Planned Parenthood Action Center

Bobby Rush
Democrat
United States House, 1st Congressional District of Illinois
Email: rush.house.gov/contact-me
Website: rush.house.gov
Issues: Education, Jobs, Transit, Small Businesses, Energy Efficiency, Soldiers and Veterans

Bobby Rush is 100% pro-choice and has been endorsed by Planned Parenthood Illinois Action. Bobby Rush knows that women don't turn to politicians for advice about birth control, mammograms, or cancer screenings. He believes that government should not be involved in a woman's personal medical decisions.

Bobby Rush has a 100% voting record in support of PPIA issues. It is not enough for Congressman Rush to just vote on women's health issues; Congressman Rush is a leader. In 2001, Chicagoan Melanie Blocker-Stokes jumped to her death because she was suffering from postpartum depression and psychosis. Davis reacted to this tragedy by co-sponsoring legislation to fund postpartum depression research and services. Because of this stellar record, Davis should return to Congress so that he can continue his leadership on women's issues.

Biography:
From his very first year in office, Rush focused on issues of importance to low-income and middle-class families and communities. As a freshman in the 103rd Congress, Rush introduced bills on issues as diverse as Conflict Resolution and Mediation to Public Pensions and Community Development. Rush’s track record of leadership on energy issues and his support for small business while serving as an alderman in the Chicago City Council paved the way for him to gain a seat on the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee in his second term.

Key pieces of legislation that Rush crafted surrounding postpartum depression, women’s health, and prescription drug offsets were adopted in the landmark health care legislation, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, signed into law by President Barack Obama.

Because of Rush’s leadership over the years on a range of small business issues and community-based lending, Rush was chosen to serve as a conferee as part of the final, bipartisan deliberative process that led to the passage of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. Rush fought hard to help ensure that low-income and middle-class consumers would never again fall prey to the ill-conceived, predatory financial practices that led to the near epic collapse of U. S. financial markets in 2008.

During his tenure, Rush has brought more than one billion dollars to the First Congressional District. Through his determined advocacy for the district, he has obtained funding for construction of the Dan Ryan Expressway, and the recently completed Lovana S. ‘Lou’ Jones/Bronzeville Metra Station for which he was able to obtain a $4.9 million federal grant that helped ensure the project’s completion. Over the years he has obtained millions of dollars in grants for libraries, museums, municipalities, police departments, hospitals, schools, and programs that support the arts.

Today, Rush continues to carve an effective course of sound legislative leadership that protects consumers, supports our military personnel, creates jobs, expands businesses, and promotes America’s national energy policy. As Rush looks to the future, the needs and interests of the people he serves in the 1st Congressional District of Illinois remain front and center.

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This post was created by Planned Parenthood Illinois Action (PPIA). PPIA is an independent, nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization formed as the advocacy and political arm of Planned Parenthood of Illinois (PPIL).

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