Dan Rostenkowski served in Congress as a U.S. Representative from Illinois from 1959 to 1995. He was a Polish-American member of the United States Democratic Party. A product of the Cook County machine and the son of a "ward boss", Rostenkowski was for many years Democratic Committeeman of Chicago's 32nd Ward, retaining this position even while serving in Congress. In Washington he rose by virtue of seniority to the rank of Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee in 1981. As Chairman of Ways and Means, he played an important role in tax and trade policy for more than a decade.

Rostenkowski's political career was shattered when in 1994, he was indicted on corruption charges and was forced to step down from all Congressional leadership positions. In elections later that year, Rostenkowski lost his seat and began retirement. In 1996, he pleaded guilty to mail fraud. He was fined and was sentenced to 17 months in prison. Rostenkowski was pardoned in 2000 by President William Jefferson Clinton.

Rostenkowski was born in 1928 in Chicago, Illinois. He graduated from Loyola University Chicago.