Dan Rostenkowski

Dan Rostenkowski
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 from the 33rd district
In office January 9, 1957 – January 3, 1959
Preceded by	Morris E. Muhleman
Succeeded by	Thad L. Kusibab
Member of the Illinois Senate from the 27th district
In office January 12, 1955 – January 9, 1957
Preceded by	Stanley J. Mondala
Succeeded by	Robert E. Cherry
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 (1928-01-02)January 2, 1928 Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Died	August 11, 2010(2010-08-11) (aged 82) Genoa City, Wisconsin, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	LaVerne Pirkins ​ (m. 1951)​
Education	Loyola University, Chicago
Dan Rostenkowski's voice Rostenkowski explains his opposition to revoking China's Most Favored Nation status Recorded July 21, 1993

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.