Biography

George William "Bill" Foster, born on October 7, 1955, in Madison, Wisconsin, is a physicist, businessman, and Democratic politician representing Illinois's 11th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. He has served in this role since 2013 and previously represented Illinois's 14th Congressional District from 2008 to 2011. Foster is notable for being the only Ph.D. physicist in Congress.

Before his political career, Foster co-founded Electronic Theatre Controls, Inc. at age 19, a company that now manufactures over half of the theater lighting equipment in the United States. He also worked as a high-energy physicist at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory , where he was part of the team that discovered the top quark, the heaviest known form of matter.

Foster resides in Naperville, Illinois, with his wife, Aesook Byon, who is also a physicist. He has two grown children, Billy and Christine. His father was a civil rights lawyer who contributed to the enforcement language of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Education

• Bachelor of Science in Physics from the University of Wisconsin–Madison
• Ph.D. in Physics from Harvard University

Political Experience

• U.S. Representative for Illinois's 11th Congressional District
• U.S. Representative for Illinois's 14th Congressional District
• Member of the House Financial Services Committee, serving as the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Monetary Policy
• Member of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee, previously serving as Chairman of the Investigations and Oversight Subcommittee
• Member of the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus, overseeing the federal response to the COVID-19 pandemic

Notable Achievements

• Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act: Played a role in crafting this legislation in response to the Great Recession, aiming to reform financial services and housing markets.
• Community Project Funding: Secured nearly $26 million in community project funding for the 11th District in the year-end omnibus funding legislation of 2022.
• Better Energy Storage Technology Act: Introduced legislation that allocated $45 million for the development of new energy storage technologies to support the clean energy transition.

Foster's unique background as a scientist and businessman informs his approach to evidence-based policymaking, particularly in areas such as financial services, scientific research, and technology innovation.