Bill Foster (politician) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bill Foster
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Official portrait, 2013
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Illinois |
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| Assumed office January 3, 2013 |
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| Preceded by | Judy Biggert (redistricted) |
| Constituency | 11th district |
| In office March 8, 2008 – January 3, 2011 |
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| Preceded by | Dennis Hastert |
| Succeeded by | Randy Hultgren |
| Constituency | 14th district |
| Personal details | |
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George William Foster
October 7, 1955 Madison, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
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| Children | 2 |
| Education | University of Wisconsin, Madison (BS) Harvard University (MS, PhD) |
| Signature |  |
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| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Physics |
| Institutions | Fermilab |
| Thesis | An Experimental Limit on Proton Decay: p → e+ + Π0 (1983) |
George William Foster (born October 7, 1955) is an American businessman, scientist, and politician. He is a U.S. representative for Illinois's 11th district, a job he has held since 2013. Before that, he represented Illinois's 14th district from 2008 to 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Bill Foster was born in 1955 in Madison, Wisconsin. When he was a teenager, he went to James Madison Memorial High School. He studied physics at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, earning his bachelor's degree in 1976. Later, he earned his Ph.D. in physics from Harvard University in 1983. His Ph.D. research was about something called "proton decay."
When Foster was 19, he started a company with his younger brother, Fred. This company, called Electronic Theatre Controls, makes equipment for theater lighting.
Physics Career
After finishing his Ph.D., Foster moved to the Fox Valley area with his family. He began working in high-energy physics at Fermilab, which is a special science lab run by the government. He worked there for 22 years.
During his time at Fermilab, he helped with many important projects. He helped design equipment and software for the CDF Detector. This equipment was used to discover the top quark, a tiny particle that is a basic building block of matter. He also helped manage the building of a 3-kilometer-long "Anti-Proton Recycler Ring" for a particle accelerator.
In 1998, Foster became a fellow of the American Physical Society. He was part of a team that won the 1989 Bruno Rossi Prize for finding a burst of neutrinos from a supernova called SN 1987A. He also won an award from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers for his work with particle accelerators. In 2022, he received the Robert R. Wilson Prize for his leadership in improving the accelerators at Fermilab.
Serving in the U.S. House
Bill Foster has served in the United States House of Representatives, which is part of the U.S. Congress.
Becoming a Representative
First Election in 2008
In 2007, the representative for Illinois's 14th district, Dennis Hastert, left his job. Bill Foster decided to run for the open spot. In a special election in March 2008, Foster won against Jim Oberweis.
Later that year, in November 2008, Oberweis ran against Foster again. Foster won this election too, earning a full term in Congress.
2010 Election
In 2010, Foster ran for reelection against Randy Hultgren. Even though he had support from several newspapers, Foster lost this election to Hultgren.
Moving to the 11th District
In 2011, Foster moved to Naperville, Illinois. He then decided to run for Congress in the 11th district of Illinois. This new district included parts of his old district. In November 2012, Foster won the election for the 11th district.
Later Elections
Foster has continued to win elections for the 11th district. He won in 2014, 2016, 2018, 2020, 2022, and 2024. This shows that voters in his district have continued to support him.
Time in Office
Foster took his oath of office on March 11, 2008. He joined a small group of people who are research physicists and have also been elected to Congress. On his very first day, he cast an important vote to help create a group that would look into ethics complaints against members of the House.
Committees and Groups
As a U.S. Representative, Bill Foster works on different committees. These committees focus on specific topics.
- He is on the Committee on Financial Services. This committee deals with money, banks, and new technologies like digital money. He is a leader (Ranking Member) on the Subcommittee on Financial Institutions.
- He is also on the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. This committee looks at science, space, and new technologies.
Foster is also part of different groups called "caucuses" in Congress. These groups bring together members who care about similar issues. Some of the groups he belongs to include:
- Black Maternal Health Caucus (focuses on health for mothers)
- New Democrat Coalition (a group of moderate Democrats)
- Congressional Arts Caucus (supports the arts)
- U.S.-Japan Caucus (focuses on relations with Japan)
- Rare Disease Caucus (supports people with rare diseases)
Political Views
Bill Foster often votes in line with the President's ideas.
Taxes
Foster has supported letting certain tax cuts, known as the "Bush tax cuts," end. He believes that giving too much money to very wealthy people doesn't always help the local economy.
He also does not support getting rid of the estate tax. This tax is sometimes called the "Rich Kids' tax" because it applies to very large amounts of money inherited by wealthy families.
Worker Rights
Foster supported a law called the Employee Free Choice Act. This law would make it easier for workers in small businesses to form unions. Unions help workers have a stronger voice.
Government Spending
Foster voted for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. This was a plan to spend government money to help the economy during a difficult time.
Health Care
Foster voted for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. He has said he is proud of this vote.
Financial Rules
He also voted for the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. This law created new rules for banks and financial companies to help prevent another financial crisis.
Environment
Foster voted against a law that would have created a "Cap and trade" system for energy. This system would have set limits on pollution and allowed companies to buy and sell pollution permits.
Gun Rights
When asked about the Second Amendment (which is about the right to own guns), Foster said that the meaning of the amendment can change as technology changes. He believes that the types of weapons available today are very different from those in the past, and this should be considered.
Israel-Palestine
Foster voted to provide support to Israel after the attacks that happened on October 7.
Personal Life
Bill Foster and his wife, Aesook Byon, live in Naperville, Illinois. He has two adult children from his first marriage. Foster is also a grandparent.
He is one of the few U.S. representatives who does not identify with any specific religion.
