Judith Gail Biggert (née Borg; born August 15, 1937) is an American politician and attorney. She is the former U.S. representative for , serving from 1999 to 2013. She is a member of the Republican Party.
Biggert was defeated in her 2012 re-election bid by former US Congressman Bill Foster. She was also the last Republican woman elected to Congress from Illinois until the election of Mary Miller of the 15th congressional district in 2020.
Prior to serving in Congress, she served in the Illinois House of Representatives from 1993 to 1998. After leaving Congress, she was appointed to serve on the Illinois Education Labor Relations Board.
Early life, education and career Biggert was born Judith Gail Borg in Chicago on August 15, 1937, the second of four children of Alvin Andrew Borg and Marjorie Virginia (Mailler) Borg. Her father worked for the Chicago-based Walgreen Co., the largest drugstore chain in the United States, for 41 years from 1928 to 1969, and served as its president from 1963 to 1969, succeeding Charles R. Walgreen Jr. and succeeded by Charles R. Walgreen III. C. R. Walgreen Jr., president of the drug chain since 1939, was elected to the newly created post of chairman. He continues as chief executive officer. A. A. Borg, former vice president and treasurer, was elected president. A 35-year veteran of the company, he becomes principal administrative officer. He will succeed A. A. Borg who will retire Sept. 30. died Tuesday in a fire in her Northbrook home. Mrs. Borg was the widow of Alvin A. Borg, president of Walgreen Co. from 1963 to 1969. Her paternal grandparents immigrated from Finland and her maternal family is of English descent.
She grew up in Wilmette, Illinois, a North Shore Chicago suburb, and graduated from New Trier High School in 1955, then went to Stanford University, where she received a B.A. in international relations in 1959, then worked for a year in a women's apparel store. Photo caption: Miss Judy Borg (left) and Miss Nancy Igoe at North Shore Country Club's pool. Photo caption: Judy Borg's dress is an imported cotton twill ($19.95), from the College Cupboard of Marshall Field & Co. She became a law clerk to a federal judge, leaving to have her first child. She now practices on her own, handling mostly real estate and estate business for family and friends. She then attended Northwestern University School of Law where she was an editor of the Northwestern University Law Review from 1961 to 1963, earned a J.D. in 1963, then clerked for federal judge Luther Merritt Swygert of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit from 1963 to 1964.
Biggert left her federal court law clerkship to have her children, but later did some legal work from her home for family and friends on wills, trusts, and real estate. I worked as a lawyer for a year, and had every intention of continuing, but there was pressure from all sides to have a family. Then I had three children in three years and there was no way I could continue to work. So what I did was to get very involved in organizations even when the children were young. I've been on lots and lots of boards, the Junior League of Chicago and Hinsdale District 86...I do some (legal work on) wills and real estate, but it's been 15 years since I really practiced law...Physically, I couldn't work full time, have a husband and a house to take care of. In the voluntary sector, you can pick the time you want to spend. She served on numerous boards of voluntary and civic organizations.
Early community involvement and political career Biggert was elected to the Hinsdale Township High School District 86 Board of Education in 1978 and was a board member until 1985, serving as president from 1983 to 1985. She served as chairman of the Hinsdale Plan Commission from 1989 to 1993. She also became active in Chicago community organizations, serving as chair of the Visiting Nurses Association and as president of the Junior League.
In 1992, Biggert was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives to serve the redrawn 81st District. She was re-elected in 1994 and 1996 before running for Congress in 1998.
U.S. House of Representatives Committee assignments Committee on Education and the Workforce Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Training Committee on Financial Services Subcommittee on Capital Markets, Insurance, and Government-Sponsored Enterprises Subcommittee on Insurance, Housing and Community Opportunity (Chair) Committee on Science, Space and Technology Subcommittee on Energy and Environment Subcommittee on Technology and Innovation
Caucus memberships Co-Chair of the Caucus on Women's Issues Republican Main Street Partnership
Voting record
Interest group ratings
ACLU ACU ADA AFL–CIO AFSCME ChC CfG Con FRC ITIC LCV NTLC* NTU USCC 1999 – 60 30 11 16 – 21 – 31 – 59 96 2000 50 68 20 0 0 60 5 94 26 70 56 100 2001 – 56 20 17 10 – – – 21 – 61 100 2002 53 84 15 11 0 50 58 100 38 73 59 100 2003 – 60 10 13 13 – – 25 – 59 100 2004 30 64 35 13 0 61 100 18 70 60 100 2005 – 60 20 13 0 61 54 – 22 53 89 2006 41 64 30 21 0 54 0 100 33 59 93 2007 – 68 30 42 18 67 – – 55 65 85 2008 27 84 35 20 14 65 35 71 38 63 94 2009 – 80 20 13 22 77 – 29 73 95
* NTLC – National Tax-Limitation Committee
Key votes 106th Congress (1999–2000) Vote Bill Yes Kill proposal to take aviation trust funds off budget Yes Permit state and local governments to display the Ten Commandments on public property Yes Require background checks on buyers only at gun shows with 10 or more vendors Yes Remove barriers among banking, securities and insurance companies Yes Ban "partial-birth" abortions Yes Halt funding for U.S. mission in Kosovo unless European nations pay more Yes Provide Medicare benefits to military retirees and their dependents Yes Grant China permanent normal trade status Yes Phase out estate, gift and trust taxes Yes Approve GOP plan to provide prescription drug coverage for Medicare beneficiaries Yes Drop enforcement of the U.S. economic embargo of Cuba No Impose steel import quotas No Bar funding for Food and Drug Administration review of the RU-486 drug for inducement of abortion No Authorize state grants to hire teachers and reduce class size No Overhaul campaign finance laws; ban "soft money" and restrict advocacy advertising No Approve bipartisan plan to increase rights of patients in managed-care health plans No Raise hourly minimum wage by $1 over two years No Prohibit implementation of president's national monument designations No Increase help for poor nations indebted to international financial institutions
107th Congress (2001–2002) Vote Bill Yes Nullify Clinton Labor Department ergonomics rule Yes Approve Bush tax cuts of $1.35 trillion through fiscal 2011 Yes Permit federal incentives for social services provided by religious organizations Yes Bar funds for the District of Columbia to enforce anti-discrimination ruling against the Boy Scouts for expelling two gay Scouts Yes Approve Bush proposal to limit managed-care plan liability for coverage decisions Yes Divert money from crop subsidy payments to land conservation Yes Expand law enforcement power to investigate suspected terrorists Yes Back Bush's defense budget increase Yes Extend 1996 welfare law Yes Bar funds for the International Criminal Court Yes Adopt Bush's discretionary spending limit Yes Pass GOP Medicare prescription drug plan Yes Permit commercial airline pilots to carry firearms and use force during a flight Yes Ban "partial-birth" abortion Yes Revive fast-track procedures for trade agreements Yes Authorize war against Iraq Yes Advance bankruptcy overhaul opposed by abortion opponents No Maintain ban on oil drilling in Arctic National Wildlife Refuge No Overhaul campaign finance law; ban "soft money" and restrict advocacy advertising No Create independent Sep 11 commission No Extend union protection to Homeland Security Department employees
108th Congress (2003–2004) Vote Bill Yes Restrict liability lawsuits against manufacturers and sellers of firearms and ammunition Yes Permit oil drilling in of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Yes Approve Bush tax cuts of $330 billion through fiscal 2013 Yes Do not allow use of search warrants without first notifying suspects Yes Ban "partial birth" abortion except to save a woman's life Yes Approve fiscal 2004 supplemental appropriations bill providing $87 billion for U.S. military operations and reconstruction aid to Iraq and Afghanistan Yes Overhaul Medicare and create prescription drug benefit Yes Pass $293.2 billion, six-year federal highway and mass transit bill Yes Prohibit funds to enforce the economic embargo of Cuba Yes Approve $146 billion multi-year extension of previously enacted middle-class tax breaks Yes Cut corporate taxes $137 billion over 10 years Yes Reorganize U.S. intelligence agencies as proposed by Sep 11 commission No Ban human cloning and impose criminal sanctions No Block Bush rule scaling back overtime pay for some white collar federal workers No Allow importation of prescription drugs No Create private school voucher program in Washington, D.C. No Split $18.6 billion in Iraq aid into half-grant, half-loan No Extend federal unemployment benefits by 13 weeks No Bar funds to implement new federal regulations for overtime pay No Amend the Constitution to prohibit same-sex marriage
109th Congress (2005–2006) Vote Bill Yes Intervene in the life-support case of Terri Schiavo Yes Permanently repeal federal estate and gift taxes Yes Lift President Bush's restrictions on stem cell research funding Yes Reauthorize the USA PATRIOT Act, and make permanent most of its provisions for expanded law-enforcement authority to investigate potential terrorists Yes Approve the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) with five Central American countries Yes Pass energy policy overhaul favored by President Bush emphasizing domestic oil and gas production Yes Ban torture of prisoners in American custody Yes Approve fiscal 2006 budget reconciliation legislation to curb entitlement spending Yes Authorize oil and gas leases for Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Yes Affirm U.S. commitment to war in Iraq and reject setting a withdrawal date for troops Yes Permit U.S. sale of civilian nuclear technology to India Yes Build a fence on the U.S.-Mexico border to curb illegal immigration Yes Create military tribunals to try detainees described as unlawful enemy combatants No Bar transportation of a minor girl across state lines to obtain an abortion without parental consent No Prohibit FBI access to library and bookstore records No End mandatory preservation of habitat of endangered animal and plant species No Stop broadband companies from favoring select Internet traffic No Repeal requirement for bilingual ballots at the polls No Amend the Constitution to define marriage as the union of a man and a woman