Biography

Dan Lipinski is a proud native of Illinois’ Third Congressional District, which includes parts of the southwest side of Chicago, southwest Cook County, and northeastern Will County.  Now in his seventh term, Rep. Lipinski has distinguished himself as a champion of the middle class.  He is a leader on transportation issues, the promotion of American manufacturing, job creation through research and technological innovation, strengthening Buy American laws, restoring fiscal responsibility, and honoring America’s veterans and seniors.

Lipinski has earned a reputation as a legislator who brings people together to solve problems.  As Congress has struggled with historic gridlock, Lipinski has been able to get several bills signed into law, including legislation that boosts manufacturing jobs by requiring a national strategic plan for manufacturing every four years, a bill that protects Americans from cybercrimes and increases national security, and legislation that aids sexual assault victims in the military and helps deter future assaults.

In the House, Congressman Lipinski serves on two committees: Transportation & Infrastructure and Science, Space, & Technology.

He is the most senior member from Illinois on the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, serving on three subcommittees: Aviation; Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials; and Highways and Transit.  During his first term, he secured $100 million in federal funding to initiate the CREATE rail modernization program, a public-private partnership that is easing congestion on the road and rails in northeastern Illinois.  Over the past few years, he has authored important provisions in critical bills covering all aspects of transportation, including the long-term federal funding bill to fix our roads and bridges, the Water Resources Reform and Development Act, and the most recent FAA reauthorization.  

Representing a district that includes federal highways, state tollways, Chicago's Midway Airport and Romeoville’s Lewis University Airport, the Chicago Sanitary & Ship Canal, four commuter rail lines, Amtrak, and six of the country's seven Class I freight railroads, he is an expert on the various transportation needs and challenges facing the country.  Working with local leaders, he has helped to improve service on Metra’s SouthWest Service and Heritage Corridor lines, providing commuters with better access to jobs and improving their quality of life.  He has also helped secure tens of millions of dollars for safety improvements at Midway Airport.

On the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, Rep. Lipinski is the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Research and Technology, and also sits on the Subcommittee on Energy.  His district includes Argonne National Laboratory, the first national laboratory in the United States and the largest facility of its kind in the Midwest.  He has long supported investing in innovation and scientific research at universities, national labs, and other entities that support long-term economic growth and allow the United States to compete in the global marketplace and grow American jobs.  As part of his efforts to promote technology transfer, he has been the chief proponent of the NSF’s Innovation Corps program which teaches grant recipients who have developed promising technology how to commercialize their research and build a successful startup. 

He believes that innovation and exploration should not come at the expense of our environment, both now and in the future.  He has helped advance the clean-up of nuclear waste at Argonne National Lab, has been a leader in protecting the Great Lakes, and has worked to promote the development and adoption of alternative energy technologies. 

As a former teacher, he has pushed for improvements in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education throughout his career.  He is a strong believer that improving STEM education at all levels is among the most important steps we can take to ensure that America remains the most technologically innovative country in the world and our children receive an education that will allow them to succeed in the jobs of today and tomorrow. 

When he was chairman of the Research Subcommittee, Lipinski wrote the bill reauthorizing the National Science Foundation (NSF).  In 2007, he was a member of the House-Senate Conference Committee that completed work on the America COMPETES Act, a response to a National Academies report warning that America must take action if it wants to maintain its place as the world’s scientific and technological leader.

Lipinski is known throughout the district for his top-notch constituent services and his work on behalf of veterans and senior citizens.   

Prior to serving in Congress, Rep. Lipinski taught American Government at the college level, including at the University of Notre Dame.  He also worked on Capitol Hill and in the federal executive branch, providing him with valuable experiences on how to get things done in Washington. 

Congressman Lipinski earned a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Northwestern University, an M.S. in Engineering-Economic Systems from Stanford University, and a Ph.D. in Political Science from Duke University.  In the current Congress, he is one of just a dozen trained engineers in Congress.

Rep. Lipinski and his wife, Judy, reside in Western Springs.  In their free time, they are avid runners, participating in numerous races each year, ranging from two-mile sprints to half-marathons.