The Public Record
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.
The legislation deletes language in current law expressly excluding donations to a national or state party committee specifically to finance the purchase or construction of a party office building from the definition of ``contribution.''…
Section 301 of the bill amends 2 U.S.C. section 439a to specify which candidate expenditures from campaign funds would be considered an unlawful conversion of a contribution or donation to personal use. The language continues to allow…
I joined as an original cosponsor of legislation introduced by my Midwestern colleague, the Senator from Ohio, Mr. Voinovich. This legislation is similar to legislation introduced by the Senator from Ohio and the Senator from Indiana, Mr…
I thank the many Members of this body, past and present, who have helped to bring us to this moment. Most important, as I mentioned in my other statement, the most important person I have to thank is, of course, my friend, John McCain. I…
The concept of ``coordination'' has been part of Federal campaign finance law since Buckley versus Valeo. It is a common-sense concept recognizing that when outside groups coordinate their spending on behalf of a candidate with a candidate…
The main point I make, in conclusion, is that I believe in maybe 20 or 30 years people will say: You know, there was a time when Members of Congress could actually ask people for $100,000, $500,000, or a million-dollar contribution, and it…
today with the opening of this debate, we take the first step toward passing the McCain-Feingold/Shays-Meehan bill in the Senate and take one of the final steps toward banning soft money. I am grateful for all the hard work that has…
I am voting in favor of the Levin-Bond amendment, and I want to explain my views in detail. Fuel efficiency is a critically important issue for our country, for my home State of Wisconsin, and for our future. I remain committed to the goal…
Today I rise to commemorate International Women's Day. For nearly a century, women's groups worldwide have paused on this day to celebrate the achievements and contributions of women around the globe. It is a special occasion to remember…
I have to say, in my mind, the time has run out. The proposals the Senator from Kentucky is talking about, as he indicated, in some cases are technical. In those instances, we can simply deal with these matters in a separate piece of…
I rise today to join the Senator from New Hampshire, Mr. Smith, in introducing the Corps of Engineers Modernization and Improvement Act of 2002. I am very pleased to be working with him on this issue, and admire his dedication to fiscal…
I am actually confident we will prevail if such a tactic is actually employed against us, but I do not think the American people will be well served if we have to take a significant amount of time to further debate an issue that we dealt…
there is no value we can attach to the most basic right of every citizen living in a democracy. The right to vote is much more than dropping a ballot in a box. The right to vote symbolizes freedom, equality, and participation in the…
I thank them again. We need your help one more time now that it is coming back to this body. I am grateful. As we know, in light of the papers and the comments this morning, early this morning the House of Representatives passed campaign…
I spoke this morning of the great victory of campaign finance reform in the House last night and the importance of taking up a bill quickly in the Senate so we can send it to the President. I expressed concern that games might be played by…
one of Wisconsin's great progressives died a few days ago. Former Wisconsin Governor John Reynolds passed away on January 6. He was 80. The son of an Attorney General, and the grandson of a Representative in the State Assembly, John…
I rise today to bring my colleagues' attention to the desperate situation of the people of Goma in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. A natural disaster recently added to the man-made tragedies that have already had a profound effect on…
I was pleased to hear the Attorney General's announcement of the first indictment of a co-conspirator to the terrorist attacks on our Nation on September 11. Zacarias Moussaoui, who was detained by the FBI for carrying a false passport…
I also have come to the floor, along with the Senator from Massachusetts and the Senator from Illinois, to talk about this very important topic; and that is, the confirmation process for Federal judges. The first thing I want to do is…
I rise today to submit an amendment that will give farmers some options in identifying the forum to resolve disputes with agribusinesses. I, along with a number of other Members of this body, am deeply concerned that the concentration of…
it is with extreme disappointment that I rise to oppose the amendment offered by the Republican leader on behalf of the junior Senator from Alaska Mr. Murkowski, and the senior Senator from Kansas, Mr. Brownback. I urge my colleagues to…
I supported a motion to waive the Budget Act with respect to a point of order raised against the substitute amendment to H.R. 3090, even though there are a number of provisions in that amendment that are troubling. Just a few weeks ago…
I will vote to confirm Judge Edith Brown Clement to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit today, but I do so with some reservations. I rise today to discuss my concerns for the record and to comment on the issue of privately…
Now some may say, indeed we may hope, that we have come a long way since those days of infringements on civil liberties. But there is ample reason for concern. And I have been troubled in the past 6 weeks by the potential loss of…
in light of the Chair's ruling, I want to let the body know that this issue is not going away. I understand a number of my colleagues want a pay raise. While I disagree with that sentiment, I certainly respect their right to hold it. I…
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