Dan Rostenkowski | |
|---|---|
 Official chairmanship portrait, 1983 | |
| Chair of the House Ways and Means Committee | |
| In office January 3, 1981 – May 15, 1994 | |
| Preceded by | Al Ullman |
| Succeeded by | Sam Gibbons |
| House Democratic Chief Deputy Whip | |
| In office January 3, 1977 – January 3, 1981 | |
| Leader | Tip O'Neill |
| Preceded by | John Brademas |
| Succeeded by | Bill Alexander |
| Chair of the House Democratic Caucus | |
| In office January 3, 1967 – January 3, 1971 | |
| Leader | John William McCormack |
| Preceded by | Eugene Keogh |
| Succeeded by | Olin Teague |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Illinois | |
| In office January 3, 1959 – January 3, 1995 | |
| Preceded by | Thomas S. Gordon |
| Succeeded by | Michael Patrick Flanagan |
| Constituency | 8th district (1959–1993) 5th district (1993–1995) |
| Member of the Illinois Senate | |
| In office January 12, 1955 – January 3, 1959 | |
| Preceded by | Stanley J. Mondala |
| Succeeded by | Thad L. Kusibab |
| Constituency | 33rd district (1957–1959) 27th district (1955–1947) |
| Member of the Illinois House of Representatives from the 27th district | |
| In office January 14, 1953 – January 12, 1955 Serving with John Touhy, Anthony C. Prusinski | |
| Preceded by | John Kuklinski |
| Succeeded by | Edward J. Shaw Louis Janczak |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Daniel David Rostenkowski January 2, 1928 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | August 11, 2010 (aged 82) Genoa City, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
LaVerne Pirkins (m. 1951) |
| Education | Loyola University, Chicago |
Daniel David Rostenkowski (January 2, 1928 – August 11, 2010) was a United States Representative from Chicago, serving for 36 years, from 1959 to 1995. He became one of the most powerful legislators in Congress, especially in matters of taxation. He was imprisoned in 1996.[1] A Democrat and son of a Chicago alderman, Rostenkowski was for many years Democratic Committeeman of Chicago's 32nd Ward, retaining this position while also serving in Congress.[2]
In national politics, he rose by virtue of seniority to the rank of Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee in 1981. As Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, he played a critical role in formulating tax policy during the Republican administration of Ronald Reagan, including the Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981, which cut the top federal bracket to 50%, and the Tax Reform Act of 1986, which further lowered it to 28% and reduced the number of brackets to only two. He was also involved in trade policy, as well as reforms of the welfare system, health care, and Social Security programs.[3]
Rostenkowski closed legislative deals between the toughest power brokers in the U.S., from union chiefs to corporate titans to president Reagan and to everyone in between. The book Chicago and the American Century credits Rostenkowski with securing billions of dollars in federal money for projects in Chicago and Illinois. The book named him the sixth most significant politician to come from Chicago in the entire twentieth century.[1]
Rostenkowski's political career, however, ended abruptly in 1994 when he was indicted on corruption charges relating to his role in the Congressional Post Office Scandal, and then narrowly defeated for reelection by Republican Michael Patrick Flanagan. He subsequently pleaded guilty to charges of mail fraud in 1996 and was fined and sentenced to 17 months in prison. In December 2000, President Bill Clinton pardoned Rostenkowski.
- ^ a b "Booknotes". Booknotes. 1999-09-19. Archived from the original on 2010-11-16. Retrieved 2010-08-11.
- ^ Madigan, Charles M. (February 26, 1994). "New era means trouble for old-style pol". The Wichita Eagle. Chicago Tribune. p. World Focus-2. Retrieved May 12, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Clymer, Adam (February 10, 1993). "For Rostenkowski, Maybe Glory, Maybe Disgrace". The New York Times. Retrieved April 30, 2010.