Tenure
Weller was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1994 following the retirement of Democrat George Sangmeister. Weller won a crowded Republican primary, and defeated fellow State Representative Frank Giglio in the general election. [9]
In 1995, Weller received an Environmental Protector Award from the Chicago Audubon Society for his political service. [10] After a release of tritium from Exelon's Braidwood and Dresden Nuclear Power Plant Weller sent a letter to Exelon Corp expressing his concern and recommended that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission investigate the power plants in question. [11]
In 2002, a Federal Election Commission audit found a fund used by Weller for his re-election in 2000 received almost $11,000 that appeared to have violated federal campaign rules on the size and source of donations. Weller's fund returned all of the questioned contributions but did not admit deliberately violating any laws. [12] [13]
On October 10, 2002, Weller voted with the 296-133 majority in favor of authorizing the invasion of Iraq. [14]
Weller served as Deputy Minority Whip. [15] On September 21, 2007, Weller announced that he would not seek another term, citing the need to spend more time with his family. [16]
Weller supported free trade when serving in Congress and traveled throughout Latin America and the Caribbean to build better relationships with public sector and business leaders. He was the number one supporter for the Panama trade agreement with the United States. [17]
Weller made efforts to eliminate the marriage penalty tax. He supported the use of tax incentives to help redevelop brownfield formal industrial land, developing a proposal with Democrats, such as Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley, to do so. [12]
Weller championed the creation of the Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery, the Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie and other redevelopment efforts at the former Joliet arsenal. [12] Redevelopment of the site included the Deer Run Industrial Park, which contains the CenterPoint Intermodal Center, a new intermodal freight transport center. [18]
Weller supported plans for the Illiana Expressway. [19]
Weller voted again to raise the minimum wage in the 110th Congress. [20]
Weller sponsored a bill to expand concurrent receipt for wounded military veterans, but it did not pass. [21]
Weller sponsored a bill to make the residential energy efficient property credit permanent, which never left committee. [22]
Weller promised prior to his marriage to Guatemalan Congresswoman Zury Mayté Ríos Sosa de Weller, that he would not vote on any legislation involving solely the U.S. and Guatemala. His advocacy and vote for CAFTA caused controversy however, despite it being a multi-nation agreement. [23] Weller has long supported free-trade agreements. As a FRG party leader, his wife was also a supporter of CAFTA.
Weller accepted money from two convicted associates of former congressman Duke Cunningham. Weller's spokesman said that the donations probably originated from his support of the research and development tax credit [24] and the money was donated to a charity in Oregon. [25] Weller and 11 other congressmen were subpoenaed to testify in the trial of Brent R. Wilkes, the contractor accused of bribing Cunningham. [26] The subpoenas were withdrawn by defense attorneys on October 3, 2007 when it became apparent the trial judge would quash them anyway. Weller and the other 11 did not testify in the trial. [27]
Weller was the only member of the House of Representatives to abstain in the vote for the proposed bailout of U.S. financial system (2008). [28]
