Dan Rostenkowski served as the Chair of the House Ways and Means Committee from 1981 to 1994, spearheading efforts to combat the tax policies of Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush from the left. Mr. Rostenkowski was a Democratic Party representative from Illinois from 1959 to 1995 and was intrinsically involved in almost every aspect of government in Washington by the end of his political career.

Offered in this lot is a hand-written and signed letter from Bill Clinton to Rostenkowski written on October 19th, 1993 on official White House stationary. The letter begins with Clinton regretfully declining Rostenkowski’s dinner invitation, with the former Arkansas governor writing “The last time you took me to dinner in Chicago, I didn’t get hungry for three days!” The letter goes on to thank Rostenkowski for his political activism on the part of the Democratic Party. Clinton writes “I am very grateful for your friendship and your leadership – you’ve been a critical force in helping to turn the tide on the deficit”. Clinton ends the letter by thanking Rostenkowski for his valor and dedication, with Clinton writing stating if the rest of the government emulated Rostenkowski, “we could turn our country around much more quickly”. Clinton signed the letter “Thanks, Bill Clinton”. This letter was handwritten in blue pen on Whiting’s Woven Linen stationary, and it comes with a LOA from JSA authenticating Clinton’s signature. Letters from recent presidents with excellent content are of great rarity.

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