U.S. Rep. Nikki Budzinski of Illinois will reflect on her time in Congress, her efforts to strengthen families and her perspective on how federal policy can support economic growth in the state and nation when she presents the fall 2025 Morton-Kenney Public Affairs Lecture at 6 p.m. Monday, Nov. 24, in SIU Student Center Ballroom B.
The discussion with John Shaw, director of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute, is free and open to the public. A reception is set for 5 p.m. in the Student Center’s John W. Corker Lounge. The lecture is hosted by the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute and the political science program within the School of Anthropology, Political Science and Sociology within the College of Liberal Arts. Pre-registration is not required but encouraged.
“Nikki Budzinski is a rising star in the Illinois congressional delegation and in the U.S. Congress,” Shaw said. “She is a practical problem solver who is sharply focused on the challenges facing working people.”
Shaw noted that Budzinski, D-Springfield and a native of Peoria, once interned for the institute’s founder, former U.S. Senator Paul Simon.
“She has worked closely with labor unions,” he said. “The congresswoman has a strong expertise in federal budget issues and is regarded as one of the most bipartisan members of Congress. We are eager to learn her perspectives on the congressional agenda in the aftermath of the protracted government shutdown and also learn more about her 13th Congressional District.”
Discussion will address on several topics
Budzinski, who joined Congress in January 2023, said she is “honored to present this lecture.”
“I plan to reflect on my service in Congress and my fight for working people — the people who built this country,” Budzinski said. “I hope the audience takes away that supporting working families through strong policy and investment isn’t just the right thing to do — it’s essential to a thriving state and nation. In these difficult times, I also want folks to know that government can work for them — and that there are still leaders fighting every day to make that happen.”
Favors bipartisan solutions
Budzinski is vice chair of policy for the New Democrat Coalition, a group of 115 House Democrats seeking to end partisan divides. It’s vital to work across the aisle, she said.
“I’ve always said I’ll work with anyone who’s willing to help my communities — and that hasn’t changed,” Budzinski said. “Despite the chaos we’ve seen in Congress, I’ve stayed focused on delivering results. I’m fighting for funding, for jobs, for health care and for the resources our families need. When someone across the aisle is ready to work toward that same goal, I’m ready to work with them.
“We’ve had success. Every single bill I have introduced in this Congress has been bipartisan. Two bills have passed out of the House, and another has already been signed into law. Make no mistake — working across the aisle is important, but I’ll never abandon my communities or their priorities just to make a deal. My goal is to lift people up and make sure their needs are front and center — that’s what real bipartisanship should look like.”
Wide district
Budzinski also serves on the House Committee on Agriculture and the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, where she is the ranking member on the technology modernization subcommittee. She is also vice chair of the Congressional Labor Caucus and the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition, where she founded the Climate Jobs Task Force.
Before her election to Congress, Budzinski’s career included serving as chief of staff of the Office of Management and Budget, senior adviser to Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and working with various trade unions.
Illinois’ 13th Congressional District snakes through parts of central and Southern Illinois and includes Macoupin County and parts of St. Clair, Madison, Sangamon, Piatt, Macon and Champaign counties, including Champaign, Urbana, Decatur and Springfield.
Morton-Kenney Lecture
The Morton-Kenney Public Affairs Lecture Series is presented in the spring and fall of each academic year. The late Jerome Mileur, an SIU alumnus, established the series in 1995 in honor of two of his political science professors — Ward Morton and David Kenney — who inspired him as a student. Originally from Murphysboro, Mileur was a professor emeritus in political science at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst.
Media contact:
William Becque, marketing associate, Paul Simon Public Policy Institute, 618-453-4009
Southern Illinois University, Carbondale IL 62901
