U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05) was elected by members of the Democratic Caucus to the leadership position of Regional Whip, just three years after first being elected to Congress. He will be the only member of the Illinois delegation to serve in this role when the 113th Congress begins in January.
“It is an honor to have the confidence and support of my colleagues as I take on new leadership responsibilities as Regional Whip,” said Rep. Quigley. “As Congress works to solve the complex issues ahead, I am proud to be in a position to work closer with Democratic leaders and the members of our Midwest region.”
Quigley will be one of two whips for Region 4, which includes the 15 Democratic members in the states of Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Kansas. Rep. André Carson (IN-07) will also serve in the role for Region 4.
The chief responsibility of the Regional Whip is to assist the Democratic leadership “whip up” support for various policy positions, track votes, and ensure Members are present on the House floor for particularly close votes. The position is similar to the Assistant Whip role Quigley was appointed to earlier this year by House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (MD).
Since arriving to Congress in 2009, Quigley has quickly taken on leadership roles as Ranking Member for the Oversight and Government Reform Committee’s Subcommittee on TARP, Financial Services, and Bailouts of Public and Private Programs and as co-founder of theTransparency Caucus, which seeks to enact legislation that will bring openness and accessibility to the federal government. Guided by principles of the Simpson-Bowles budget alternative, Rep. Quigley has led a push for a “3B Budget Plan” that is bipartisan, achieves big deficit reduction, and balances spending cuts with tax reform. He is also the author of Reinventing Government: The Federal Budget, a report which offers 60 recommendations to save $2 trillion over the next 10 years.
