Jerry Costello (D-IL)

Public Figure

29 Opinions

1 Followers

Jerry Francis Costello (born September 25 1949), American politician, has been a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives since 1988, representing ([http://nationalatlas.gov/printable/images/preview/congdist/il12_109.gif map]). Costello was born in East St. Louis, Illinois and attended Catholic schools, graduating from Assumption High School. He was later educated at Maryville College of the Sacred Heart in St. Louis, from which he earned a bachelor's degree. Costello worked in the law enforcement field. He served St. Clair County, Illinois as a court bailiff, deputy sheriff, and director of court services and probation. Costello later was chief investigator for the Illinois State Attorney’s office. In 1980, he was elected to the St. Clair County Board and was chosen as chairman. Costello served in this capacity as county executive until his election to the house. He earned a reputation as a fiscal moderate while serving on the Board and he took aim at balancing the county's budget. Costello took office on August 9, 1988 after winning a special election to fill the seat of the deceased Melvin Price. He was elected to a full term that November, and has been reelected to every succeeding Congress. In 2006, he ran unopposd for the office. Costello continues to spend most of his free time in his hometown instead of the Metro Washington area. He also is known for holding town hall meetings and for his participation in political forums. Costello is one of the more conservative Democrats in the House of Representatives. He has a pro-life voting record and has received favorable ratings from pro-life groups such as the American Conservative Union. Costello also has a strong rating from fiscally conservative groups due to legislation he authored during the 1990s that promoted a reduction in the federal deficit. He serves on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and also the Science Committee.*Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure**Subcommittee on Aviation (Chairman)**Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials**Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment *Committee on Science and Technology**Investigations and Oversight Subcommittee**Energy and Environment Subcommittee*[http://www.house.gov/costello/ U.S. Congressman Jerry Costello] official House site*[http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Jerry_Costello SourceWatch Congresspedia - Jerry Costello] profile*[http://www.costelloforcongress.com/ Costello for Congress] official campaign site

July 19, 2008

an opinion of Jerry Costello (D-IL) was approved The District of Columbia should have a seat in Congress. Costello voted for the D.C. House Voting Rights Act

June 14, 2008

an opinion of Jerry Costello (D-IL) was approved The U.S. should expand coal-to-liquid fuel production. Extending these credits will provide a dependable environment in which to pursue coal-to-liquid projects, which will benefit our nation's coal industry and the economy.”

June 12, 2008

an opinion of Jerry Costello (D-IL) was approved The federal government should subsidize Amtrak. I will continue to support Amtrak at the federal level.”

an opinion of Jerry Costello (D-IL) was approved Based on the information available at the time of the invasion of Iraq, it was not justified. I voted against giving President Bush the authority to send our troops into Iraq because I was not convinced that Saddam Hussein presented an imminent or direct threat to the United States.

an opinion of Jerry Costello (D-IL) was approved The U.S. should set a timetable to withdraw troops from Iraq. To that end, I voted against President Bush’s troop surge last year and also voted to put a timeframe for troop withdrawal in place.

an opinion of Jerry Costello (D-IL) was approved Expanded ethanol production will have a positive overall impact on the environment. Domestic ethanol production has enhanced rural development, reduced our dependence on foreign oil, improved air quality

an opinion of Jerry Costello (D-IL) was approved The federal government should not subsidize the creation of new stem cell lines. Voted NO on allowing human embryonic stem cell research.

an opinion of Jerry Costello (D-IL) was approved Scientists should not pursue embryonic stem cell research. Voted NO on allowing human embryonic stem cell research.

an opinion of Jerry Costello (D-IL) was approved Human cloning should not be allowed. Voted YES on forbidding human cloning for reproduction & medical research

an opinion of Jerry Costello (D-IL) was approved The U.S. should enact a constitutional amendment prohibiting the burning of the American flag. Voted YES on constitutional amendment prohibiting flag desecration

an opinion of Jerry Costello (D-IL) was approved The U.S. should permit the import of prescription drugs from Canada. Voted YES on allowing reimportation of prescription drugs.

an opinion of Jerry Costello (D-IL) was approved Based on the information available now, the invasion of Iraq was not justified. All of these concerns have been born out, as weapons of mass destruction were never found in Iraq, and over 4,000 U.S. soldiers have been killed and almost 30,000 wounded, while the cost of the war closes in on $1 trillion

an opinion of Jerry Costello (D-IL) was approved The invasion of Iraq has not been successful. All of these concerns have been born out, as weapons of mass destruction were never found in Iraq, and over 4,000 U.S. soldiers have been killed and almost 30,000 wounded, while the cost of the war closes in on $1 trillion.

an opinion of Jerry Costello (D-IL) was approved The U.S. government should subsidize corn-based ethanol. In addition, the federal government has provided millions of dollars for the ethanol pilot plant at SIU-Edwardsville which is now operational.

an opinion of Jerry Costello (D-IL) was approved Expanded ethanol production will have a positive effect on the economy. Domestic ethanol production has enhanced rural development, reduced our dependence on foreign oil, improved air quality, and increased the value of corn.

Followers

The Pamphleteer

Following