John Lee currently serves as Legislative Director for Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (D-IL), a freshman from Central and Southern Illinois. Congresswoman Budzinski was formerly Chief of Staff at the Office of Budget and Management during the Biden Administration, Senior Advisor to Governor Pritzker, and spent decades in the labor movement culminating in serving as candidate Hillary Clinton’s national labor outreach advisor for the 2016 campaign. In Congress, John has worked with Rep. Budzinski to drive her focus on telehealth for rural areas and expanding mental health services.
Prior to joining the Budzinski team, John served as Senior Policy Advisor for Congressman Sean Casten, also from Illinois. John handled his climate and energy policy agenda while he served on the House Select Climate Crisis and Science, Space, and Technology Committees, and worked alongside Rep. Casten to secure critical tax provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act. In 2023, John was named to Forbes 30 Under 30 List for Energy.
Before arriving in Congress in 2021, John spent 7 years as a Principal at the Policy Resolution Group at Bracewell LLP, where the National Brain Tumor Society and Society for Neuro-Oncology were long term clients. John helped advise NBTS and SNO on yearly appropriations strategy, and worked on the team to help get STAR across the finish line. John also played a role in helping to plan and execute Head to the Hill, NBTS’ annual lobbying day. In 2020, John was named to the National Institute for Lobbying and Ethics Top Lobbyist List for both his work in the childhood cancer space, but also on working to establish 988 as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline dialing code as well as specialized services for LGBTQ youth on behalf of the Trevor Project.”
