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Russell Dana Feingold is a prominent Democratic politician from Wisconsin, best known for his tenure as a U.S. Senator from 1993 to 2011. During his time in the Senate, Feingold was recognized for his independent stance on various issues, including campaign finance reform, civil liberties, and foreign policy. He was the only senator to vote against the USA PATRIOT Act in 2001, citing concerns over civil liberties and government overreach. Feingold also played a significant role in the development of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act, which aimed to regulate campaign financing and reduce the influence of money in politics.
Step 1 was our vote here in this body and in the House to say that the surge was unwise, and a majority did vote for that here, as well as in the House. This is step 2. This says that the fundamental underpinnings of this mistake should be…
Congress authorized this war, and it is in our power to bring it to a close. More importantly, we have not just the power but the responsibility to end a war that is draining vital national security resources in pursuit of a goal that…
Mr. President, we are approaching the 4-year anniversary of one of the greatest foreign policy mistakes in our country's history. In March 2003, with the prior authorization of Congress, the President took this country to war in Iraq…
today I honor the memory of one of the great jurists in the history of my State and someone I was honored to call a friend and mentor: Judge Thomas Fairchild. Judge Fairchild earned the respect of all who knew him for his keen mind, his…
I am pleased to again submit a measure to begin to address one of the central problems our Nation faces, namely the loss of family-supporting jobs because of our flawed trade policies. Today's announcement that the U.S. trade deficit for…
I laid out my vision for the legislation I introduce today, the Rural Opportunities Act of 2007, in an opinion piece that was published in the La Crosse Tribune at the end of last year. My bill is a four part plan to increase opportunities…
I voted for GEN George W. Casey, Jr., to be U.S. Army Chief of Staff. While questions have been raised about General Casey's performance as U.S. commander in Iraq, I do not believe the general can be held responsible for the failures of a…
I speak today in support of passage of H.R. 2, the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007. The Federal minimum wage has not been increased in almost 10 years and an increase is long overdue. I have been a strong supporter of an increase in the…
I am pleased to be working once again with my partner in reform, the senior Senator from Arizona, Senator McCain, to introduce the 527 Reform Act. Our purpose is simple--to pass legislation that will do what the FEC could and should do…
I voted for LTG David H. Petraeus of the U.S. Army to be general and commander, Multi-National Forces--Iraq. He is a highly experienced individual with a long history of excellent and selfless service to this country. I believe he…
I will oppose the amendment offered by our colleague, the senior Senator from New Hampshire, Mr. Gregg. I support the concept of what is called a ``line item veto,'' more accurately described as an expedited Presidential rescission. But…
I strongly oppose Senator Bennett's amendment to strike section 220 from the bill. The debate about section 220 is essentially a debate about the openness of the legislative process. It is a debate about the right of the American people to…
the Reid amendment draws a bright line. Groups that employ or retain lobbyists could not provide trips of over 1 day. The Bennett amendment allows 501(c)(3)s that lobby to provide trips. There is a limitation that will prevent this…
Now I will move on to talking about a very major vote coming up in the Senate later today. This evening the Senate will cast a very important vote. The result will go a long way toward deciding whether the gift rule changes before us meet…
My first amendment, amendment 31, changes the universe of activities that former Members of Congress can engage in during their cooling off period after they serve in this body. Currently, they cannot personally lobby their former…
as the Defense Department continues its planning for the creation of an Africa Command, it is important to realize that the creation of a new regional combatant command focused exclusively on Africa will have a profound impact on our…
I am very pleased to speak about ethics and lobbying reform and the bill we will consider over the next week or so. To start, what a pleasure it is to have a majority here that not only supports reform but recognizes the importance of…
I will oppose this measure. In addition to containing some questionable policy provisions, such as the provisions relating to drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, and granting Vietnam permanent most-favored-nation trading status, the bill…
this past Wednesday, Washington felt a little like Hollywood. In fact, not many blockbuster movies have gotten the kind of massive press and critical acclaim that we saw yesterday for the release of the Iraq Study Group report. Official…
I am pleased that the Food and Drug Administration will finally have a confirmed Commissioner. And I am glad that the President's nominee, Dr. Andrew von Eschenbach, has acted to address concerns that have been raised about his nomination…
this week marks the opening of a film that has already gotten a lot of attention, Warner Brothers' ``Blood Diamond.'' Many will flock to theaters to see this Hollywood blockbuster, but I hope these audiences will remember more than the…
our next Secretary of Defense will face unprecedented and wide-ranging challenges. Terrorist networks are developing new capabilities and sources of support around the world, the Taliban and al- Qaida are resurgent in Afghanistan, our…
today I am introducing the Affordable Housing Expansion and Public Safety Act to address some of the housing affordability issues faced by my constituents and by Americans around the country, including unaffordable rental burdens, lack of…
Briefly, the letter notes that there are still flaws that remain in S. 3709, and urges the Senate to adopt at least four measures to address them. The second of their four recommendations for improvements is that there be ``a determination…
I would like to briefly recap what my amendment does and why I believe it is important for the Senate to adopt it. The amendment is very simple. It will require the President to make determinations that nothing in the nuclear cooperation…
Politicians like Russ Feingold
