43 Facts About Dan Rostenkowski

Daniel David Rostenkowski was a United States Representative from Chicago, serving for 36 years, from 1959 to 1995.

Dan Rostenkowski became one of the most powerful legislators in Congress, especially in matters of taxation.

Dan Rostenkowski was involved in trade policy, as well as reforms of the welfare system, health care, and Social Security programs.

Dan Rostenkowski closed legislative deals between the toughest power brokers in the US, from union chiefs to corporate titans to president Reagan and to everyone in between.

The book Chicago and the American Century credits Dan Rostenkowski with securing billions of dollars in federal money for projects in Chicago and Illinois.

Dan Rostenkowski subsequently pleaded guilty to charges of mail fraud in 1996 and was fined and sentenced to 17 months in prison.

The Dan Rostenkowski home was on the second floor of 1349 Noble Street in Chicago, above the tavern owned by Priscilla and adjacent to the alderman's insurance agency and the headquarters of the regular Democratic 32nd ward organization.

In 1941, at the age of 13, Rostenkowski accompanied his father to Washington to witness the inauguration of President Franklin D Roosevelt for his third term.

In 1952, while still a student at Loyola, the twenty-four-year-old Dan Rostenkowski was elected as one of three legislators from the 27th district to the Illinois House of Representatives.

On September 26,1960, Dan Rostenkowski witnessed what many consider the turning point in Kennedy's battle with Richard Nixon.

Dan Rostenkowski made sure that Chicago received its full share of funds under programs like the Law Enforcement Assistance Act.

Dan Rostenkowski argued in favor of federal funding of inner-city renewal projects and urban mass transit networks.

Dan Rostenkowski supported the American effort in Vietnam until 1971, when he joined anti-war Congressmen in an attempt to force a quick withdrawal of American troops by voting against certain military appropriation bills.

Four years later, at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Johnson would again ask Dan Rostenkowski to take the podium, but this time the results proved costly to the young congressman's future in Washington.

House Majority Leader Carl Albert, the convention chairman, and Dan Rostenkowski's boss, was unable to control the rowdy behavior of the delegates inside the hall.

Dan Rostenkowski happened to be manning the phones on the podium when a furious Lyndon Johnson called from his Texas ranch and ordered him to take over the gavel to quiet the proceedings on the convention floor.

Two years later, Dan Rostenkowski was running for a third term as chairman of the Democratic Caucus and did not expect any opposition.

Dan Rostenkowski played a key role in the election of Jim Wright as the House Majority Leader.

Dan Rostenkowski easily defeated future Congressman Luis Gutierrez's bid to replace him as 32nd Ward Democratic Committeeman in the 1984 Chicago Democratic primary.

In 1986, Dan Rostenkowski was charged with drunk driving in Wisconsin and was charged $555.00 and had his license suspended in Illinois for one year.

Since the position of Majority Whip is usually a stepping-stone to the majority leadership and, ultimately, to the House speakership, Dan Rostenkowski was tempted to take it.

Dan Rostenkowski received criticism during his early years as chairman, with the media speculating that he was, "in over his head" leading the complex tax writing committee.

Dan Rostenkowski lost his first few legislative battles with new President Ronald Reagan in 1981, but, in 1983, he successfully piloted a complex overhaul of the Social Security System.

Dan Rostenkowski was praised for his role in drafting the 1984 Deficit Reduction Act, a three-year, $50 billion tax hike.

Dan Rostenkowski was a consensus builder who commanded through his political judgment and his ability to make a deal.

Not as much of an expert on the tax code as was a previous chairman Wilbur Mills, or one to lead with a light hand, such as Ullman, Dan Rostenkowski built a staff of dedicated experts who were given broad leeway to shape legislation, leaving for himself the political judgments, and actions that were required to pass the proposals.

Dan Rostenkowski wants to make laws, and as a lobbyist put it, 'he doesn't like people throwing a lot of dust in the gears'.

Dan Rostenkowski was forced to step down from all Congressional leadership positions.

In elections later that year, after winning the Democratic primary, Dan Rostenkowski lost his seat in a narrow election and retired from political life.

Charges against Dan Rostenkowski included: keeping "ghost" employees on his payroll ; using Congressional funds to buy gifts such as chairs and ashtrays for friends; diverting taxpayer funds to pay for vehicles used for personal transportation; tampering with a Grand Jury witness; and trading in officially purchased stamps for cash at the House Post Office.

Dan Rostenkowski was fined and sentenced to 17 months in prison, of which he served 15 at the Oxford Federal Correctional Institution in Wisconsin, and the remaining two months at a halfway house in Chicago.

Similar to Dan Rostenkowski, Blagojevich was sentenced to 14-years in prison following 2012 federal convictions for corruption.

Dan Rostenkowski gave up his position as Democratic Committeeman of the 32nd Ward in 1984, but retained local influence as he was able to essentially hand the position to his protege, Alderman Terry Gabinski.

Dan Rostenkowski helped secure for the city of Chicago the right to tax passengers flying in and out of its airports.

Dan Rostenkowski was considered a longtime leader of Chicago Polonia and was seen to represent its interests in Washington along with fellow Congressman Roman Pucinski.

Dan Rostenkowski followed that with $42.4 million for reservoirs in McCook and Thornton Townships and by O'Hare airport, $16.8 million for downtown's State Street Mall renovation, $3.5 million for the construction of the Cook County Boot Camp, a military-style alternative for first-time youthful offenders.

Dan Rostenkowski was responsible for securing funding for the upkeep of Chicago area bridges including the Chicago Skyway, the Division, Cermak, and Roosevelt street bridges.

Dan Rostenkowski considered these zones a Republican gimmick that would help businesses escape taxes without addressing chronic inner-city unemployment.

Shortly thereafter, Pierce phoned Dan Rostenkowski to ask if he could come up and see him.

Dan Rostenkowski worked as a political commentator, as well as a guest lecturer at Northwestern University and a Senior Fellow at Loyola University Chicago.

Dan Rostenkowski received a federal pension of between US$97,000 and US$125,000 per year.

Congressional pensions are based on years of service and Dan Rostenkowski is one of the few Congressmen to have served 36 years in Congress.

Dan Rostenkowski's papers are now held at the Congressional Archives at Loyola University Chicago.