Donald A. Manzullo
Encyclopedia
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 . Since January 2011, he has served as Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific. He 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 first elected in 1992.
The 16th district includes a large swath of northern Illinois. From north to south, the district roughly stretches from the Wisconsin border to Interstate 88. From west to east, the district covers the land between the Iowa border and the western reaches of the Chicago suburbs.
Early life, education and career
Don Manzullo was born in Rockford, IllinoisRockford, Illinois
Rockford is a mid-sized city located on both banks of the Rock River in far northern Illinois. Often referred to as "The Forest City", Rockford is the county seat of Winnebago County, Illinois, USA. As reported in the 2010 U.S. census, the city was home to 152,871 people, the third most populated...
and attended Auburn High School
Rockford Auburn High School
Auburn High School is a public high school located in Rockford, Illinois, USA. The school is divided into two campuses: one a campus for freshmen and the other for upperclassmen....
. He earned a bachelor's degree from American University
American University
American University is a private, Methodist, liberal arts, and research university in Washington, D.C. The university was chartered by an Act of Congress on December 5, 1892 as "The American University", which was approved by President Benjamin Harrison on February 24, 1893...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
and a law degree from Marquette University Law School
Marquette University Law School
Marquette University Law School is the professional school for the study of law at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and one of only two law schools in Wisconsin. With 45 full-time professors and approximately 760 J.D. students, the law school is ranked in the top tier among American...
in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
. Manzullo practiced as an attorney in Oregon, Illinois
Oregon, Illinois
Oregon is a city located in Ogle County, Illinois. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 3,721, down from 4,060 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Ogle County.- History :...
before entering politics.
Committee assignments
- Committee on Financial ServicesUnited States House Committee on Financial ServicesThe United States House Committee on Financial Services is the committee of the United States House of Representatives that oversees the entire financial services industry, including the securities, insurance, banking, and housing industries...
- Subcommittee on Capital Markets, Insurance, and Government-Sponsored Enterprises
- Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer CreditUnited States House Financial Services Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer CreditThe U.S. House Financial Services Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit is a subcommittee of the House Committee on Financial Services.-Jurisdiction:...
- Subcommittee on International Monetary Policy and TradeUnited States House Financial Services Subcommittee on International Monetary Policy and TradeThe United States House Financial Services Subcommittee on International Monetary Policy and Trade is a subcommittee of the House Committee on Financial Services...
- Committee on Foreign Affairs
- Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific (Chairman)
- Subcommittee on the Middle East and South AsiaUnited States House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East and South AsiaThe U.S. House Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia is a subcommittee within the House Foreign Affairs Committee.-Jurisdiction:The subcommittee is one of five with what the committees calls "regional jurisdiction" over a specific area of the globe...
Party leadership and caucus memberships
- African and Investment Caucus
- Congressional Wine Caucus
- House Diabetes Caucus
- House Manufacturing Caucus (Founder and Co-Chair)
- House Republican Policy Committee Task Force on Manufacturing (Chairman)
- International Conservation CaucusUnited States Congressional International Conservation CaucusThe U.S. Congressional International Conservation Caucus is a bipartisan congressional organization that was founded in September 2003 with the conviction that “the United States of America has the opportunity, the obligation and the interests to advance the conservation of natural resources for...
- National Innovation Initiative
- Council on Competitiveness Steering Committee
Political positions
Manzullo has a very conservative voting record. He has a lifetime American Conservative UnionAmerican Conservative Union
The American Conservative Union is an American political organization advocating conservative policies, and is the oldest such conservative lobbying organization in the country.-Organization:...
rating of 96, the highest in the Illinois delegation. He is a member of the Republican Study Committee
Republican Study Committee
The Republican Study Committee [RSC] is a caucus of over 170 conservative members of the Republican Party in the United States House of Representatives...
. His views on such issues as abortion also follow this trend; he has a 100% approval rating from the National Right to Life Committee
National Right to Life Committee
The National Right to Life Committee is the oldest and largest pro-life organization in the United States with affiliates in all 50 states and over 3,000 local chapters nationwide. The group works through legislation and education to work against abortion, infanticide, euthanasia and assisted...
since 1997. He is also a strong supporter of the American Land Rights Association
American Land Rights Association
The American Land Rights Association is a Wise Use organization based in Battle Ground, Washington. The group describes itself as "dedicated to the wise-use of our resources, access to our Federal lands and the protection of our private property rights."...
.
Manzullo has worked on issues related to the manufacturing sector since his first election to Congress. He was featured on the cover of The Manufacturer because of his work with small business-related policy. From 2001 to 2007 he oversaw the Committee on Small Business as chairman. He held over sixty hearings during this time to investigate the phenomenon of corporate outsourcing. Manzullo has also worked on transportation issues. His ability to gain great funding for highway improvements within his district has given him somewhat of a reputation as a pork barreller. He authored a law that requires clinics to report instances of child abuse.
In November 2009, Manzullo was criticized by some constituents for calling [Islam] a “savage religion.” He was referring to the religion of the detainees at the Guantanamo
Guantánamo
Guantánamo is a municipality and city in southeast Cuba and capital of Guantánamo Province.Guantánamo is served by the Caimanera port and the site of a famous U.S. Naval base. The area produces sugarcane and cotton wool...
, Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
prison that are being considered for transfer to a Thomson, Illinois prison located in his district. He later apologized for the comment, saying that he was not referring generally to Islam, but to terrorists who "believe and practice a violent, anti-modernity version of Wahhabism in which they seek to impose a new caliphate.”
Since being elected to office, Representative Manzullo has been working avidly to ensure "the safety of the American people". He has consistently supported the interests of the American Security Council Foundation
American Security Council Foundation
The American Security Council Foundation is a non-profit organization founded by John M. Fisher that seeks to influence United States foreign policy by "Promoting Peace through Strength". The ASCF was formed in 1958, and was originally known as the Institute for American Strategy...
and the Center for Security Politics. He is currently working on an appeal to President Barack Obama to forgo his plan to move over 200 Taliban and al Qaeda terrorist suspects from Guantanamo Bay to northern Illinois for detainment. He is instead advocating for the creation of a new federal prison, the Thomson Correctional Facility, as a new hub in the already vastly over capacity prison system.
Manzullo has offered support to British American Tobacco
British American Tobacco
British American Tobacco p.l.c. is a global tobacco company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world’s second largest quoted tobacco company by global market share , with a leading position in more than 50 countries and a presence in more than 180 countries...
in its campaign against the Australian government's decision to compel tobacco companies to only offer their products in plain packaging in an effort to reduce smoking
Smoking
Smoking is a practice in which a substance, most commonly tobacco or cannabis, is burned and the smoke is tasted or inhaled. This is primarily practised as a route of administration for recreational drug use, as combustion releases the active substances in drugs such as nicotine and makes them...
rates, particularly amongst young people.
Political campaigns
Manzullo defeated one-term DemocratDemocratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
John W. Cox in 1992 by an 11-point margin. He has been reelected seven more times, never falling below 55 percent of the vote. In 1998 he ran unopposed. In 2010, his Democratic opponent was Freeport
Freeport, Illinois
Freeport is a city in and the county seat of Stephenson County, Illinois, United States. The population was 26,443 at the 2000 census. The mayor of Freeport is George W...
Mayor George Gaulrapp; the Green Party nominated Terry Campbell.
Campaign financing
To fund his campaigns for re-election, Manzullo receives financing from a number of contributors, foremost among them Honeywell International, which donated $10,000 towards his last election. He has also received amounts of $5,000 or more from New York Life Insurance, American Society of Anesthesiologists, AFLAC Incorporated, and the American Bankers Association. In total, 58% of his funds were drawn from private sources, and 40% from PAC contributions; none of his own money is used to finance his campaigns.2012 redistricting
The new congressional map for Illinois placed Manzullo within a newly drawn and unrecognizable 16th district. While his home in Ogle County is within the 16th, the bulk of the 16th district, from Rockford to Jo Daviess County, has been placed in the 17th district. The new 16th district stretches from the Wisconsin border to the Indiana border, essentially wrapping around the collar countiesCollar counties
The collar counties are the five counties of Illinois that border on Chicago's Cook County. The collar counties are tied to Chicago economically, but, like many suburban areas in the United States, have very different political leanings than does the core city...
.
Electoral history
| Candidates | Party | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charles Hendrickson | Democratic Party | 88,781 | 33% | ||
| Don Manzullo | Republican Party | 178,174 | 67% | ||
| Sources: | |||||
| Candidates | Party | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Kutsch | Democratic Party | 55,487 | 29% | ||
| Don Manzullo | Republican Party | 133,339 | 71% | ||
| Source: | |||||
| Candidates | Party | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Kutsch | Democratic Party | 90,266 | 30.9% | ||
| Don Manzullo | Republican Party | 201,976 | 69.1% | ||
| Source: | |||||
| Candidates | Party | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richard D. Auman Richard D. Auman Richard D. Auman American politician, is the former two-term mayor of Galena, IL and a past Democratic candidate for the United States House of Representatives, representing the 16th District of Illinois . He was challenging 7-term incumbent Donald A... |
Democratic Party | 61,105 | 33% | ||
| Don Manzullo | Republican Party | 121,331 | 66% | ||
| Source: | |||||
Personal life
Manzullo is married to the former Freda Teslik and is the father of Neil, Noel and Katie Manzullo. He lives in EganEgan, Illinois
Egan is an unincorporated community in Ogle County, Illinois, and is located north of Leaf River.-External links:*...
, a small, rural community near Rockford.
External links
- U.S. Congressman Don Manzullo official U.S. House site
- Don Manzullo for U.S. Congress official campaign site
- Profile at SourceWatchSourceWatchSourceWatch is an internet wiki site that is a collaborative project of the liberal Center for Media and Democracy...