Peter Roskam
Peter Roskam (born September 13 1961 in 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 U.S. 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).[1] 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.[2] 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.[3]
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 the Vietnam War to military personnel or their surviving relatives.[4] 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.[5]
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.[1] Roskam has authored or co-authored fourteen bills to cut taxes. [6]
In 1992, Roskam's state campaign was investigated by the Illinois Attorney General and the Internal Revenue Service for failing to report campaign contributions from a 501(c)3. [7]
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. [citation needed]
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. [8]
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. [9]
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.[10]
Stem-cell research
Roskam supports adult and umbilical cord stem cell research.[11] Roskam has fought against embryonic stem sell research in the Illinois Senate.[12] 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.[12] However, the National Institutes of Health claims embryonic stem cells have greater potential.[13] The Chicago Tribune, reporting on Roskam's views, 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." [12]
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.[14] 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. [15] The NRA has given $4,950 to Roskam's campaign.[16]
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 that gun-control advocates were supportive of closing the gun-show loophole; however, Roskam recieved criticism from 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.[17] 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. [18]
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.[19] Many business groups, including the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, support O'Hare expansion.[20] Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert, a Republican from Illinois, supports O'Hare expansion, as does the local Republican leadership from DuPage County. [21]
Other positions
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. [22] Roskam supports the death penalty. Roskam opposes same-sex marriage and civil unions.[23] Roskam opposes the Equal Rights Amendment. [24]
Roskam supports the use of earmarks in federal budgeting.[25]
Roskam supports tort reform. However, the Chicago Tribune noted that Roskam earned over $615,000 in 2005 as a personal injury trial lawyer. Terrence Lavin, the former president of the Illinois Bar Association, said that Salvi and Roskam promised, "We will never, ever vote for tort reform," when they asked Lavin for a $25,000 donation to a political action committee.[26] Roskam supports CAFTA. [27] In 2005, Roskam received a 67% rating from the Illinois Environmental Council. In 2004 he scored 100%, while in 2003 he scored 40%.[28]
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% of the vote to Biggert's 45%. [29] In that race, Biggert accused Roskam of protecting gambling and tobacco interests after he opposed her vote in support of an education reform package that raised taxes on gambling boats and cigarettes[30].
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.[31]
2006 Congressional campaign
Roskam is currently running to fill Henry Hyde's open seat in the 6th Congressional district. He ran unopposed in the Republican Congressional Primary.[1] 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. [32]
In 2005 Roskam ran afoul of FEC regulations for failing to report his fundraising expenditures for the third quarter of 2005 on time.[33]
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.[34] Roskam had earlier said that he had "not had any contact with [DeLay] essentially for 20 years."[35] Roskam also said, "Knowing what I know now about what Tom DeLay's been accused of, my attitude would be to support him." [36] At that point in time, DeLay had been indicted on four charges.[37]
2006
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.[38]
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."[39]
In June 2006, the Cook Political Report, an independent non-partisan newsletter, rated the race as a "Toss-Up", meaning that either party has a good chance of winning. [40] 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 [Sixth] 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."[41]
In August 2006, the Roskam campaign was one of several that 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.[42]
An August 27-August 29 survey conducted by polling service Constituent Dynamics showed Duckworth leading Roskam, 47% to 46%. The poll had a sample size of 1,069 and a margin of error of 3.1%.[43]
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."[44] The Roskam campaign has declined to repudiate the mailer. [45]
On September 10 2006, The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that "Roskam is trying to use immigration as an issue against his Democratic rival, Tammy Duckworth, in their race for the House seat being vacated by Republican Henry Hyde."
Debates
A July 26 2006 Suburban Life newspaper article reported the candidates are expected to speak on WTTW/Channel 11 (23 October), WBEZ radio (19 October) and WBBM radio (24 September) -- all debates that will be broadcast -- and at the College of DuPage (12 October)[46].
Roskam is seeking more public debates in district communities, while Duckworth has refused to accept multiple invinations to debate. Currently, Duckworth has only agreed to an initial four which She is willing to particpate in. Roskam accepted an invitation from the Elmhurst Chamber of Commerce & Industry and the Elmhurst Kiwanis for a debate on August 19, but Duckworth declined. [47] [48]
In commenting on the Duckworth's refusal to accept the Addision Mayor Larry Hartwig invitation to his Public TV show, Republican Party Chairman Andy McKenna said afterwords...
"It's unbelievable that Tammy Duckworth, who two days ago refused to debate in Addison, would send a spy with a camera in her place," said Illinois Republican Party Chairman Andy McKenna. "Tammy Duckworth needs to quit ducking debates, she needs to tell voters her position on the issues, and she needs to make herself, not her decoys, available for an open discussion with the people of the 6th District." This was also commented by Mayor Larry Hartwig as well as saying..."And then she sends (an operative) here to videotape the show and our private conversation after the camera's turned off. Was she trying to catch us with something? It's insulting." [49]
Campaign contributions
According to FEC filings, both 6th district congressional candidates have received donations from various political action committees. [50] [51]
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. [52]
FEC disclosures show Roskam has received financial support from Americans for a Republican Majority, a PAC formed by Tom DeLay. [53] Roskam accepted financial support from the law firm of Greenberg Traurig, where Jack Abramoff worked as a lobbyist. [54]
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." [55] Roskam received 92% of his donations from within Illinois, while Duckworth received 61% from within Illinois. [56] 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. [57]
Notes
- ^ a b c "About Peter".
- ^ "Peter J. Roskam". Salvi, Roskam & Maher.
- ^ Wheaton Leader, May 3, 1989 http://www.roskamforcongress.com/aboutpeter/recycling.cfm
- ^ http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7279844/did/9694033
- ^ http://www.peterroskam.com/releases-04.html
- ^ http://www.roskamforcongress.com/issues/bill_highlights.cfm
- ^ http://www.cegelisforcongress.com/files/Delay-Indicted-Statement.pdf
- ^ http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/politics/state/2_1_AU03_GAYRIGHTS_S1.html
- ^ http://www.ifrl.org/IFRLDailyNews/041129/1/
- ^ http://www.roskamforcongress.com/roskamrecord/index.cfm?ID=10
- ^ http://www.dailyherald.com/politics/ele_story.asp?id=213103#
- ^ a b c Biemer, John (August 2, 2006). "Duckworth joins stem cell debate". The Chicago Tribune.
- ^ NIH - Stem Cells
- ^ Eric Krol (July 28, 2006). "Defining strengths, hiding weaknesses key in this race". Daily Herald.
- ^ http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=69272
- ^ Eric Krol (July 14, 2006). "Is Roskam stepping into line of fire?". Daily Herald.
- ^ "Tribune Puts Roskam On Notice".
- ^ http://www.epic.org/privacy/firearms/
- ^ http://www.roskamforcongress.com/news/view.cfm?id=1243135985
- ^ http://www.chicagolandchamber.org/CLA/article.asp?article_ID=57
- ^ http://www.house.gov/list/press/il14_hastert/2003_01_14_ohare.html
- ^ http://www.nwherald.com/MainSection/local/339569758994136.php
- ^ "Associated Press election coverage". The Associated Press. September 7, 2006. Retrieved 2006-09-09.
- ^ http://www.cwfa.org/images/content/ERA%20rally%20flier%20for%20March%2028%202003.pdf#search='peter%20roskam%20era'
- ^ Eric Krol (August 22, 2006). "Roskam defends federal pork support". Daily Herald.
- ^ http://blogs.chicagotribune.com/news_columnists_ezorn/2006/06/candidates_refo.html
- ^ http://www.dailyherald.com/search/searchstory.asp?id=188989
- ^ http://www.ilenviro.org/publications/files/2005scorecard.pdf
- ^ http://www.fec.gov/pubrec/fe1998/ilh.htm
- ^ Balz, Dan (March 15, 1998). "Illinois Primary Races Highlight Party Divisions". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2006-09-09.
- ^ http://eqs.sdrdc.com/eqsdocs/00003C0B.pdf
- ^ http://www.roskamantitaxteam.com/index.cfm?id=201&fuseaction=browse&pageid=1
- ^ http://query.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/fecmg/?_25038921313+0
- ^ http://www.cegelisforcongress.com/files/Delay-Indicted-Statement.pdf
- ^ http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/008064.php
- ^ http://www.suntimes.com/output/elect/cst-nws-roskam22.html
- ^ the charges included: unlawful political advertising, unlawful contributions to a political committee and unlawful expenditures such as those to a graphics company and political candidates http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/08/AR2005090800973.html
- ^ http://www.ilafl-cio.org/voting_records/votingrec05.pdf
- ^ Sweet, Lynn (May 9, 2006). "Roskam, Duckworth go after middle ground". The Chicago Sun-Times.
- ^ http://www.cookpolitical.com/races/report_pdfs/2006_house_comp_jun29.pdf
- ^ Robert Novak (August 20, 2006). "Dodd's last hurrah?".
- ^ http://www.foxnews.com/wires/2006Aug31/0,4670,RepublicansSurvey,00.html
- ^ http://www.constituentdynamics.com/mw/2006/index2.html
- ^ http://cbs2chicago.com/topstories/local_story_243070220.html
- ^ http://www.dailyherald.com/politics/story.asp?id=223308
- ^ http://www.duckworthforcongress.com/calendar.asp
- ^ http://www.chicagosuburbannews.com/story.php?pub=1&sid=57336
- ^ http://www.chicagosuburbannews.com/story.php?pub=1&sid=59724
- ^ http://illinoisreview.typepad.com/press_releases/2006/08/duckwatch_duckw.html</ref.> <ref.http://www.chicagosuburbannews.com/story.php?pub=1&sid=59724
- ^ http://query.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/can_give/2005_H6IL06117
- ^ http://query.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/can_give/H6IL06141
- ^ http://www.opensecrets.org/races/summary.asp?ID=IL06&Cycle=2006
- ^ http://query.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/can_give/H8IL13051
- ^ http://query.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/can_give/H6IL06117
- ^ http://www.suntimes.com/output/elect/cst-nws-sweet241.html
- ^ http://www.opensecrets.org/races/instate.asp?ID=IL06&cycle=2006&special=N
- ^ http://www.opensecrets.org/races/zip.asp?ID=IL06&cycle=2006&special=N
External links
- Roskam's congressional campaign website
- Roskam's GI Dog Tag website
- opensecrets.org Total Raised and Spent: Illinois District 6