ordination of women as priests or bishops, but supports ordaining women as deacons, and allows women ordained before the church decision to continue serving as priests.
Peter 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.
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 notified the Internal Revenue Service for further investigation.
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. 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." The Chicago Chamber of Commerce supported the legislation.
The Chicago Tribune noted Roskam received approval from gun-control advocates when he sponsored legislation to close the gun show loophole by requiring background checks on potential gun purchasers at gun shows. He recieved criticism from some police for proposed legislation calling 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 and to prepare themselves when serving a warrant or making an arrest at a home. However, this 90 day time limit is more lenient than Federal standards, which require the FBI to destroy this type of record within 24 hours.
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. The majority of moderates, liberals, independents, and Democrats also supported stem cell research; however, the poll noted an increase in opposition to stem cell research amongst these groups. .
Positions
Roskam advocates renewing the national 2003 tax cuts, and has sponsored or cosponsored numerous pieces of legislation for lower taxes including child tax credits and reducing the income tax, and supports a research and development tax credit. 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 opposes embryonic stem cell research, most gun control, and same-sex marriage. He opposes the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). Roskam claims to support 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 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 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 after he opposed her vote in support of an education reform package that would raise taxes on gambling boats, cigarettes, and phone bills. Roskam argued that it was a bad idea to raise taxes during already difficult economic times. . Roskam was endorsed by Congressman Henry Hyde; 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.
In 1999 the Federal Election Commission (FEC) investigated a mailing sent out by a PAC, the Campaign for Working Families, in support of Peter Roskam at the request of his opponent in the primary Judy Biggert. CWF was found at fault for not reporting the mailing cost within 24 hours, though it did report it before the primary election. However, the FEC found no indication 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
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 held a media event with and received support from Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform. Norquist has been criticized for aiding convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff as a financial conduit.
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. Cheney stated that "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." During his speech Cheney defended President Bush's policies on the Iraq War and domestic surveillance.
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."
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.
His opponent in the November general election, 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. . Duckworth is strongly backed by the Democratic National Committee, and has been endorsed by an opponent in the Democratic primary Christine Cegelis.
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
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.
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 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. Exelon is being sued by Will County residents and the State's Attorney due to leaks of radioactive tritium at the Braidwood Nuclear Generating Station and the Dresden Nuclear Power Plant. The radioactive leaks have contaminated well water above the Environmental Protection Agency's federal drinking water standard. Roskam has not returned Exelon’s donations.
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
- Chicago Tribune article on Roskam