Member of Congress

Date Modified: 08/18/2009 9:51 AM

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Washington D.C. Office:
1541 Longworth HOB
Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone: (202) 225-3635
Fax: (202) 225-3521

Joliet District Office:
116 N. Chicago St. Suite 401
Joliet, IL 60432
Phone: (815) 726-4998
Fax: (815) 726-8024

Congresswoman Debbie Halvorson was elected in November 2008 and is now serving her first term in the House of Representatives on behalf of the 11th Congressional District of Illinois. Before her election to Congress, she served as the first female State Senate Majority Leader in Illinois' history.

Halvorson entered public service in 1993, when she became the Crete Township Clerk. In 1996, she ran for and won a seat in the state Senate, where she served until being elected to Congress.

Halvorson's experience includes 14 years as a small businesswoman before entering public office. She also spent time as a lecturer at her alma mater, Governor's State University. Halvorson earned her bachelor's and master's degrees in communications.

As a state senator, she led and was a part of numerous trade trips to promote local businesses around the globe in places like China and Eastern Europe. Halvorson also led the movement to provide affordable prescription drugs to senior citizens and the disabled, sponsoring and passing first in the nation legislation to create the Senior Prescription Drug Program, now known as Illinois Cares RX. Her legislative portfolio also includes drafting legislation to protect senior citizens checking into nursing homes and working to expand health care coverage to veterans, small businesses, the self-employed, and other uninsured groups. She currently serves on the Committee on Agriculture, Committee on Veterans' Affairs and the Committee on Small Business.

Debbie Halvorson is married to Jim Bush and together they have four children and four grandchildren. She is a lifelong resident of the 11th District, and she and her husband reside in Crete.
The 11th District covers much of Will, Kankakee, Grundy, LaSalle and Bureau Counties, and parts of Livingston, Woodford and McLean counties.