Jan Schakowsky facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jan Schakowsky
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Schakowsky in 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 |
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| 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 |
Harvey Schakowsky
(m. 1965; div. 1980)Robert Creamer
(m. 1980) |
| Children | 2 (with Schakowsky) |
| Education | University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign (BS) |
| Website | House website |
Janice Schakowsky (pronounced shə-KOW-skee; born May 26, 1944) is an American politician. She has been a U.S. Representative for Illinois's 9th district since 1999. Before that, she served in the Illinois House of Representatives from 1991 to 1998. She is a member of the Democratic Party.
Her district is in the northern part of Chicago, near Lake Michigan. It also includes many northern suburbs like Evanston, Skokie, and Arlington Heights.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Janice Danoff was born in 1944 in Chicago, Illinois. Her parents, Tillie and Irwin Danoff, were Jewish immigrants. Her father came from Lithuania, and her mother was from Russia.
Schakowsky went to the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in elementary education.
After college, she worked as a program director for Illinois Public Action from 1976 to 1985. This was a large group that worked for public interests. From 1985 to 1990, she was the executive director of the Illinois State Council of Senior Citizens. This group helped older people.
Serving in Illinois
In 1991, Jan Schakowsky was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives. She represented the fourth district. Later, in 1992, her district changed to the 18th district. She served in the state legislature until the end of 1998.
Serving in the U.S. House of Representatives
Becoming a U.S. Representative
For many years, Schakowsky wanted to run for the U.S. House of Representatives. She hoped to run when the current representative, Sidney R. Yates, retired. Yates had served the 9th district since 1949.
In 1998, Yates announced he would not run again. Schakowsky then ran for the Democratic nomination. She competed against two other candidates, Howard W. Carroll and J. B. Pritzker. The 9th district was known for being very liberal. Schakowsky focused her campaign on equal rights for women, minorities, and LGBTQ+ people. She also supported trade union workers and healthcare reform.
Schakowsky won the Democratic primary election. This meant she was very likely to win the main election. She won with 45.14% of the votes. In November, she won the general election with 75% of the vote. She has been reelected many times since then.
Important Issues and Actions
Supporting Women's Rights
Jan Schakowsky is a co-chair of the Congressional Caucus for Women's Issues. She is known for supporting issues important to women.
Views on War and Peace
Schakowsky was strongly against the Iraq War. She was an early supporter of Barack Obama when he ran for president. In 2007, she tried to pass a bill to get more information about government contracts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Addressing Climate Change
In 2006, Schakowsky shared her concerns about global warming. She worried that some reports might be used to stop efforts to address climate change. She believes it is important for countries to act on this issue.
Healthcare and Public Options
In 2009, she supported a "public option" for health insurance. This would be a government-run health insurance plan. She believed it could help lead to a "single-payer health care" system. In this system, the government would pay for most healthcare costs.
Supporting LGBTQ+ Rights
In 2015, Schakowsky was honored by the Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame. In 2021, she voted for the Equality Act. This law would protect LGBTQ+ people from discrimination. She mentioned her transgender grandson, Isaac, when she voted.
Views on International Relations
In 2015, Schakowsky did not attend a speech by the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu. She believed the speech could harm important talks with Iran about nuclear weapons. She felt it was important to give negotiations a chance to prevent conflict.
Product Safety
Schakowsky has a strong interest in making sure products are safe for people to use. She often checks on the work of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. This agency helps keep products safe.
Supporting Assyrian Communities
Schakowsky has supported many projects for Assyrians. She has spoken at events for Assyrian American activists. She has also supported bills in Congress to help Assyrians in Iraq. In 2020, she recognized the anniversary of the 1933 Simele massacre. She also supports recognizing the Assyrian genocide.
Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict
In 2020, Schakowsky signed a letter about the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh. The letter criticized Azerbaijan's actions and Turkey's role. It called for an immediate stop to the fighting.
Syrian Conflict
In 2023, Schakowsky voted to ask President Joe Biden to remove U.S. troops from Syria.
Gaza War
In April 2024, after aid workers were harmed in Gaza, Schakowsky and other members of Congress asked President Joe Biden to rethink sending weapons to the Israeli military.
Voting Age
In 2023, Schakowsky supported an idea to change the Constitution of the United States. This change would allow citizens who are 16 years old or older to vote.
2004 Presidential Election
In 2004, a magazine called The Nation suggested Schakowsky as a good choice for Vice President. She was not chosen as John Kerry's running mate. After the election, she was one of 31 House Democrats who voted not to count Ohio's electoral votes. This was a way to protest and raise awareness about problems they saw in the election.
Committee Work
For the current Congress, Schakowsky serves on two important committees:
- Committee on Energy and Commerce
- She is a leader (Ranking Member) on the Subcommittee on Innovation, Data, and Commerce.
- Committee on the Budget
Leadership Roles
Schakowsky holds several leadership positions:
- Chief Deputy Whip
- Member of the Steering and Policy Committee
- Co-founder of the Out-of-Iraq Caucus
- Democratic Vice Chair of the Women's Caucus
- Vice Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus
- Member of many other groups, including the Congressional Arts Caucus and the Medicare for All Caucus.
She is known as a progressive member of the House. This means she supports policies that aim to improve society and protect the environment.
Personal Life
Jan Schakowsky lives in Evanston, Illinois, with her husband, Robert Creamer. She has two children and a stepchild.
In 2022, Schakowsky was arrested in front of the Supreme Court building. She and others were protesting and blocking traffic. She said she was "making good trouble."
See also
- List of Jewish members of the United States Congress
- Women in the United States House of Representatives
Images for kids
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Schakowsky during the 113th United States Congress
