Bill Lipinski facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bill Lipinski
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Illinois |
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| In office January 3, 1983 – January 3, 2005 |
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| Preceded by | John G. Fary |
| Succeeded by | Dan Lipinski |
| Constituency | 5th district (1983–1993) 3rd district (1993–2005) |
| Member of the Chicago City Council | |
| In office 1975–1983 |
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| Preceded by | Joseph Potempa |
| Succeeded by | William F. Krystyniak |
| Constituency | 23rd ward |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
William Oliver Lipinski
December 22, 1937 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Rose Lipinski |
| Children | 2 including Dan |
| Education | Loras College |
William Oliver "Bill" Lipinski (born December 22, 1937) is an American politician from Chicago, Illinois. He was a member of the Democratic Party. For over 20 years, from 1983 to 2005, he served in the United States House of Representatives. This is a part of the U.S. Congress where leaders make laws for the country. In Congress, he represented the people of his district in Chicago.
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Early Life and Career
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Bill Lipinski was born in Chicago. He went to Loras College in Iowa and served in the United States Army Reserve from 1961 to 1967. Early in his career, he worked for the Chicago Park District.
In 1975, he became an important local leader in the Democratic Party for Chicago's 23rd Ward. A ward is like a neighborhood or district within a city. That same year, he was elected to the Chicago City Council as the alderman for the 23rd Ward. An alderman is a person who represents a ward on the city council. He held this job until he was elected to Congress in 1983.
A Career in Congress
Representing Chicago
In 1982, Lipinski decided to run for the U.S. Congress. He won the election and began serving in the United States House of Representatives in 1983. He represented the 5th congressional district of Illinois.
After the 1990 census, the maps for congressional districts were redrawn. His district was combined with the 3rd district, which was represented by his friend, Marty Russo. Lipinski and Russo had to run against each other in the 1992 Democratic primary election. Lipinski won the election and went on to represent the new 3rd district. He was reelected five more times from this district.
Working for His District
While in Congress, Lipinski was on the Transportation Committee. This was a very important job for his district, which included Midway Airport and had more railroad crossings than any other district in the country.
One of his biggest achievements was helping to get the money from the federal government to build the CTA Orange Line. The Orange Line is a train line in Chicago that connects the downtown area, called the Loop, to Midway Airport.
Lipinski was known as a more conservative member of the Democratic Party. He was part of a group of congress members called the Blue Dog Coalition. This group is made up of Democrats who have more moderate or conservative views on certain issues.
After Congress
In 2004, Lipinski won the primary election, which usually meant he would be easily reelected to Congress. However, on August 13, 2004, he announced he would retire and not run in the final election.
Because he was an important party leader, he was able to suggest that his son, Dan Lipinski, take his place on the ballot. Dan Lipinski, who was a university professor, won the election and took over his father's seat in Congress in 2005.
After leaving Congress, Bill Lipinski started a lobbying firm in 2007. A lobbyist is someone who is hired to talk to government officials and try to influence their decisions on behalf of a person or a group. His firm worked with clients related to transportation, such as the Chicago Transit Authority and railroad companies.
