Bobby Schilling
Encyclopedia
Robert Todd "Bobby" Schilling (born January 23, 1964) is the U.S. Representative
for , serving since 2011. Schilling is a member of the Republican Party
and was backed by the Tea Party movement
in the November 2010 election. He defeated incumbent Democrat Phil Hare
53 percent to 43 percent.
. He graduated from Alleman Catholic High School
and attended Black Hawk College
.
Schilling worked at Container Corporation of America
between 1983 and 1987 and was a union steward for the local chapter of the United Paper Workers International Union
. He then worked as an insurance agent for Prudential Insurance Company
between 1987 and 1995, where he was ranked in the top 5% of all Prudential agents during his last year. He was also the treasurer for the United Food and Commercial Workers
Union for four of those years. In 1996, he and his wife opened Saint Giuseppe's Heavenly Pizza in Moline, Illinois
; the restaurant is still owned by the family and Schilling ran the restaurant until taking office, when he left his son in charge.
Schilling has characterized himself as a "Reagan Republican" but conservative radio and television personality Glenn Beck
has also been an influence. Schilling was one of the 9-12 Candidates, a group led by Beck, and signed the 9-12 contract of principles and values. Schilling has said he was inspired to run for office because he was preparing to franchise
his restaurant, but cancelled his plans when he saw then-Presidential candidate Barack Obama
telling Joe the Plumber
that the government needed to "spread the wealth around." Schilling announced his candidacy in April 2009 and officially filed for the Republican nomination in October 2009.
Schilling vowed not to participate in the congressional pension
program, to keep his private health insurance instead of the congressional plan, to donate any pay raises he receives, to limit himself to no more than eight years in Congress, and not to vote for any bill he hasn't read. "I'm not going to make a career out of this," he says.
Early in the campaign, political websites rated the 17th District race "safe Democratic." However, by Election Day the race was rated "leans Republican" by RealClearPolitics
, Cook Political Report
, CQ Politics, and the New York Times. The race was profiled on CNN
as one of the country's top 100 House races, in which they said, "Schilling trails in the overall money race, but he's raised enough to get his message out and give the incumbent something to worry about."
In September 2010 Schilling was named to the National Republican Congressional Committee
's "Young Guns" program.
Hare criticized Schilling for living 0.99 miles outside the 17th District, though the Constitution
does not require members of the House to live in the district they represent. Schilling's wife notes that the family's restaurant is in the 17th and employs people and pays taxes there. She also says the family fell out of the district because of gerrymandering
.
Unopposed in the primary election, in the general election, Schilling won by an unexpectedly large margin, taking 53 percent of the vote to Hare's 43 percent. After the election, Schilling hired as his chief of staff
Mike Roman, a political consultant known for posting a video showing alleged voter intimidation
during the 2008 presidential election. Roman, along with policy director Scott Tranter, resigned from Schilling's office in April 2011.
Schilling's campaign set an off-year fundraising record for a challenger in the 17th district, amassing about $89,000 in 2009. Schilling's campaign fundraising relied largely on individual donors, who accounted for about 80 percent of the $1 million raised by his campaign. Hare depended more heavily on political action committees, who contributed about two-thirds of his campaigns $1.3 million total. Following his election, Schilling has relied more on political action committees to help retire his campaign debt, with the bulk of his December 2010 fundraising coming from PACs, including Wal-Mart
, the American Medical Association
, Caterpillar Inc.
and Archer Daniels Midland
Co.
Schilling ended the campaign with a total of $1,095,167 raised and $1,078,911 spent.
The following organizations endorsed Schilling in his 2010 run for Congress: The Illinois Federation for the Right to Life
PAC; CatholicVote PAC; the Quincy
Tea Party group; John Deere
PAC; and the United States Chamber of Commerce
.
Individuals who endorsed Schilling included: U.S. Representative
Aaron Schock
(R-IL); U.S. Representative Michele Bachmann
(R-MN); former Governor of Massachusetts
Mitt Romney
; political figure and author Joe the Plumber
(Joe Wurzelbacher); and, Sgt. John F. Baker, Jr.
, recipient of the Medal of Honor
.
Newspapers were evenly dividend in endorsing Schilling over Hare, with the Chicago Tribune
and the Sauk Valley News among those supporting Schilling. In October 2010 Schilling was endorsed by the Chicago Tribune
.
2012
Schilling is running for re-election in 2012
. He has been added to the National Republican Congressional Committee's Patriot Program, which is designed to defend incumbent Republicans. The 17th District boundaries were redrawn by the Democrat-controlled legislature to make it significantly more Democratic, but Illinois' Republican congressional delegation has filed a lawsuit to overturn the redistricting. Schilling said he won't campaign in the new parts of his district until the result of the lawsuit has been decided.
The National Journal
's Cook Political Report
named Schilling one of the top 10 Republicans most vulnerable to redistricting in 2012.
Schilling raised $238,681 in the third quarter of 2011 and had $450,290 cash on hand as of September 30, more than any of his prospective opponents.
; Schilling stated he believed that the bill may not provide sufficient safeguards on who is allowed to access personal information, and that the 45 minutes allotted for floor debate was inadequate to discuss these concerns. Following Obama's late January 2011 State of the Union address in which the President said he was "eager" to work with critics of his health care reform law
, Schilling sent a letter to Obama requesting a one-on-one meeting.
In February 2011, Schilling joined 130 House Republicans in voting against a $450 million budget cut for an extra F-35 fighter-jet engine—a project that the U.S. Department of Defense
had repeatedly tried to kill, and that Defense Secretary Robert Gates
called "a waste of nearly 3 billion." Schilling voted to refuse a $230 million federal grant to build an Amtrak
line from Chicago
to Iowa City, though he had supported the project during his campaign, calling it "critically important to both the economy and the environment of the Midwest." The planned rail line was a celebrated project by many in his district, including local mayors. Schilling defended his vote, it was a question of prioritizing, and when he looked at the big picture, the rail service did not make the cut. He also stated that his constituents elected him to address national debt and deficit problems in Washington, not to take a business-as-usual approach.
In June 2011, Schilling introduced a bill to prevent members of Congress from receiving their congressional pension before they reach the Social Security
retirement age.
During the 2011 debt ceiling crisis, Schilling reluctantly voted for the bill that averted default.
In October 2011, a California resident issued a death threat promising a reward to anyone who assassinated Schilling. The threat is being investigated by the FBI and the United States Capitol Police
. Schilling said he was advised by authorities to "lay low" while they investigated the threat and a spokeswoman for Schilling said the Schilling family was taking the "recommended precautions". According to The Hill
, the person behind the threat may be the one behind similar threats against George W. Bush
, several high-ranking current and former security and defense officials, and Rep. Mike Coffman
of Colorado. Schilling said, "It's a general threat to all members of Congress, but they specifically called my name out in the threat. You just don't know what people are thinking...It's something we're not going to take lightly."
Schilling gave the Republican response to the President's weekly radio address on October 29, 2011.
Schilling was considered to be a tea party
candidate in the 2010 election. He holds the following positions:
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
for , serving since 2011. Schilling is a member of the Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
and was backed by the Tea Party movement
Tea Party movement
The Tea Party movement is an American populist political movement that is generally recognized as conservative and libertarian, and has sponsored protests and supported political candidates since 2009...
in the November 2010 election. He defeated incumbent Democrat Phil Hare
Phil Hare
Philip G. "Phil" Hare is the former U.S. Representative for , serving from 2007 until 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party....
53 percent to 43 percent.
Early life, education, and business career
Schilling was born and raised in Rock Island, IllinoisRock Island, Illinois
Rock Island is the county seat of Rock Island County, Illinois, United States. The population was 40,884 at the 2010 census. Located on the Mississippi River, it is one of the Quad Cities, along with neighboring Moline, East Moline, and the Iowa cities of Davenport and Bettendorf. The Quad Cities...
. He graduated from Alleman Catholic High School
Alleman High School (Rock Island, Illinois)
Alleman Catholic High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in Rock Island, Illinois. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Peoria.-School history:Alleman High School was established in 1949. It was named in honor of Rev...
and attended Black Hawk College
Black Hawk College
Black Hawk College is a community college with campuses located in the city of Moline and near Kewanee, Illinois.-History:Black Hawk College is a community college with campuses located in Moline and in Galva, Illinois...
.
Schilling worked at Container Corporation of America
Container Corporation of America
Container Corporation of America was founded in 1926 and manufactures corrugated boxes. In 1968 CCA merged with Montgomery Ward & Company, Inc., in a move that was largely intended to thwart takeover bids against either company. MARCOR maintained separate management for the operations of each...
between 1983 and 1987 and was a union steward for the local chapter of the United Paper Workers International Union
Paper, Allied-Industrial, Chemical and Energy Workers International Union
The Paper, Allied-Industrial, Chemical and Energy Workers International Union was an international union that represented workers in the United States and Canada...
. He then worked as an insurance agent for Prudential Insurance Company
Prudential Financial
The Prudential Insurance Company of America , also known as Prudential Financial, Inc., is a Fortune Global 500 and Fortune 500 company whose subsidiaries provide insurance, investment management, and other financial products and services to both retail and institutional customers throughout the...
between 1987 and 1995, where he was ranked in the top 5% of all Prudential agents during his last year. He was also the treasurer for the United Food and Commercial Workers
United Food and Commercial Workers
The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union is a labor union representing approximately 1.3 million workers in the United States and Canada in many industries, including agriculture, health care, meatpacking, poultry and food processing, manufacturing, textile, G4S Security, chemical...
Union for four of those years. In 1996, he and his wife opened Saint Giuseppe's Heavenly Pizza in Moline, Illinois
Moline, Illinois
Moline is a city located in Rock Island County, Illinois, United States, with a population of 45,792 in 2010. Moline is one of the Quad Cities, along with neighboring East Moline and Rock Island in Illinois and the cities of Davenport and Bettendorf in Iowa. The Quad Cities has a population of...
; the restaurant is still owned by the family and Schilling ran the restaurant until taking office, when he left his son in charge.
Elections
2010Schilling has characterized himself as a "Reagan Republican" but conservative radio and television personality Glenn Beck
Glenn Beck
Glenn Edward Lee Beck is an American conservative radio host, vlogger, author, entrepreneur, political commentator and former television host. He hosts the Glenn Beck Program, a nationally syndicated talk-radio show that airs throughout the United States on Premiere Radio Networks...
has also been an influence. Schilling was one of the 9-12 Candidates, a group led by Beck, and signed the 9-12 contract of principles and values. Schilling has said he was inspired to run for office because he was preparing to franchise
Franchising
Franchising is the practice of using another firm's successful business model. The word 'franchise' is of anglo-French derivation - from franc- meaning free, and is used both as a noun and as a verb....
his restaurant, but cancelled his plans when he saw then-Presidential candidate Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
telling Joe the Plumber
Joe the Plumber
Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher , is a conservative activist, author, and commentator. A resident of Holland, Ohio, United States, he gained significant attention during the 2008 U.S. presidential election after he was videotaped questioning then-Democratic candidate Barack Obama about his small...
that the government needed to "spread the wealth around." Schilling announced his candidacy in April 2009 and officially filed for the Republican nomination in October 2009.
Schilling vowed not to participate in the congressional pension
Congressional pension
Congressional pension is a pension made available to members of the United States Congress. Members who participated in the congressional pension system are vested after five years of service. A full pension is available to Members 62 years of age with 5 years of service; 50 years or older with 20...
program, to keep his private health insurance instead of the congressional plan, to donate any pay raises he receives, to limit himself to no more than eight years in Congress, and not to vote for any bill he hasn't read. "I'm not going to make a career out of this," he says.
Early in the campaign, political websites rated the 17th District race "safe Democratic." However, by Election Day the race was rated "leans Republican" by RealClearPolitics
RealClearPolitics
RealClearPolitics is a political news and polling data aggregator based in Chicago, Illinois. The site's founders say their goal is to give readers "ideological diversity." They have described themselves as frustrated with what they perceive as anti-conservative, anti-Christian media bias, and...
, Cook Political Report
Cook Political Report
The Cook Political Report is an independent, non-partisan online newsletter that analyzes elections and campaigns for the United States House of Representatives, the United States Senate, Governor's offices and the American Presidency. The Cook Political Report is led by a staff of five...
, CQ Politics, and the New York Times. The race was profiled on CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
as one of the country's top 100 House races, in which they said, "Schilling trails in the overall money race, but he's raised enough to get his message out and give the incumbent something to worry about."
In September 2010 Schilling was named to the National Republican Congressional Committee
National Republican Congressional Committee
The National Republican Congressional Committee is the Republican Hill committee which works to elect Republicans to the United States House of Representatives....
's "Young Guns" program.
Hare criticized Schilling for living 0.99 miles outside the 17th District, though the Constitution
United States Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It is the framework for the organization of the United States government and for the relationship of the federal government with the states, citizens, and all people within the United States.The first three...
does not require members of the House to live in the district they represent. Schilling's wife notes that the family's restaurant is in the 17th and employs people and pays taxes there. She also says the family fell out of the district because of gerrymandering
Gerrymandering
In the process of setting electoral districts, gerrymandering is a practice that attempts to establish a political advantage for a particular party or group by manipulating geographic boundaries to create partisan, incumbent-protected districts...
.
Unopposed in the primary election, in the general election, Schilling won by an unexpectedly large margin, taking 53 percent of the vote to Hare's 43 percent. After the election, Schilling hired as his chief of staff
Chief of Staff
The title, chief of staff, identifies the leader of a complex organization, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a Principal Staff Officer , who is the coordinator of the supporting staff or a primary aide to an important individual, such as a president.In general, a chief of...
Mike Roman, a political consultant known for posting a video showing alleged voter intimidation
New Black Panther Party voter intimidation case
The New Black Panther Party voter intimidation case, sometimes known simply as the Black Panther Case, is a political controversy in the United States concerning an incident that occurred during the 2008 election...
during the 2008 presidential election. Roman, along with policy director Scott Tranter, resigned from Schilling's office in April 2011.
Schilling's campaign set an off-year fundraising record for a challenger in the 17th district, amassing about $89,000 in 2009. Schilling's campaign fundraising relied largely on individual donors, who accounted for about 80 percent of the $1 million raised by his campaign. Hare depended more heavily on political action committees, who contributed about two-thirds of his campaigns $1.3 million total. Following his election, Schilling has relied more on political action committees to help retire his campaign debt, with the bulk of his December 2010 fundraising coming from PACs, including Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...
, the American Medical Association
American Medical Association
The American Medical Association , founded in 1847 and incorporated in 1897, is the largest association of medical doctors and medical students in the United States.-Scope and operations:...
, Caterpillar Inc.
Caterpillar Inc.
Caterpillar Inc. , also known as "CAT", designs, manufactures, markets and sells machinery and engines and sells financial products and insurance to customers via a worldwide dealer network. Caterpillar is the world's largest manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas...
and Archer Daniels Midland
Archer Daniels Midland
The Archer Daniels Midland Company is a conglomerate headquartered in Decatur, Illinois. ADM operates more than 270 plants worldwide, where cereal grains and oilseeds are processed into products used in food, beverage, nutraceutical, industrial and animal feed markets worldwide.ADM was named the...
Co.
Schilling ended the campaign with a total of $1,095,167 raised and $1,078,911 spent.
The following organizations endorsed Schilling in his 2010 run for Congress: The Illinois Federation for the Right to Life
Right to life
Right to life is a phrase that describes the belief that a human being has an essential right to live, particularly that a human being has the right not to be killed by another human being...
PAC; CatholicVote PAC; the Quincy
Quincy, Illinois
Quincy, known as Illinois' "Gem City," is a river city along the Mississippi River and the county seat of Adams County. As of the 2010 census the city held a population of 40,633. The city anchors its own micropolitan area and is the economic and regional hub of West-central Illinois, catering a...
Tea Party group; John Deere
John Deere
John Deere was an American blacksmith and manufacturer who founded Deere & Company, one of the largest and leading agricultural and construction equipment manufacturers in the world...
PAC; and the United States Chamber of Commerce
United States Chamber of Commerce
The United States Chamber of Commerce is an American lobbying group representing the interests of many businesses and trade associations. It is not an agency of the United States government....
.
Individuals who endorsed Schilling included: U.S. Representative
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
Aaron Schock
Aaron Schock
Aaron Schock is the United States Representative for , serving since 2009. He is a member of the Republican Party. The district is based in Peoria and includes part of Springfield. At the age of , Schock is currently the youngest U.S. representative and the first member of the U.S. Congress born...
(R-IL); U.S. Representative Michele Bachmann
Michele Bachmann
Michele Marie Bachmann is a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives, representing , a post she has held since 2007. The district includes several of the northern suburbs of the Twin Cities, such as Woodbury, and Blaine as well as Stillwater and St. Cloud.She is currently a...
(R-MN); former Governor of Massachusetts
Governor of Massachusetts
The Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the executive magistrate of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States. The current governor is Democrat Deval Patrick.-Constitutional role:...
Mitt Romney
Mitt Romney
Willard Mitt Romney is an American businessman and politician. He was the 70th Governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007 and is a candidate for the 2012 Republican Party presidential nomination.The son of George W...
; political figure and author Joe the Plumber
Joe the Plumber
Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher , is a conservative activist, author, and commentator. A resident of Holland, Ohio, United States, he gained significant attention during the 2008 U.S. presidential election after he was videotaped questioning then-Democratic candidate Barack Obama about his small...
(Joe Wurzelbacher); and, Sgt. John F. Baker, Jr.
John F. Baker, Jr.
John Franklin Baker, Jr. is a retired United States Army Sergeant who served in the Vietnam War and received the Medal of Honor.-Personal life:...
, recipient of the Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
.
Newspapers were evenly dividend in endorsing Schilling over Hare, with the Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
and the Sauk Valley News among those supporting Schilling. In October 2010 Schilling was endorsed by the Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
.
2012
Schilling is running for re-election in 2012
United States elections, 2012
The 2012 United States elections will be held on Tuesday, November 6, 2012. The 57th quadrennial presidential election will be held on this date, coinciding with Senate elections where 33 races will occur, as well as House of Representatives elections to elect the members for the 113th Congress...
. He has been added to the National Republican Congressional Committee's Patriot Program, which is designed to defend incumbent Republicans. The 17th District boundaries were redrawn by the Democrat-controlled legislature to make it significantly more Democratic, but Illinois' Republican congressional delegation has filed a lawsuit to overturn the redistricting. Schilling said he won't campaign in the new parts of his district until the result of the lawsuit has been decided.
The National Journal
National Journal
National Journal is a nonpartisan American weekly magazine that reports on the current political environment and emerging political and policy trends. National Journal was first published in 1969. Times Mirror owned the magazine from 1986 to 1997, when it was purchased by David G. Bradley...
's Cook Political Report
Cook Political Report
The Cook Political Report is an independent, non-partisan online newsletter that analyzes elections and campaigns for the United States House of Representatives, the United States Senate, Governor's offices and the American Presidency. The Cook Political Report is led by a staff of five...
named Schilling one of the top 10 Republicans most vulnerable to redistricting in 2012.
Schilling raised $238,681 in the third quarter of 2011 and had $450,290 cash on hand as of September 30, more than any of his prospective opponents.
Tenure
Schilling's wife and 10 children attended the congressional swearing-in on January 5, 2011, attracting some notice and an interview with Diane Sawyer. His early actions as a congressman included joining 25 other freshman Republicans in voting against extending the USA PATRIOT ActUSA PATRIOT Act
The USA PATRIOT Act is an Act of the U.S. Congress that was signed into law by President George W. Bush on October 26, 2001...
; Schilling stated he believed that the bill may not provide sufficient safeguards on who is allowed to access personal information, and that the 45 minutes allotted for floor debate was inadequate to discuss these concerns. Following Obama's late January 2011 State of the Union address in which the President said he was "eager" to work with critics of his health care reform law
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is a United States federal statute signed into law by President Barack Obama on March 23, 2010. The law is the principal health care reform legislation of the 111th United States Congress...
, Schilling sent a letter to Obama requesting a one-on-one meeting.
In February 2011, Schilling joined 130 House Republicans in voting against a $450 million budget cut for an extra F-35 fighter-jet engine—a project that the U.S. Department of Defense
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
had repeatedly tried to kill, and that Defense Secretary Robert Gates
Robert Gates
Dr. Robert Michael Gates is a retired civil servant and university president who served as the 22nd United States Secretary of Defense from 2006 to 2011. Prior to this, Gates served for 26 years in the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Council, and under President George H. W....
called "a waste of nearly 3 billion." Schilling voted to refuse a $230 million federal grant to build an Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
line from Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
to Iowa City, though he had supported the project during his campaign, calling it "critically important to both the economy and the environment of the Midwest." The planned rail line was a celebrated project by many in his district, including local mayors. Schilling defended his vote, it was a question of prioritizing, and when he looked at the big picture, the rail service did not make the cut. He also stated that his constituents elected him to address national debt and deficit problems in Washington, not to take a business-as-usual approach.
In June 2011, Schilling introduced a bill to prevent members of Congress from receiving their congressional pension before they reach the Social Security
Social Security (United States)
In the United States, Social Security refers to the federal Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance program.The original Social Security Act and the current version of the Act, as amended encompass several social welfare and social insurance programs...
retirement age.
During the 2011 debt ceiling crisis, Schilling reluctantly voted for the bill that averted default.
In October 2011, a California resident issued a death threat promising a reward to anyone who assassinated Schilling. The threat is being investigated by the FBI and the United States Capitol Police
United States Capitol Police
The United States Capitol Police is a federal police force charged with protecting the United States Congress within the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its territories.-History:...
. Schilling said he was advised by authorities to "lay low" while they investigated the threat and a spokeswoman for Schilling said the Schilling family was taking the "recommended precautions". According to The Hill
The Hill
The Hill may refer to:* The Hill , a 1905 school novel by Horace Annesley Vachell* The Hill , a 1965 war film starring Sean Connery* The Hill * The Hill , a daily newspaper covering the U.S...
, the person behind the threat may be the one behind similar threats against George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
, several high-ranking current and former security and defense officials, and Rep. Mike Coffman
Mike Coffman
Michael "Mike" Coffman is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2009, and a former Secretary of State of Colorado. He is a member of the Republican Party.-Early life, education, and business career:...
of Colorado. Schilling said, "It's a general threat to all members of Congress, but they specifically called my name out in the threat. You just don't know what people are thinking...It's something we're not going to take lightly."
Schilling gave the Republican response to the President's weekly radio address on October 29, 2011.
Schilling was considered to be a tea party
Tea Party movement
The Tea Party movement is an American populist political movement that is generally recognized as conservative and libertarian, and has sponsored protests and supported political candidates since 2009...
candidate in the 2010 election. He holds the following positions:
- He is pro-lifePro-lifeOpposition to the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-life, or anti-abortion, movement, a social and political movement opposing elective abortion on moral grounds and supporting its legal prohibition or restriction...
, and spoke at the 2011 March for LifeMarch for LifeMarch for Life is an annual pro-life rally protesting abortion, held in Washington, D.C., on or around the anniversary of the United States Supreme Court's decision legalizing abortion in the case Roe v. Wade. The march is organized by the March for Life Education and Defense Fund. The overall goal...
. - He opposes gun control legislation.
- He has said that the federal government should stop regulating education and that local schools should be under local control.
- He views health care reformHealth care reform in the United StatesHealth care reform in the United States has a long history, of which the most recent results were two federal statutes enacted in 2010: the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act , signed March 23, 2010, and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 , which amended the PPACA and...
as a top priority. but supports repealing the Democrats' version of health care reform, believing it is unconstitutional. He supports tort reformTort reformTort reform refers to proposed changes in common law civil justice systems that would reduce tort litigation or damages. Tort actions are civil common law claims first created in the English commonwealth system as a non-legislative means for compensating wrongs and harm done by one party to...
and legalizing the purchase of insurance across state lines. - He is fiscally conservative, and believes in small government.
- He supports term limits for members of Congress.
- He opposes the Troubled Asset Relief Program and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, abbreviated ARRA and commonly referred to as the Stimulus or The Recovery Act, is an economic stimulus package enacted by the 111th United States Congress in February 2009 and signed into law on February 17, 2009, by President Barack Obama.To...
. - He supports lowering the corporate tax rate.
- He supports a troop surge in the War in Afghanistan., and He oppposes bringing Guantanamo Bay detainees to Thomson, IllinoisThomson, IllinoisThomson is a village along Illinois Route 84 near the Mississippi River in Carroll County, Illinois, United States. The population was 590 at the 2010 census, up from 559 at the 2000 census...
; instead he supports bringing the detainees to trial before military courts rather than the U.S. civilian, federal courts. - He supports expanding and updating missile defenseMissile defenseMissile defense is a system, weapon, or technology involved in the detection, tracking, interception and destruction of attacking missiles. Originally conceived as a defence against nuclear-armed Intercontinental ballistic missiles , its application has broadened to include shorter-ranged...
systems.
Committee assignments
- Committee on AgricultureUnited States House Committee on AgricultureThe U.S. House Committee on Agriculture, or Agriculture Committee is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives. The House Committee on Agriculture has general jurisdiction over federal agriculture policy and oversight of some federal agencies, and it can recommend funding...
- Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk ManagementUnited States House Agriculture Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk ManagementThe House Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk Management is a subcommittee within the House Agriculture Committee. The subcommittee oversees program and markets for major commercial crops, such as cotton, cottonseed, wheat, feed grains , soybeans, oilseeds, rice, dry beans, peas, and...
- Subcommittee on Rural Development, Research, Biotechnology, and Foreign Agriculture
- Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk Management
- Committee on Armed ServicesUnited States House Committee on Armed Servicesthumb|United States House Committee on Armed Services emblemThe U.S. House Committee on Armed Services, commonly known as the House Armed Services Committee, is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives...
- Subcommittee on ReadinessUnited States House Armed Services Subcommittee on ReadinessHouse Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness is a subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee in the United States House of Representatives.-Jurisdiction:The Readiness Subcommittee exercises oversight and legislative jurisdiction over:...
- Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities
- Subcommittee on Readiness
- Committee on Small BusinessUnited States House Committee on Small BusinessThe United States House Committee on Small Business is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives.-History:On December 4, 1941, the U. S...
Electoral history
Personal life
Schilling has been married to Christie Schilling for 24 years and they have ten children (the youngest of whom was born in February 2010) and 2 grandchildren.External links
- Congressman Bobby Schilling official U.S. House site
- Bobby Schilling for Congress official campaign site
- Political positions questionnaire at The Chicago Tribune