Bill Foster (politician) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bill Foster
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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 (Redistricting) |
| 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 | |
| Born |
George William Foster
October 7, 1955 Madison, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouses |
Ann
(div. 1996)Aesook Byon
(m. 2008) |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | University of Wisconsin–Madison (BS) Harvard University (MS, PhD) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Physics |
| Institutions | Fermilab |
| Thesis | An experimental limit on proton decay: p → e+ + Π0 (1983) |
Bill Foster (born October 7, 1955) is an American scientist and businessman. He is currently a U.S. Representative for Illinois. He represents the 11th district of Illinois, a job he has held since 2013. Before that, he represented the 14th district from 2008 to 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party.
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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 first degree in 1976. Later, he earned his Ph.D. (a very advanced degree) in physics from Harvard University in 1983. His Ph.D. research was about understanding how tiny particles behave.
When Foster was just 19 years old, he started a company with his younger brother, Fred. This company, called ETC, grew to become a top maker of lighting equipment for theaters.
Physics Career and Discoveries
After finishing his Ph.D., Foster moved to the Fox Valley area with his family. He began working in high-energy physics at Fermilab. This is a special laboratory run by the U.S. Department of Energy.
During his 22 years at Fermilab, Foster worked on many important projects. He helped design equipment and software for the CDF Detector. This equipment was used to discover the top quark, which is a very tiny building block of matter. He also helped manage the building of a large, 3-kilometer ring for particle accelerators.
In 1998, Foster was chosen as a fellow of the American Physical Society. This is a special honor for physicists. He was also part of a team that won the 1989 Bruno Rossi Prize. They won this award for discovering a burst of neutrinos from a supernova (an exploding star) called SN 1987A. He also received awards for his work on accelerators and for saving energy at Fermilab. In 2022, he received the Robert R. Wilson Prize for his leadership in improving Fermilab's accelerators.
Serving in the U.S. House of Representatives
A U.S. Representative is a person elected by citizens to speak for them in the U.S. Congress. They help make laws for the country.
Becoming a Representative
Bill Foster first ran for Congress in 2008. The previous representative for Illinois's 14th district had resigned. Foster won a special election to fill that spot. He then won the general election later that year to serve a full term.
In 2010, Foster lost his re-election bid for the 14th district. However, in 2012, he decided to run again, but this time for the 11th district of Illinois. He moved to Naperville, which is in the 11th district. He won that election and has been re-elected several times since then.
Time in Congress
When Bill Foster first joined Congress, he was one of only a few research physicists ever elected. On his very first day, he cast an important vote to help create an independent group to look into ethics complaints against members of Congress.
Committee Work
In Congress, representatives work in different groups called committees. Bill Foster is part of the Committee on Financial Services. In this committee, he works on topics like digital money, financial rules, and international finance. He is also a leading member (Ranking Member) on the Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Monetary Policy.
Other Groups
Foster is also a member of several other groups in Congress, called caucuses. These include:
- New Democrat Coalition
- Congressional Arts Caucus
- U.S.-Japan Caucus
- Rare Disease Caucus
Political Ideas and Votes
Bill Foster's votes often align with the President's stated positions. Here are some of his views on different topics:
Taxes
Foster has supported letting certain tax cuts expire. He believes that giving too many tax breaks to very wealthy people does not always help the local economy. He has also opposed getting rid of the estate tax, which is a tax on very large inheritances. He once called it a "Rich Kids' tax."
Workers' Rights
Foster supported a law called the Employee Free Choice Act. This act would make it easier for workers in small businesses to form unions. Unions help workers have a stronger voice in their jobs.
Economy
He voted for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. This was a plan to spend money to help the economy recover during a difficult time.
Health Care
Foster voted for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, often called Obamacare. This law aimed to make health insurance more available and affordable for many Americans. He has said he is proud of his vote for this law.
Financial Rules
He also voted for the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. This law was created to make the financial system safer and prevent another financial crisis. Foster even had ten of his own ideas added to the final bill.
Environment
Foster voted against the American Clean Energy and Security Act. This bill would have created a system to control and trade pollution permits.
Gun Rights
When asked about the Second Amendment (which protects the right to bear arms), Foster said that its meaning can change over time. He believes that as technology changes and weapons become more powerful, society's views on what is safe can also change.
Israel
Foster voted to provide support to Israel after the 2023 Hamas attack.
Personal Life
Bill Foster lives in Naperville, Illinois with his wife, Aesook Byon. He has two adult children from his first marriage. He is also a grandparent. Foster is one of the few members of Congress who does not identify with any specific religion.
