Jan Schakowsky facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jan Schakowsky
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Official portrait, 2014
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| House Democratic Senior Chief Deputy Whip | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2019 |
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| Leader | Nancy Pelosi Hakeem Jeffries |
| Preceded by | G. K. Butterfield |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Illinois's 9th district |
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| Assumed office January 3, 1999 |
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| Preceded by | Sidney R. Yates |
| Member of the Illinois House of Representatives | |
| In office January 9, 1991 – December 31, 1998 |
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| Preceded by | Woody Bowman |
| Succeeded by | Julie Hamos |
| Constituency | 8th district (1993–1999) 4th district (1991–1993) |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Janice Danoff
May 26, 1944 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouses |
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| Children | 2 (with Schakowsky) |
| Education | University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (BS) |
| Signature |  |
| Website | |
Janice "Jan" Schakowsky (born May 26, 1944) is an American politician. She has served in the United States House of Representatives for Illinois's 9th district since 1999. She is a member of the Democratic Party.
Her district includes parts of Chicago's North Side and many of its northern suburbs. Some of these suburbs are Evanston, Skokie, and Des Plaines.
On May 5, 2025, Schakowsky announced she would not run for reelection in 2026.
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Early Life and Education
Jan Schakowsky was born Janice Danoff in Chicago, Illinois. Her parents were Jewish immigrants. Her father was from Lithuania and her mother was from Russia.
She went to the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in elementary education.
From 1976 to 1985, Schakowsky was a program director for a public interest group. Later, she was the executive director of the Illinois State Council of Senior Citizens. This group helps older adults.
Political Career
Illinois House of Representatives
In 1990, Schakowsky was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives. This is the state-level government for Illinois. She served there for eight years, until the end of 1998.
U.S. House of Representatives
In 1998, longtime congressman Sidney R. Yates announced he would retire. Schakowsky decided to run for his seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. The area she wanted to represent, the 9th district, was known for being very liberal.
She ran in the Democratic primary election against two other candidates. A primary is an election where voters choose who will be their party's main candidate. Schakowsky won the primary with over 45% of the vote.
Because the district was strongly Democratic, winning the primary made her very likely to win the main election. In November 1998, she won the general election with 75% of the vote. She has been reelected thirteen times since then.
Key Political Issues
As a congresswoman, Schakowsky has focused on many important topics. She is known for being a progressive, which means she supports ideas of social and political reform.
Women's Rights
Schakowsky is a strong supporter of women's issues. She has been a co-chair of the Congressional Caucus for Women's Issues. This is a group of lawmakers who work together to support laws that help women.
Support for LGBT Rights
Schakowsky is a longtime supporter of rights for the LGBT community. In 2015, she was honored by the Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame. In 2021, she voted for the Equality Act. She said she did this on behalf of her grandson, Isaac, who is transgender.
Foreign Policy
Schakowsky was an early and strong opponent of the Iraq War. She has also been involved in other international issues.
In 2015, she chose not to attend a speech by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Congress. She worried it could harm important peace talks with Iran. She believed that giving the talks a chance was the best way to avoid conflict.
In 2020, she signed a letter about a conflict in a region called Nagorno-Karabakh. The letter called for a ceasefire, or a stop to the fighting.
In 2024, after aid workers were killed in a drone strike during the Gaza war, she and other Democrats wrote a letter to President Joe Biden. They asked him to reconsider sending weapons to the Israeli military.
Product and Food Safety
Schakowsky has worked hard on product safety issues. She keeps a close watch on the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. This government agency makes sure that products sold to people are safe.
She also introduced the Safeguard American Food Exports (SAFE) Act. This law would stop horses from being sold and transported to be used for human food.
Support for Assyrian Community
Schakowsky has supported the Assyrian people, an ethnic group from the Middle East. She has helped Assyrian-American activists and supported bills for Assyrian self-governance in their homeland in Iraq. She also supports a resolution to have the U.S. government officially recognize the Assyrian genocide.
Committee and Caucus Work
In Congress, members work in small groups called committees and caucuses to focus on specific topics.
Committee Assignments
- Committee on Energy and Commerce
Caucus Memberships
Schakowsky is a member of many caucuses, including:
- The Congressional Progressive Caucus
- The bipartisan Women's Caucus
- The Congressional Arts Caucus
- The Climate Solutions Caucus
- The Medicare for All Caucus
Personal Life
Schakowsky lives in Evanston, Illinois, with her husband, Robert Creamer. She has two children and one stepchild.
In July 2022, Schakowsky was arrested during a protest in front of the Supreme Court building. She and others were blocking traffic to protest a court decision. She posted about it online, saying, "Today, I am making good trouble."
See also
- List of Jewish members of the United States Congress
- Women in the United States House of Representatives
