Assumed congressional office in 2015. Former Career: Illinois House of Representatives. Education: University of Illinois. Currently resides in Murphysboro. Bost was born and raised in Murphysboro, Illinois. After graduating from high school, he served in the United States Marine Corps from 1979-82. After the military Bost ran his family’s Murphysboro-based trucking business for ten years. From 1984 to 1988, he began his political career by serving on the Jackson County Board until his election to the Illinois House of Representatives in 1995. In 1993, he became a certified firefighter at the University of Illinois Firefighter Academy. He was elected to the US House in 2014. As a Congressman, Bost no longer holds town hall meetings, claiming they are “too combative.” “…That’s not what we need. We need to have meetings with people that are productive." Bost later apologized. After the Parkland shooting Bost was asked whether we need a prohibition of assault rifles, such as existed in the late 1990’s. He responded that it would do no good and that we should give more attention to mental health. As he explained, “Each one of these shootings have occurred, whether it’s the one out in D.C. of my own colleagues, whether it was Vegas, or these shootings that are occurring in schools with these children that are suffering from mental illness.” He is married with three children and currently resides in Murphysboro.