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.
I rise with regret to mark another milestone in the history of our system of justice. This morning's papers report that yesterday the state of Texas carried out its 39th execution, the most of any state since 1862, when the military hanged…
I will quote from the editorial: When the credit card industry came to Congress to ask for help in collecting debts from deadbeats, Congress should have said: It's not government's job to bail you out. Why don't you tighten up your own…
when I first heard that Bob Kerrey had decided not to run again, I knew the Senate was losing a true American original, and a big part of what makes the Senate special. From my first moments in the Senate back in 1993, there was one thing…
I reluctantly voted against that conference report, because it contained a provision dramatically increasing the budget caps, effectively throwing fiscal discipline to the wind. But I want to go on record indicating that, if the amendment…
My amendment is supported by the administration because it improves the bill. It actually makes the bill comply with Federal reclamation and environmental laws. It makes it clear that only the features of the latest version of the…
I am not talking about something that is actually discriminatory. It is simply inconsistent with the law and the policy with regard to how these projects should be handled today to protect taxpayers--not in 1956. Second, the Senator from…
Let me, first, indicate not only am I not insensitive to the needs of Colorado, my mother is a native of Colorado, who did not come to Wisconsin until she came to college. I have great affection for the State and certainly respect the…
I will once again oppose the Department of Defense authorization bill, as I have done each year I have been a Member of this body. As I stated earlier this year when the Senate passed the fiscal year 2001 Department of Defense…
I rise to offer my sincere condolences to the families of the U.S. Navy personnel killed in what appears to have been a terrorist attack on the U.S.S. Cole, and to express my outrage at this cowardly act of murder. This deplorable incident…
I rise to comment on the alarming situation in the Ivory Coast. When General Robert Guei seized power in a coup last December, he indicated that he intended to hand over power to a civilian government quickly. Instead, and despite the…
After setting out a number of the difficulties of complying with this bill, Secretary Jon Litscher concludes the following: Given the complexity of administering this bill and pitting one state against another, I don't believe this…
I am delighted that the conference report for Interior appropriations before this body today makes a significant investment in Wisconsin's only unit of the National Park System, the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. The Lakeshore…
there is a clear need for Independent Review of Army Corps of Engineers' projects. During debate on this bill I was prepared to offer an amendment on Independent Review. It was drawn from similar provisions in a larger piece of Corps…
In recent days, Congress has held hearings and considered legislation on the terrible tragedy involving potentially defective tires manufactured by Bridgestone/Firestone and placed on certain vehicles sold by the Ford Motor Company. It has…
I voted in favor of the Smith amendment to H.R. 4444, the bill to extend permanent normal trade relations to the People's Republic of China. The Smith amendment would have extended the mandate of the Congressional-Executive Commission on…
Yes, this amendment, in terms of the commission that was established in the House consideration of the bill, says there ought to be some recommendations coming out of this commission, there ought to be some reality. This is all we will…
my amendment is eminently reasonable. This body is considering a bill that is very likely to become law. We have a responsibility to take that bill seriously, to actually examine its contents. All my amendment will do is, first, require…
In recent months, our Nation has begun to question the fairness of the death penalty with greater urgency. Now, with details of the Justice Department report being released, we have learned that just as we feared, the same serious flaws in…
I rise today, Mr. President, to express my opposition to granting permanent normal trade relations to the People's Republic of China. The recent history of U.S.-China relations has been a study in self-delusion. The administration and this…
at the very foundation of our system of justice is the notion that judges will be fair and impartial. Strict ethical guidelines have been in effect for years to remove even the hint of impropriety from the conduct of those we entrust with…
the big lie led to the transformation of our two great political parties into soft money machines. And what was the effect of this explosion of soft money, other than the millions of dollars available for ads supporting presidential…
Sending inmates to prisons built and run by private companies has become a popular way to deal with overcrowded prisons, but in recent years this practice has been appropriately criticized. As reports of escapes, riots, prisoner violence…
this conference report is evidence of a missed opportunity. It is, in fact, yet another in what is becoming a series of missed opportunities. Today, the majority is missing the opportunity to enact marriage penalty relief. The majority is…
this amendment cuts taxes for 7 of 10 taxpayers who take a standard deduction and ensures that many working Americans would not owe any income taxes at all. It would increase the standard deduction for individuals by $250, and would also…
The vital program known as COBRA helps ensure that people who lose their jobs do not lose their health insurance at the same time.
Politicians like Russ Feingold
