Cheri Bustos

Cheryl Lea Bustos (/ˈbuːstoʊs/ BOOST-ohss; née Callahan, October 17, 1961) is an American journalist, healthcare executive and politician serving as the U.S. Representative for Illinois's 17th congressional district since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, she is the first woman elected to Congress from her district, located in the northwestern part of the state, anchored by the Illinois side of the Quad Cities and partially including Peoria and Rockford.[1] In 2019, Bustos assumed a leadership position among House Democrats as Chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC).[2]

Cheri Bustos
Co-Chair of the House Democratic Steering Committee
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 2021
Leader	Nancy Pelosi
Preceded by	Rosa DeLauro
Chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
In office January 3, 2019 – January 3, 2021
Leader	Nancy Pelosi
Preceded by	Ben Ray Luján
Succeeded by	Sean Patrick Maloney
Co-Chair of the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee
In office January 3, 2017 – January 3, 2019 Serving with David Cicilline and Hakeem Jeffries
Preceded by	Steve Israel (Chair)
Succeeded by	Matt Cartwright Debbie Dingell Ted Lieu
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Illinois's 17th district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 2013
Preceded by	Bobby Schilling
Personal details
Born	Cheryl Lea Callahan October 17, 1961 Springfield, Illinois, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Gerry Bustos
Children	3
Relatives	Joseph R. Callahan (grandfather)
Education	University of Maryland, College Park (BA) University of Illinois, Springfield (MA)
Website	House website

Previously elected to the East Moline City Council in 2007, she defeated Republican incumbent Bobby Schilling in the 2012 election and a subsequent 2014 rematch.[3] Assigned to the House Committee on Agriculture and Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Bustos and Senator Dick Durbin are the only Democrats in the congressional delegation from Illinois who are not from the Chicago area as of the 2020 elections.

Early life, education, and private sector career

Bustos was born in Springfield, Illinois, one of three children of Gene and Ann Callahan. Her grandfather Joseph R. Callahan was a hog farmer who was also a state legislator.[4][5] "We had governors over to our house. We had lieutenant governors," Bustos later said.[6]

Her father worked for The State Journal-Register, then served as assistant press secretary to Governor Samuel Shapiro, press secretary to Lieutenant Governor Paul Simon, and chief of staff to Senator Alan Dixon.[7] As a girl she babysat U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin’s children.[8] Her mother worked as a teacher.[9]

Bustos graduated from Springfield High School in 1979. She attended Illinois College, then transferred to the University of Maryland, College Park, from which she received a bachelor's degree in political science in 1983. She went on to receive a master's degree in journalism from the University of Illinois, Springfield in 1985.[9][10]

In 1985 she moved to the Quad Cities to work as a night-shift police reporter for the Quad-City Times.[5] Bustos worked there for seventeen years, first as a reporter, and then as an editor.[9]

From 2001 to 2007, she worked as senior director of corporate communications for Trinity Regional Health Systems.[11] From 2008 to 2011, she worked as vice president of corporate communications for Iowa Health System; in her last full year, she received overall compensation of $306,295.[12]

East Moline City Council

Elections

In 2007, Bustos ran for the East Moline City Council from that city's 4th Ward. She won the Democratic primary with 45% of the vote,[13] and won the general election unopposed.[14][15] In 2011, she won re-election unopposed.[16]

Tenure

Before first being elected in 2007, Bustos served on East Moline's Citizen Advisory Committee and the East Moline Plan Commission. In 2009, Bustos received an Athena Business Women's Award.[17]

In February 2010, Bustos secured state and federal money to purchase a $40,000 electronic welcome sign that was placed at the border of East Moline.[18]

In August 2010, Bustos voted for water and sewer rate hikes.[19] In January 2011, she expressed interest in charging residents who do not recycle extra fees to lower the city's landfill costs.[20] In April 2011, Bustos voted for a budget that raised property taxes 4.9% and raised garbage collection fees, saying, "these decisions have been made thoughtfully and thoroughly and during the course of 17 open and public budget sessions."[21] She also supported water and sewage increases.[22]

She has been criticized for voting for a $624,000 project to improve 10th Street in East Moline, which runs adjacent to Bustos's house; the Schilling campaign dubbed it the "Bustos Parkway."[23] Schilling's claim was called "reckless, irresponsible fiction" by the editorial board of the Quad-City Times.

After being elected to a second term in May 2011, Bustos resigned in September 2011 to focus on her run for Congress.[24]

Committee assignments

• East Moline Downtown Revitalization Committee (Founded and Chaired)[25]

U.S. House of Representatives

2012

The Bustos campaign publicly stated it received the endorsement of about two dozen unions active in the 17th Congressional district, including the Illinois AFL-CIO, AFSCME and the United Auto Workers.[26] During the primary, Bustos received the endorsement of U.S. Senator Dick Durbin.[27] Durbin asked state Senator Dave Koehler and George Gaulrapp to drop out of the race to clear the way for Bustos, who is a close family friend of Durbin.[28] Gaulrapp reported that during a meeting with Durbin about withdrawing, Durbin said that Bustos had babysat for his family and was a close friend.[28] Bustos won the Democratic primary on March 20, 2012, defeating Freeport Mayor George Gaulrapp and businessman Greg Aguilar 54%–26%-20%.[29][30][31]

In the general election, Bustos was one of 39 candidates considered to be the most viable challengers against Republican incumbents to benefit from "Red to Blue" program offered by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.[32] Bustos was endorsed by the Quad-City Times for the general election.[33] In November, she defeated incumbent Republican Bobby Schilling 53%–47%.[34] She'd received a significant boost from redistricting, which replaced Quincy, Decatur and the district's portion of Springfield with the more Democratic portions of Peoria and Rockford. She is the first Democrat to represent a significant portion of Peoria since 1927, and only the second Democrat since the 1850s to represent a significant portion of Rockford.

After entering the House, Bustos made national headlines by "interviewing colleagues and posting the short videos on her Snapchat account."[35]

2014

Bustos was challenged by Schilling for re-election in 2014.[36]

In an interview with the Chicago Tribune editorial board in 2012, Bustos expressed her support for legislation which would cut congressional pay by 10 percent. When asked by a member of the editorial board if she would voluntarily give up 10 percent of her pay should the legislation fail, Bustos said that she would. During the campaign in 2014, she stated: "When I was in Chicago, I said something that I shouldn't have said, but I never said it on the campaign trail. I never made it as a promise to the people in the 17th congressional district."[37][38][39][40] The Chicago Tribune endorsed Schilling for the general election.[41]

As they did in October 2012, Bustos and Schilling agreed to debate at the WQAD-TV News 8 studio on October 9, 2014, with Good Morning Quad Cities anchor Jim Mertens serving as moderator.[42]

Bustos defeated Schilling in the November 4 general election, 55%–45%.[43][44]

2016

Bustos won re-election to the House in the 2016 general election, defeating the Republican challenger Patrick Harlan, an insurance agent,[45] truck driver, and local Tea Party activist.[46]

In a long profile of Bustos on May 12, 2017, Politico noted that in 2016 she was the only Democrat to win a House seat by a more than 20-point margin in a district that Trump also won. "If Democrats are going to wrest control of the House from Republicans, argue many party strategists, it's going to happen in large part by doing more of whatever it is Bustos is doing three hours west of Chicago in her nearly 7,000-square-mile district of small towns and soybean fields," stated Politico. Calling her "one of the party's rising stars," Politico quoted her as saying, "I'm a little bit of a different kind of Democrat."[5]

2018 election

For the 2018 election, Bustos was challenged by Bill Fawell, a real estate broker who has attracted media attention for his conspiracy claims that the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks were an inside job perpetrated by the United States Government.[47] Bustos was re-elected with 61.9% of the final vote tally over Fawell's 38.1%.

Chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee

For the 2020 election, Bustos resigned from the office of the Chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee because the Democrats had lost over 10 seats. However, Nancy Pelosi placed her in the position of Co-Chair of the House Democratic Steering Committee, replacing Rosa DeLauro, who was chosen to be the Chair of the House Appropriations Committee

Potential runs for other offices

Bustos considered running for the U.S. Senate in the 2016 election, but announced in March 2015 that she would not run.[48]

In September 2016, reports emerged that Bustos was a possible candidate for Governor of Illinois in the 2018 election.[49] However, in February 2017, Bustos declined to run in the election.[50]

During the election for Speaker of the United States House of Representatives in January 2019, Bustos received 4 votes, from Joe Cunningham of South Carolina; Jared Golden of Maine; Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey; and Abigail Spanberger of Virginia, instead of their parties' nominee, Nancy Pelosi.[51]

Committee assignments

• Committee on Agriculture
  • Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk Management
  • Subcommittee on Livestock, Rural Development, and Credit
• Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
  • United States House Transportation Subcommittee on Aviation
  • Subcommittee on Highways and Transit
• Committee on Appropriations

Caucus memberships

• New Democrat Coalition[52]
• Congressional NextGen 9-1-1 Caucus[53]
• Blue Collar Caucus

Political positions

Shortly after taking office, Bustos joined the bipartisan No Labels group.[54] In the first session of the 115th United States Congress, Bustos was ranked the 28th most bipartisan member of the House by the Bipartisan Index, a metric published by The Lugar Center and Georgetown's McCourt School of Public Policy to assess congressional bipartisanship.[55]

Waste reduction

Bustos' first sponsored legislation would create a congressional government waste reduction board.[56][57]

Jobs

In a July 2012 article, Bustos wrote that she was running for Congress in order to create good-paying jobs for middle-class Americans, including many "whose jobs are being shipped to China."[58]

Bustos wants to create a "manufacturing triangle" connecting Peoria, the Quad Cities, and Rockford and anchored by Caterpillar, John Deere, and the aerospace industry, respectively. She supports putting in place job-training programs at area community colleges to better prepare workers for skilled jobs in manufacturing.[59]

In July 2017, Bustos and two House colleagues charged in a CNN op-ed that thanks to Republicans, "the economy isn't working the way it should," and promised that their own economic plan would create "millions of good-paying, full-time jobs" and "build an economy that puts Americans first."[60]

Defense

In March 2012 she called for cuts in defense spending.[12]

Health care

Bustos strongly supports the Affordable Care Act (commonly known as Obamacare). In October 2012, her congressional campaign website said, "The new reform law is not perfect, but makes real improvements in our health care system. It lowers costs for small businesses and makes sure you have coverage that cannot be taken away. It stops insurance companies from denying coverage of preexisting conditions and allows children to stay on their parents' health insurance for longer."[61] Bustos, a Catholic, supports legalized abortion.[62] She also supported President Barack Obama's order that all health plans cover birth control and "morning after" pills.[63]

Taxes

Bustos opposed a full extension of the Bush tax cuts.[64]

Congressional pay cut

Bustos supports a 10% pay cut for members of Congress with no further pay raises until the federal budget is balanced. She has been critical of Republicans' approach to balancing the budget and reducing taxes. Bustos favors reducing waste and fraud, ending "tax loopholes for companies that ship jobs overseas," and ending "corporate handouts."[65] She does not support lowering salaries or pensions for federal government employees.[66]

Undocumented immigrants

Bustos supports the DREAM Act.[63]

Trade

During a debate, Bustos opposed the three trade agreements approved by Congress in 2011 as "NAFTA-style" and said they would result in job losses for Illinois.[66]

Education

Bustos wants to change No Child Left Behind to offer more assistance for teachers while de-emphasizing "teaching to the test," expand Head Start, reform student loans to address rising tuition costs, "protect and expand college scholarships like Pell Grants" and "improve vocational and job training opportunities for children who decide not to attend college."[67]

Sexual assault

Responding in 2016 to People v. Turner, Bustos claimed that there is a need for more women in Congress in order to bring greater attention to the issue of sexual assault.[68]

Minimum wage laws

Bustos in 2016 sponsored legislation exempting minor league baseball players from minimum wage laws.[69]

Iran

In August 2015, Bustos announced her support for President Barack Obama’s Iran nuclear deal. "While the agreement is not perfect, it is the right step for our national security and the security of the global community," she said. "With this agreement, Iran's stockpiles of enriched uranium will be reduced and the country will be opened up to strict transparency and monitoring, including robust on-the-ground nuclear inspectors."[70][71]

Cuba

In October 2015, Bustos went to Cuba on a trip organized by the Illinois Cuba Working Group. In January 2016, she backed a bill to remove barriers to trade with Cuba.[72] In March 2016, Bustos was part of the Congressional delegation that took part in Obama's trip to Cuba and said that Cuba represented a "huge trade opportunity" for the US "when it comes to agriculture."[73]

Women

In February 2018, Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan announced that a group of three legislators, including Bustos, would serve on an independently funded panel that would "lead a statewide discussion about the role of women in the Democratic party and how to 'change the culture of politics.'"[74] In April, however, she withdrew from the panel, citing criticism by the House Ethics Committee and legal advisers.[75]

Donald Trump

In a December 2016 interview, Bustos said she would "make every attempt to work with President Donald Trump where we can find common ground" but "if he takes us down a dark place, then we're going to have a fight on our hands."[76] During an April 2017 interview, however, she "verbally thrashed President Trump." In the same month she said that his first 100 days in office had been "a disaster" and that his health care plan would rip out "the beating heart of rural America." Politico described her as "practically...taunting Trump." She said that if she were president, "in my first 100 days, I'd want to have a lot of wins—and, you know, I wouldn't want to have wins that I have to lie about."[5]

In June 2017, Bustos argued that her party's "anti-Trump" message was not a winning electoral formula.[77]

In December 2017, Bustos signed a letter asking for a House investigation into accusations of sexual misconduct made against Trump.[78]

Marijuana

In 2020, Bustos was one of only six Democratic Congressional members to vote against the federal decriminalization of marijuana (H.R. 3884).[79][80]

Electoral history

East Moline, Illinois Alderman Ward 4 General Election, 2007[81]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Cheri Bustos	234	100.0
Total votes			234	100.0

East Moline, Illinois Alderman Ward 4 General Election, 2011[82]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Cheri Bustos (incumbent)	55	100.0
Total votes			55	100.0

Illinois 17th Congressional District Democratic Primary, 2012[83]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Cheri Bustos	18,652	54.40
	Democratic	George Gaulrapp	8,838	25.78
	Democratic	Greg Aguilar	6,798	19.83
Total votes			34,288	100.0

Illinois 17th Congressional District General Election, 2012[84]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Cheri Bustos	153,519	53.28
	Republican	Bobby Schilling (incumbent)	134,623	46.72
	Write-in votes	Eric Reyes	10	0.00
	Write-in votes	Joe Faber	9	0.00
Total votes			288,161	100.0

Illinois 17th Congressional District General Election, 2014[85]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Cheri Bustos (incumbent)	110,560	55.46
	Republican	Bobby Schilling	88,785	44.53
	Write-in votes	Bill Fawell	16	0.01
Total votes			199,361	100.0

Illinois 17th Congressional District General Election, 2016[86]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Cheri Bustos (incumbent)	173,125	60.31
	Republican	Patrick Harlan	113,943	39.69
Total votes			287,068	100.0

Illinois 17th Congressional District General Election, 2018[87]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Cheri Bustos (incumbent)	142,659	62.09
	Republican	William W. "Bill" Fawell	87,090	37.91
Total votes			229,749	100.0

Personal life

She met and married Gerry Bustos, a Quad Cities local, not long after moving to the Quad Cities. He is currently serving as the Rock Island County Sheriff and commander of the Quad City Bomb Squad.[88] They have three grown sons and two grandchildren.[5]

On November 16, 2020, it was announced that Bustos had tested positive for COVID-19, having displayed mild symptoms, and that she would quarantine herself.[89]

See also

• Women in the United States House of Representatives

References

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41. (October 14, 2014) – "Schilling Among Tribune Endorsements for Congress". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved February 24, 2015.
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46. Patrick Harlan wins GOP nomination for 17th Congressional District (JournalStandard.com)
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48. Bustos says she won’t run for Senate, praises Duckworth (Washington Times)
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74. Sfondeles, Tina. "Madigan taps trio of women, including Bustos, to change 'culture of politics'". Chicago Sun Times. Retrieved June 11, 2018.
75. Sfondeles, Tina. "Congresswoman Bustos opts out of Madigan's anti-harassment panel". Chicago Sun Times. Retrieved June 11, 2018.
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84. "Election Results 2012 GENERAL ELECTION". Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved November 4, 2019.
85. "Election Results 2014 GENERAL ELECTION". Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved November 4, 2019.
86. "Election Results 2016 GENERAL ELECTION". Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved November 4, 2019.
87. "Election Results 2018 GENERAL ELECTION". Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved November 4, 2019.
88. Service, From MCT News; Media, Shaw. "New sheriff in Rock Island County has familiar name". www.saukvalley.com.
89. https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2020/nov/16/cheri-bustos-tests-positive-covid-19/

External links

• Representative Cheri Bustos official U.S. House website
• Cheri Bustos for Congress
• Cheri Bustos at Curlie

• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Profile at Vote Smart
• Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Election Commission
• Legislation sponsored at the Library of Congress
• Appearances on C-SPAN