Jan Schakowsky

Janice D. Schakowsky (born May 26, 1944) is an American politician who has served as the U.S. Representative for Illinois's 9th congressional district since 1999. A member of the Democratic Party, she previously represented the 20th district in the Illinois House of Representatives from 1990 to 1998. Schakowsky, a graduate of the University of Illinois with a degree in elementary education, began her career as a teacher before entering politics, where she has advocated for consumer protections, health care expansion, and progressive tax reforms targeting high-income earners.

One of her notable legislative achievements was the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008, which strengthened regulations on toys and other products to reduce risks from lead, phthalates, and other hazards, following a series of recalls. She played a leadership role in the passage of the Affordable Care Act in 2010, contributing to provisions that expanded health insurance coverage and protections for preexisting conditions. Schakowsky has sponsored the Fairness in Taxation Act, proposing additional tax brackets for incomes exceeding one million dollars to address wealth inequality. As ranking member on the House Energy and Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, she has scrutinized corporate practices and government accountability in energy, health, and commerce sectors.

Janice Danoff, later known as Jan Schakowsky, was born on May 26, 1944, in Chicago, Illinois, to Jewish immigrant parents Irwin Danoff and Tillie Danoff (née Cosnow). Her father had emigrated from Lithuania, while her mother originated from Russia, making Schakowsky a first-generation American whose family background reflected the waves of Eastern European Jewish migration to urban America in the early 20th century.

Born in 1944 to Jewish immigrant parents—her father from Lithuania and her mother from Russia—Schakowsky grew up in Chicago's Rogers Park neighborhood, a setting that instilled values of community and advocacy for working families, as reflected in her subsequent organizational roles. Her family's background, marked by the challenges of immigration and assimilation, contributed to her early orientation toward progressive causes, though she did not pursue formal political activity until after her teaching stint.