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Co-Chair of the House Democratic Steering Committee
In office January 3, 2021 – January 3, 2023
Leader	Nancy Pelosi
Preceded by	Rosa DeLauro
Succeeded by	Dan Kildee Debbie Wasserman Schultz
Chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
In office January 3, 2019 – January 3, 2021
Leader	Nancy Pelosi
Preceded by	Ben Ray Luján
Succeeded by	Sean Patrick Maloney
Co-Chair of the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee
In office January 3, 2017 – January 3, 2019 Serving with David Cicilline and Hakeem Jeffries
Preceded by	Steve Israel (Chair)
Succeeded by	Matt Cartwright Debbie Dingell Ted Lieu
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Illinois's 17th district
In office January 3, 2013 – January 3, 2023
Preceded by	Bobby Schilling
Succeeded by	Eric Sorensen

Personal details
Born	Cheryl Lea Callahan (1961-10-17) October 17, 1961 (age 63) Springfield, Illinois, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Gerry Bustos
Children	3
Relatives	Joseph R. Callahan (grandfather)
Education	University of Maryland, College Park (BA) University of Illinois Springfield (MA)

Cheryl Lea Bustos (born October 17, 1961) is an American politician. She worked as a journalist and a healthcare leader before becoming a politician. From 2013 to 2023, she served as a U.S. representative for Illinois's 17th congressional district.

As a member of the Democratic Party, she was the first woman elected to Congress from her district. This district covers the northwestern part of Illinois, including the Quad Cities, and parts of Peoria and Rockford. In 2019, Bustos became the leader of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC).

Before joining Congress, Bustos was elected to the East Moline City Council in 2007. She won against the Republican leader Bobby Schilling in the 2012 election. She also won a rematch in 2014. In 2021, she announced that she would retire from Congress at the end of her term.

In January 2023, Cheri Bustos joined a company called Mercury Public Affairs as a consultant. This company helps people and groups talk to the government.

Early Life and Education

Cheri Bustos was born in Springfield, Illinois. She was one of three children of Gene and Ann Callahan. Her grandfather, Joseph R. Callahan, was a farmer and a state legislator. A state legislator is someone who helps make laws for their state.

Her father worked for a newspaper and then helped important politicians like the Governor and Lieutenant Governor of Illinois. He also worked for a U.S. Senator. Her mother was a teacher. Cheri Bustos even babysat for Dick Durbin's children when she was young.

Bustos finished high school in Springfield in 1979. She went to Illinois College and then to the University of Maryland, College Park. She earned a bachelor's degree in political science in 1983. Political science is the study of how governments work. From 1983 to 1984, she worked as an intern for the Illinois Senate Democrats. An intern is someone who works to gain experience. She later earned a master's degree in journalism from the University of Illinois Springfield in 1985.

Early Career

In 1985, Bustos moved to the Quad Cities. She started working as a police reporter for the Quad-City Times newspaper. She worked there for 17 years, first as a reporter and then as an editor.

From 2001 to 2007, Bustos worked for Trinity Regional Health Systems. She was a senior director in charge of how the company communicated with the public. From 2008 to 2011, she was a vice president for Iowa Health System.

East Moline City Council

Joining the Council

In 2007, Cheri Bustos decided to run for a seat on the East Moline City Council. She ran for the 4th Ward. She won the Democratic primary election with 45% of the votes. A primary election helps a political party choose its candidate. She then won the main election without anyone running against her. In 2011, she was reelected to the council, again without anyone running against her.

Her Time on the Council

Before being elected, Bustos helped her community by serving on two committees in East Moline. These committees helped plan for the city's future. In 2009, she received an award for businesswomen.

In February 2010, Bustos helped get money from the state and federal governments. This money was used to buy a new electronic welcome sign for East Moline.

In 2010 and 2011, Bustos voted for some changes that raised costs for residents. These included increases for water and sewer services, and property taxes. She explained that these decisions were made carefully after many public meetings.

After being elected for a second term in May 2011, Bustos left her position in September. She wanted to focus on her campaign to become a member of Congress.

Council Committees

East Moline Downtown Revitalization Committee (She started and led this committee)

U.S. House of Representatives

Elections

2012 Election

Many labor unions in her district supported Cheri Bustos. Unions are groups that protect workers' rights. Dick Durbin, a U.S. Senator, also supported her. He even asked other candidates to step aside so Bustos could run. She won the Democratic primary on March 20, 2012. She beat two other candidates, George Gaulrapp and Greg Aguilar, with 54% of the votes. In July 2012, Bustos wrote that she wanted to create good jobs for middle-class Americans.

In the main election, Bustos was one of 39 candidates chosen by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee for a special program. This program helps candidates who have a good chance of winning against current Republican leaders. She won against the current Republican leader, Bobby Schilling, with 53% of the votes. Her district boundaries had been redrawn, which helped her win. She was the first Democrat to represent a large part of Peoria since 1927. She was also only the second Democrat since the 1850s to represent a large part of Rockford.

After joining the House, Bustos became well-known for interviewing her fellow politicians. She would post short videos of these interviews on her Snapchat account.

2014 Election

Bobby Schilling ran against Bustos again in 2014. Bustos and Schilling had a debate on TV on October 9, 2014. Bustos won the election on November 4, with 55% of the votes.

2016 Election

Bustos was reelected to the House in 2016. She won against Republican candidate Patrick Harlan.

In May 2017, a news organization called Politico wrote about Bustos. They noted that in 2016, she was the only Democrat to win her House seat by a large margin (more than 20 points) in a district that also voted for Donald Trump for president. Politico called her "one of the party's rising stars."

2018 Election

In the 2018 election, Bustos ran against Bill Fawell. Bustos was reelected with 61.9% of the votes.

Leader of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee

Her fellow politicians chose Cheri Bustos to lead the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) during the 2020 election. The DCCC helps Democrats get elected to the House of Representatives. During her time as leader, Bustos helped the organization raise a lot of money. She also helped the Democratic Party keep its majority in the House. A majority means having more than half the seats.

After her term, Speaker Nancy Pelosi asked Bustos to co-lead the House Democratic Steering Committee.

Considering Other Offices

Bustos thought about running for the U.S. Senate in 2016 but decided not to. She also considered running for Governor of Illinois in 2018 but chose not to.

In January 2019, when the House of Representatives voted for their Speaker, Cheri Bustos received 4 votes. The Speaker is the leader of the House.

Committee Work

As a U.S. Representative, Cheri Bustos worked on several important committees:

Committee on Agriculture: This committee deals with farming and food.
- Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk Management
- Subcommittee on Livestock, Rural Development, and Credit
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: This committee works on roads, bridges, and transportation.
- United States House Transportation Subcommittee on Aviation
- Subcommittee on Highways and Transit
Committee on Appropriations: This committee decides how the government spends money.

Groups She Joined

Bustos was also a member of these groups in Congress:

New Democrat Coalition
Congressional NextGen 9-1-1 Caucus
Blue Collar Caucus

Political Views

Soon after starting in Congress, Bustos joined a group called No Labels. This group includes members from both major political parties. In her first term, she was ranked as one of the most bipartisan members of the House. Bipartisan means working with members from both political parties.

Economic Ideas

In 2013, Bustos's first idea for a law was to create a board to reduce government waste.

Bustos wants to create a "manufacturing triangle" in Illinois. This would connect Peoria, the Quad Cities, and Rockford. These areas have big companies like Caterpillar and John Deere. She supports training programs at local colleges. These programs would help workers get the skills needed for jobs in manufacturing.

Bustos did not support fully extending some tax cuts from the past. She also does not support lowering salaries or pensions for government workers.

During a debate, Bustos spoke against some trade agreements. She believed they would cause job losses in Illinois.

Foreign Policy

In March 2012, Bustos called for cuts in defense spending.

In August 2015, Bustos supported President Barack Obama's Iran nuclear deal. This agreement aimed to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons. She said it was "the right step for our national security." She noted that the agreement would reduce Iran's enriched uranium and allow inspectors to monitor the country.

In October 2015, Bustos visited Cuba. In January 2016, she supported a bill to remove barriers to trade with Cuba. She believed Cuba offered a "huge trade opportunity" for the U.S., especially for agriculture.

Working with President Trump

In December 2016, Bustos said she would try to work with President Donald Trump where they could agree. However, she also said she would fight if his actions were harmful. In April 2017, she said that his first 100 days in office had been difficult. She also said his healthcare plan would hurt rural areas.

In June 2017, Bustos suggested that her party's message, which was often against Trump, might not be the best way to win elections.

Immigration

Bustos supports the DREAM Act. This proposed law would help young undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. as children.

Later Career

In January 2023, Cheri Bustos joined Mercury Public Affairs. This company helps people and groups talk to the government. In March 2023, it was announced that Bustos would teach a course at Monmouth College in the fall of 2023. The course would be about how political campaigns work.

Personal Life

Cheri Bustos met and married Gerry Bustos after moving to the Quad Cities. Gerry Bustos is the Rock Island County Sheriff and leads the Quad City Bomb Squad. They have three sons and two grandchildren. Cheri Bustos is Catholic.