Melissa Luburich Bean (born on January 22, 1962) is an American politician and has been a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives since 2004, representing . The district includes most of Chicago's northwestern suburbs, such as Hoffman Estates, Arlington Heights, Schaumburg, Gurnee, Palatine, Mundelein, Zion, Barrington, McHenry, and Woodstock.
Early life, education and career
Bean graduated from
Oakton Community College and
Roosevelt University. Prior to her election to Congress, she was president of a home-based business, Sales Resources Inc., which counted many
Fortune 1000 companies as clients.
U.S. House of Representatives
Bean is a member of the
Blue Dog Coalition and the
New Democrat Coalition.
Committees
Committee on Financial Services
*Subcommittee on Capital Markets, Insurance and Government Sponsored Enterprises
*Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit
Committee on Small Business
*Subcommittee on Tax, Finance, and Exports
*Subcommittee on Contracting and Technology
*Subcommittee on Regulations, Healthcare and Trade
Bean has been a member of the Small Business and Financial Services committees for her entire House tenure. Normally, House Democrats who serve on the Financial Services Committee can't serve on any other committee. However, Bean was granted a waiver by the Democratic leadership.
Since 2007, Bean has been chairwoman of the Small Business Subcommittee on Tax, Finance and Exports.
Political positions
Bean's business and financial record includes opposing a bill that would have allowed for drilling for oil in Lake Michigan which is a large source of drinking water for her district. She has departed from the Democrats in voting in May 2006 to extend about $70 billion in tax cuts (she was one of just 15 Democrats to back the legislation), voting to permanently reduce the estate tax, and voting in favor of a presidential line-item veto. Similarly, she is one of only 15 Democrats to vote in favor of the
Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA). . In 2009, she voted for the
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and the
American Clean Energy and Security Act. She was a co-sponsor of the
Employee Free Choice Act.
On other issues, Bean opposed President Bush's troop "surge" in Iraq. In a February 2006 speech given before the surge had been fully implemented, Bean said, "regrettably, this surge does not constitute a new course." On social issues, Bean is pro-choice and voted in support of Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, health care reform. Bean was one of four Democrats to vote against the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010, joining 155 of 159 Republicans, blocking the vote (which needed a 2/3 majority to pass, as it was brought to vote under a motion to suspend rules.)
Political campaigns
2002
In 2002, Bean ran against 33-year 8th District
Republican incumbent
Phil Crane. She charged that Crane, once a leader of
conservative forces in the House, had become a "do-nothing" Congressman. Her campaign focus was on
lobbyist-funded trips that he had taken. She lost, but gained 43% of the vote. This was unexpected since she had received very little funding from the national party. The 8th had historically been the most Republican district in the Chicago area, and by some accounts was the most Republican district in all of Illinois. Bean's performance was even more notable since the 8th had reportedly been
redrawn to protect Crane.
2004
Bean sought a rematch against Crane in the
2004. During the campaign, Bean raised almost as much money as Crane, mostly from individual donors, whereas Crane's money came mostly from
political action committees. Her surprising performance in the previous election led the national party to pump a large amount of money into her campaign. Bean was endorsed by the
Daily Herald, the
Chicago Tribune and the
Chicago Sun-Times--the three major newspapers in her district.
Faced with having to actually campaign for what was previously thought to be a safe seat, the Republicans tried their best to keep Crane in office. However, on November 2, 2004, Bean defeated Crane with 52% of the vote. Although George W. Bush won the district with 56% of the vote — the largest margin of any district in the state — Bean was helped by US Senate candidate Barack Obama, who carried the district. She is the first Democrat to represent the district since its formation in 1935. (The district was numbered the 10th District from 1935 to 1949, the 13th from 1949 to 1973, the 12th from 1973 to 1993 and has been the 8th since 1993.)
2006
In 2006, Bean's seat was seen by Republicans as vulnerable to takeover due to her freshman status and the 8th district's historical Republican tilt at every level. As mentioned above, George W. Bush carried the district fairly easily in 2004. Most of the district's
state representatives and
state senators were Republicans. Even today, in much of the district Bean is the only elected Democrat above the county level. Bean's reelection was also a top priority of the
Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC).
Bean faced the winner of a competitive six-candidate Republican primary, David McSweeney, in the 2006 general election. As in 2004, Bean was endorsed by all three of the major newspapers in her district. She defeated McSweeney, 51% to 44%.
2008
Bean decisively defeated her 2008 opponent, businessman
Steve Greenberg. Although she was one of forty-four Democrats in the House who voted to condemn the
MoveOn.org group for their controversial "
General Betray-us" ad in 2007, he has criticized her for accepting over $80,000 in campaign donations from them three years earlier.
Bean defeated Greenberg, 60% to 40%.
2010
Bean will face Republican
Joe Walsh in the general election.
Electoral history
{| class="wikitable" style="margin:0.5em ; font-size:95%"
|+ : Results 2002–2008
!|Year
!
!|Democrat
!|Votes
!|Pct
!
!|Republican
!|Votes
!|Pct
!
!|3rd Party
!|Party
!|Votes
!|Pct
!
|-
|
2002
|
| |Melissa L. Bean
| align="right" |70,626
| |43%
|
| |
Philip M. Crane
| align="right" |95,275
| |57%
|
|
|
|
|
| |
*
|-
|
2004
|
| |
Melissa L. Bean
| align="right" |139,792
| |52%
|
| |
| align="right" |130,601
| |48%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|
2006
|
| |
| align="right" |93,355
| |51%
|
| |
David McSweeney
| align="right" |80,720
| |44%
|
| |Bill Scheurer
| |Moderate
| align="right" |8,502
| align="right" |5%
| |
*
|-
|
2008
|
| |
Melissa L. Bean
| align="right" |146,563
| |60%
|
| |
Steve Greenberg
| align="right" |97,931
| |40%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| colspan="16" |
Personal life
Bean lives in unincorporated Palatine Township with her husband and two children. Their residence was in the 8th District when they moved there, but became part of the 10th District because of redistricting. They are now a few blocks away from the new boundary.
References
External links
U.S. Congresswoman Melissa Bean official House site
Re-Elect Congresswoman Melissa Bean official campaign site
Profile at SourceWatch
Category:1962 births
Category:Living people
Category:Eastern Orthodox Christians from the United States
Category:Female members of the United States House of Representatives
Category:Members of the United States House of Representatives from Illinois
Category:People from Barrington, Illinois
Category:People from Chicago, Illinois
Category:Roosevelt University alumni
Category:American people of Serbian descent
Category:Serbian Orthodox Christians
Category:Women in Illinois politics
