[Senate Document 111-31]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



S.Doc. 111-31
 
                  TRIBUTES TO HON. RUSSELL D. FEINGOLD



                                 Russell D. Feingold

                      U.S. SENATOR FROM WISCONSIN

                                TRIBUTES

                           IN THE CONGRESS OF

                           THE UNITED STATES



                                           


                                           

             
             

Russell D. Feingold


                                      Tributes

                                Delivered in Congress

                                 Russell D. Feingold

                                United States Senator

                                      1993-2011

                                          a
                                           

                                           

                            Compiled under the direction

                                       of the

                             Joint Committee on Printing


                                      CONTENTS
             Biography.............................................
                                                                      v
             Proceedings in the Senate:
                Tributes by Senators:
                    Akaka, Daniel K., of Hawaii....................
                                                                      8
                    Alexander, Lamar, of Tennessee.................
                                                                      3
                    Boxer, Barbara, of California..................
                                                                     16
                    Carper, Thomas R., of Delaware.................
                                                                     14
                    Coburn, Tom, of Oklahoma.......................
                                                                     15
                    Conrad, Kent, of North Dakota..................
                                                                      9
                    Dodd, Christopher J., of Connecticut...........
                                                                      8
                    Durbin, Richard, of Illinois...................
                                                                      7
                    Harkin, Tom, of Iowa...........................
                                                                     13
                    Hatch, Orrin G., of Utah.......................
                                                                     14
                    Kohl, Herb, of Wisconsin.......................
                                                                     11
                    Levin, Carl, of Michigan.......................
                                                                     12
                    Murkowski, Lisa, of Alaska.....................
                                                                     17
                    Reed, Jack, of Rhode Island....................
                                                                      5
                    Reid, Harry, of Nevada.........................
                                                                   4, 6
                    Warner, Mark R., of Virginia...................
                                                                      5
                                      BIOGRAPHY

               Russell Feingold was an independent voice for Wisconsin 
             in the U.S. Senate--an effective legislator who worked 
             across party lines, and a respected leader in both 
             domestic and foreign policy.
               Growing up in Janesville, WI, Russell Feingold learned 
             the values that guided his work in the Senate: a 
             commitment to fiscal responsibility, honest and responsive 
             government, and standing up for hard-working families.
               Senator Feingold was proud to represent Wisconsin and 
             carry forward the State's progressive tradition in the 
             U.S. Senate. In order to make sure he knew what 
             Wisconsinites were thinking, Senator Feingold held open 
             meetings known as listening sessions, in each of 
             Wisconsin's 72 counties every year.
               What Senator Feingold heard in those sessions informed 
             every issue he worked on in the Senate, from his 
             bipartisan efforts to eliminate wasteful spending to 
             protecting our Great Lakes and strengthening our national 
             security.
               Since he was first elected to the Senate in 1992, 
             Russell Feingold built a record as a staunch advocate for 
             Wisconsin's families. He fought against unfair trade 
             agreements that have sent our manufacturing jobs overseas, 
             and he worked to support new job growth by expanding and 
             extending the jobs tax incentive he helped pass in early 
             2010. Russell Feingold made important progress on his E4 
             Initiative--dubbed E4 for its focus on the economy, 
             employment, education, and energy--which supports 
             Wisconsin's economy by boosting job creation, 
             strengthening workforce development, and preparing our 
             students to work in emerging industries. Senator Feingold 
             was also committed to strengthening public education, 
             preserving clean air and water, helping veterans and 
             military families, and supporting Wisconsin's farmers and 
             rural communities.
               Russell Feingold also worked for Wisconsin by helping 
             people cut through government redtape. Senator Feingold's 
             office has helped Wisconsinites with everything from 
             getting Federal benefits they are owed to finally getting 
             a Purple Heart they earned, but never received, decades 
             earlier. In addition, Senator Feingold strongly supported 
             FIRE Grants to assist Wisconsin fire departments, and a 
             wide array of other grants that helped Wisconsin 
             communities.
               Some of Russell Feingold's legislative achievements 
             include:
               The E4 Initiative.--In the first year of his E4 
             Initiative, an effort to create jobs while addressing our 
             Nation's energy challenges, Senator Feingold won some key 
             victories. An E4 provision to boost green jobs by helping 
             more buildings go green was included in the economic 
             stimulus package. Another provision to prioritize Federal 
             research funding for energy, water quality, domestic 
             security, and transportation projects--top national 
             priorities where Wisconsin has a strategic advantage--
             passed the Senate. The Senate also passed Russell 
             Feingold's E4 provision authorizing the USDA, including 
             the Forest Service, to partner with businesses, 
             universities, and other interested parties to advance new 
             energy technologies.
               Jobs Tax Credit.--In March 2010, the HIRE Act was signed 
             into law, which included a payroll tax break similar to 
             the jobs tax credit Senator Feingold introduced. Senator 
             Feingold worked to extend and expand the jobs tax break to 
             help more Wisconsin businesses create jobs.
               Paygo.--In 2009, Russell Feingold unveiled his Control 
             Spending Now Act, which contains more than 40 proposals 
             that together would reduce the deficit by about $0.5 
             trillion, including a proposal to restore a statutory 
             version of the pay-as-you-go budget rule, known as 
             ``paygo.'' In January 2010, the Senate passed a version of 
             the paygo statutory budget requirement as a way to help 
             control spending.
               Congressional Pay.--In May 2010, President Obama signed 
             into law legislation championed by Senator Feingold to 
             cancel a pay increase for Members of Congress scheduled 
             for 2011. Russell Feingold, who did not accept pay raises 
             during his 6-year term, worked for years to try to end the 
             automatic pay raise system. A proposal to end the back-
             door pay raise system was part of Russell Feingold's 
             Control Spending Now Act.
               Cancelling Old Earmarks.--In March 2010, the Senate 
             passed Senator Feingold's effort to cancel old, unspent 
             transportation earmarks. Russell Feingold's bipartisan-
             supported amendment was based on a provision of his 
             Control Spending Now Act and would have provided immediate 
             savings of $563 million.
               Establishing New Vet Centers in Wisconsin.--Senator 
             Feingold led successful efforts to establish two new 
             Wisconsin Vet Centers. In August 2009, a new Vet Center 
             opened in Brown County, and another opened in La Crosse 
             County in 2010. These centers help servicemembers 
             transition back to civilian life and provide veterans 
             counseling for one of the signature wounds of the wars in 
             Iraq and Afghanistan, post-traumatic stress disorder.
               Pell Grants.--Russell Feingold, a long-time proponent of 
             Pell grants for college students, continued his efforts by 
             supporting a fully offset measure to tie the program to 
             the Consumer Price Index, which would help ensure 
             individual Pell grant awards grow in future years.
               Helping Family Farmers.--The USDA Office of Advocacy and 
             Outreach, an office Senator Feingold helped establish in 
             2008, was awarded $1.7 million in funding to focus on 
             outreach, policies, and programs for farmers in need of 
             assistance, including small farmers and beginning farmers 
             and ranchers.
               In addition to the landmark Bipartisan Campaign Reform 
             Act, also known as the McCain-Feingold bill, Russell 
             Feingold's long record of accomplishment on reform issues 
             includes his key leadership role in the enactment of the 
             Honest Leadership and Open Government Act, the strongest 
             lobbying and ethics reform bill in congressional history, 
             as well as work on many other reform initiatives.
               Throughout his career, U.S. Senator Russell Feingold, a 
             member of the Senate Budget Committee, worked to bring 
             Wisconsin's historic tradition of fiscal responsibility to 
             Washington. In the face of record deficits, in 2009 
             Senator Feingold unveiled a comprehensive plan to help get 
             our Nation back on track: The Control Spending Now Act. 
             This legislation included critical reforms and new efforts 
             to cut wasteful spending across the Federal Government. 
             The bill would reduce the deficit by about $0.5 trillion 
             over 10 years.
               A member of both the Senate Foreign Relations and 
             Intelligence Committees, Russell Feingold has worked to 
             make sure the government focuses on our top national 
             security policy--combating the global threat of al Qaeda. 
             He has consistently advocated for a global approach to 
             defeating al Qaeda and its affiliates. Senator Feingold is 
             also spearheading a Senate effort to ensure that the 
             United States has better information and intelligence 
             gathering around the world.
               As chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on African 
             Affairs, Russell Feingold was the Senate's top expert on 
             Africa issues, and called for directing critical attention 
             and diplomatic resources to African countries, including 
             those that are havens for terrorist activity. He was also 
             an advocate for making human rights and the rule of law a 
             priority in our relations around the world.
               Russell Feingold was a strong advocate for the rule of 
             law through his service on the Senate Judiciary Committee. 
             He cast the Senate's lone vote against the USA PATRIOT 
             Act, and fought to fix the act, as well as wiretapping 
             legislation, to protect the freedoms of law-abiding 
             Americans. Russell Feingold also played a lead role in 
             protecting the rights of consumers and preserving access 
             to the courts. As the chairman of the Subcommittee on the 
             Constitution, Senator Feingold worked to protect the civil 
             rights of all Americans, including fighting against 
             discrimination in the workplace and in the criminal 
             justice system.
               In 1917, Russell Feingold's family settled in 
             Janesville, WI, where he was born to parents Leon and 
             Sylvia on March 2, 1953. Russell Feingold graduated from 
             the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1975, received a 
             degree from Oxford University as a Rhodes scholar in 1977, 
             and then went on to Harvard Law School, where he earned 
             his degree in 1979.
               In 1982, in his first try for elective office, Russell 
             Feingold defeated a long-time incumbent and was elected to 
             the Wisconsin State Senate for the 27th District. Russell 
             Feingold was reelected in 1986 and 1990. When Russell 
             Feingold first ran for the U.S. Senate in 1992, he won a 
             tough three-way primary, and went on to defeat a two-term 
             incumbent. He was reelected to the Senate in 1998 and 
             2004.
               Senator Feingold has two daughters, Jessica and Ellen. 
             He is a member of Beth Hillel Temple in Kenosha, WI. He 
             lives in Middleton, WI.



                                      TRIBUTES

                                         TO

                                 RUSSELL D. FEINGOLD
                              Proceedings in the Senate
                                             Tuesday, November 30, 2010
               Mr. ALEXANDER. Mr. President, 16 Senators will retire 
             this year. There is a pretty big turnover in this body, 
             but that is a lot of Senators at once. We are losing an 
             enormous amount of talent, but, of course, we are gaining 
             a lot of talent with the new Senators.
               I wish to show my respect for those who have served, 
             which I will do in a summary fashion because we are 
             talking about 16 individuals with very complex and 
             distinguished backgrounds.
               One might ask, what are the characteristics of a 
             Senator? There are a lot of different answers to that, 
             depending on your background and attitude toward politics 
             and government. First, I have always thought that one 
             characteristic of almost every Member of the Senate is 
             that he or she probably was a first grader sitting in the 
             front row, hand in the air waiting to be recognized. This 
             is an eager bunch or you would not have gotten here.
               Second, it is a group of risk takers. Most people who 
             end up in the Senate get here because a lot of other 
             people who wanted to be Senators were standing around 
             waiting for the right time to run. A lot of people who 
             were elected to the Senate seemed to have no chance of 
             winning at the time they decided to run, but the voters 
             decided differently, and here they are.
               Third, we are almost all professional and congenial. 
             That is a big help. It is almost a requirement in an 
             organization of 100 individuals who spend almost all their 
             time with one another, who serve in a body that operates 
             by unanimous consent, when just one Senator can bring the 
             whole place to a halt, and whose job basically is to argue 
             about some of the most difficult issues that face the 
             American people. So it helps that almost every Member of 
             the Senate is an especially congenial person.
               Back in Tennessee, people often say to me it must be 
             rough being in that job. They are awfully mean up there. 
             The truth is, I don't know of a more congenial group than 
             the Members of the Senate. We begin the day in the gym. 
             The next thing you know we are at a Prayer Breakfast, and 
             then we are at a committee hearing. Then we are on the 
             floor voting, and then we have lunch. It goes through the 
             day until 7 or 8 o'clock, or sometimes later. We live 
             together and we get along very well. We know and respect 
             each other.
               Not long ago, the Presiding Officer (Mr. Udall of New 
             Mexico) and I were having dinner together with our wives. 
             We were lamenting the loss of families who know one 
             another, the way it happened when his father was serving 
             in Congress and when I first came to the Senate to work 
             for Senator Baker. And that's true. We've lost some of 
             that. Still, there is an enormous amount of affection and 
             good will here. You don't always get to be very close 
             friends in this job, but you get to be very good 
             acquaintances, and you learn to respect people for their 
             strengths.
               Senator Domenici said, when he left, that we don't do a 
             very good job of saying goodbye here. That is true. As one 
             part of saying goodbye, I wish to say at least one good 
             thing about each one of the 16 retiring Senators. Much 
             more could be said about each, of course. Mostly, I am 
             going in alphabetical order. ...
               Senator Russ Feingold will be remembered for his strong 
             stands--sometimes solitary stands--such as when he voted 
             against the PATRIOT Act and went to work early on campaign 
             finance. I thank him for our work together on the Africa 
             Subcommittee, on which he has served during his whole time 
             here. ...
               It has been my privilege to serve with these 16 
             Senators. We thank them for their service to our country. 
             They have had a chance to serve in what we regard as the 
             world's greatest deliberative body; it is a special 
             institution. We will miss their leadership, and we hope 
             they will stay in touch with us because they are not just 
             retiring Senators, they are all our friends.
               I yield the floor.
                                            Wednesday, December 8, 2010
               Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that 
             there be printed as a Senate document a compilation of 
             materials from the Congressional Record in tribute to 
             retiring Members of the 111th Congress, and that Members 
             have until Thursday, December 16, to submit such tributes.

               The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so 
             ordered.
                                              Friday, December 10, 2010
               Mr. REED. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to 
             our colleagues who are departing the Senate after 
             distinguished service on behalf of their States and on 
             behalf of the Nation. I have been privileged to work with 
             these individuals, to learn from them, to collaborate and 
             cooperate with them, and to, in some small way, help them 
             do what they have done so well--represent their States 
             with fidelity, with great effort, and to move the agenda 
             of the Nation forward. ...
               Senator Russ Feingold--and this is said often, but it 
             applies so accurately--is a conscience of this body. He is 
             someone who came here to fight for the principles in which 
             he deeply believes and would not deviate from that very 
             serious challenge. He did it with skill, thoughtfulness, 
             and gentility. I appreciate that very much. He was a 
             champion for so many things--Pell grants, making sure the 
             opportunity was still a watchword of this country. What he 
             was most famous for was his efforts in campaign finance 
             reform. Frankly, we will miss him dearly because of that.
               There is a growing concern in this country that 
             elections have become auctions, not about the quality of 
             the candidates and their positions, but simply how much 
             money can be funded and by how many different sources. So 
             at a time when we have to confront again an even more 
             serious challenge of campaign finance reform, we are 
             losing one of the great voices and great minds in that 
             effort. I know he will be helping us in this effort going 
             forward, and I thank him for that. ...
               To all of these colleagues and their families, my 
             deepest appreciation and my profoundest respect.

               Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I rise again to recognize the 
             service of another great Federal employee. This is a 
             tradition that was started by our friend and former 
             colleague, Senator Kaufman, and I am proud to carry on 
             that tradition. But I want to first say that I appreciate 
             the remarks of the Presiding Officer (Mr. Reed) about our 
             colleagues who are leaving this body, and I share his 
             great respect for not only Senator Kaufman but all of the 
             colleagues who are leaving the body at the end of this 
             Congress. ...
                                           Wednesday, December 15, 2010
               Mr. REID. Mr. President, I have served with Russ 
             Feingold in the Senate for 18 years. There has never been 
             a point where I did not know where he stood and what his 
             core principles were.
               Senator Russ Feingold came to the body in 1992 with one 
             goal in mind: To always represent the people of 
             Wisconsin--not the special interests, not the 
             establishment. And he never compromised his principles, 
             even though sometimes it made it very difficult for me. 
             But he is a man of principle, and that certainly is the 
             truth.
               When Russ first ran for the Senate in 1992, he famously 
             wrote down five core promises he would always keep if he 
             were elected. He wrote them on a piece of paper, and then 
             he affixed this piece of paper and these promises to his 
             garage door at his home.
               The promises were: To rely on Wisconsin citizens for 
             most of his contributions; to live in Middleton, WI, and 
             send his children to school there; to accept no pay raise 
             during his time in office; to hold listening sessions in 
             each of the 72 Wisconsin counties each year of his term in 
             the Senate; and to make sure that the majority of his 
             staff are from Wisconsin and with a Wisconsin background.
               It should surprise no one that he held true to each of 
             these promises and surpassed every expectation that any 
             Badger could have had for this good man who hails from 
             Janesville, WI.
               As quick as Senator Feingold has been to voice 
             thoughtful opposition to anything that would go against 
             his core principles, he never hesitated to reach across 
             the aisle and work in good faith with every Member of this 
             body.
               Because of his bipartisan efforts, our system for 
             financing political campaigns is cleaner, more 
             transparent, and more free of undue corporate influence. 
             It is too bad the Supreme Court has so weakened the 
             McCain-Feingold legislation.
               In 2002, Senator Feingold spoke on the Senate floor 
             during the campaign finance debate, and he spoke 
             remarkable words about why he fought so hard for that 
             legislation. He said:

               Nothing has bothered me more in my public career than 
             the thought that young people looking to the future might 
             think that it is necessary to be a multimillionaire or 
             somehow have access to the soft money system in order to 
             participate as a candidate as part of the American dream.

               It is a simple statement, but it truly helps us 
             understand why the people of Wisconsin were always proud 
             of their junior Senator--because he spoke simple truths, 
             fought passionately for the middle class, and was able to 
             always tap into what people were discussing over their 
             kitchen tables every night.
               Russ Feingold often stood in the minority to voice his 
             positions that were not necessarily popular. He was a 
             strong advocate for equal rights for same-sex couples even 
             when it wasn't the popular thing to do, and he opposed the 
             2003 Iraq war from the very beginning and has stayed true 
             to his feelings on this issue since then. That is the very 
             essence of Russ Feingold. He stands on principle and his 
             core beliefs even when it isn't convenient. He speaks the 
             truth even when it ruffles feathers. As someone who has 
             been elected to public office for a long time, it is very 
             difficult to express to everyone within the sound of my 
             voice what a special type of person Russ Feingold is. He 
             is the type of person who will remain firm and steadfast 
             in all the ways he serves. He is that special kind of 
             person.
               He has continued the tradition of some of the greatest 
             Members of this body. He combines the tenacity of Paul 
             Wellstone with Ted Kennedy's desire to always fight for 
             the underdog. Russ Feingold has etched himself into the 
             fabric of this body and for many of us will always be a 
             part of our collective conscience. If we follow the 
             example of Russ Feingold, we can rest easy at night 
             knowing that when we stand on principle, we never have to 
             worry about second-guessing ourselves.

               Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that 
             the order for the printing of tributes be modified to 
             provide that Members have until sine die of the 111th 
             Congress, 2d session, to submit tributes and that the 
             order for printing remain in effect.

               The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so 
             ordered.
                                            Thursday, December 16, 2010
               Mr. DODD. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to 
             a long-time colleague and friend of mine, Senator Russ 
             Feingold, who will be leaving the Senate this January 
             after 18 years of service. I would like to take this 
             opportunity to wish Russ and his family the very best as 
             they embark on this new chapter in their lives.
               Born and raised in the city of Janesville, WI, Russ has 
             dedicated the better part of his career to serving the 
             people of his home State. Prior to his first election to 
             the U.S. Senate in 1992, Russ served as a Wisconsin State 
             senator for nearly a decade. Throughout his career in 
             public service, Russ has proven to be a passionate and 
             articulate advocate for the people of Wisconsin and their 
             needs.
               Since he first entered the Senate, Russ has perhaps 
             become best known as one of this body's most stalwart 
             progressives. Indeed, on any number of issues, from 
             campaign finance reform, to the Iraq war, to our work 
             together during Senate consideration of legislation 
             reauthorizing the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, 
             Russ has demonstrated a strong commitment toward ensuring 
             that respect for human rights, the rule of law, and 
             democracy remain cornerstones of American policy, both at 
             home and abroad.
               Over the course of his three terms in the U.S. Senate, 
             Russ has perhaps become most closely identified in the 
             minds of many Americans with his work on campaign finance 
             reform with Senator McCain. In 2002, when the McCain-
             Feingold campaign finance reform bill was being 
             considered, Russ took a very courageous position in 
             pushing legislation that, at the time, was relatively 
             unpopular with some of our colleagues on both sides of the 
             aisle. I was proud to join those efforts as the floor 
             manager of McCain-Feingold, and would like to express my 
             gratitude to Russ for his strong and consistent leadership 
             on that issue.
               I have long appreciated Russ' strong, principled stands 
             on those issues, and have welcomed the opportunity to work 
             with him over the years. I know that Russ' commitment to 
             justice, fairness, and the rule of law will be missed come 
             January, and I would once again like to wish him the best 
             as he leaves this institution.

               Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, I rise today to bid farewell 
             to a number of our friends and colleagues who are ending 
             their service in the Senate. Their contributions are too 
             numerous to mention, therefore I would like to take just a 
             few minutes to highlight some of the memories of the 
             Senators I came to know personally.
               Some of the departing Senators I have served with for 
             decades. Others were here for only part of a term. All of 
             them worked hard for their constituents and our country. 
             ...
               I want to thank Senator Russ Feingold for his 18 years 
             of service in the U.S. Senate and his time in public 
             service before that. Senator Feingold has worked with me 
             as an outspoken advocate for so many of the issues that I 
             hold dear, such as protecting Americans' personal privacy 
             and good government.
               In the wake of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 
             2001, there was a rush of strong executive branch moves 
             for authority. Senator Feingold repeatedly joined me and 
             other Members in ensuring civil liberties and privacy 
             protections of all Americans were observed. He was a 
             leader in protecting liberties during debate over 
             reforming the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. When 
             the Department of Homeland Security was established, we 
             worked to ensure that it had a strong official dedicated 
             to protecting privacy. In 2007 I authored the POWER Act, 
             which provided the Homeland Security Chief Privacy Officer 
             with additional powers, and Senator Feingold was a strong 
             supporter, cosponsoring that bill which then became law in 
             2008.
               I must also mention how proud I was to support Senator 
             Feingold on perhaps his most lasting accomplishment--
             campaign finance reform. The election process can be 
             opaque, and it is full of more money than ever. However, 
             in the last decade, many of the new campaign finance rules 
             championed by Senator Feingold have curbed many abuses 
             which used to be common. While much work is left to be 
             done in this area, especially with the recent Citizens 
             United ruling, this country and voters owe a tremendous 
             thank you to Senator Feingold. ...
               In closing, the end of this Congress is bittersweet, 
             with so many talented and dedicated public servants 
             leaving this institution. All of them made a lasting 
             impact on the Senate and on our country. Mahalo nui loa, 
             thank you, for all your work.

               Mr. CONRAD. I would like to pay tribute and recognize 
             the accomplishments of my good friend Senator Russ 
             Feingold of Wisconsin, who will be leaving the Senate at 
             the end of this session.
               Senator Feingold has faithfully served the people of 
             Wisconsin for the last 28 years, serving three terms in 
             the Wisconsin State Senate and three terms in the U.S. 
             Senate. During all of that time, he has never forgotten 
             who put him in office. Every year, Senator Feingold has 
             held listening sessions in all 72 counties of Wisconsin. 
             The input he received in those sessions was his guide for 
             every issue he worked on in the Senate.
               Russ Feingold has also been guided by his tremendous 
             intellect. After growing up in Janesville, WI, he 
             graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and 
             went on to receive a Rhodes scholarship from Oxford 
             University and a law degree from Harvard Law School.
               To say that Senator Feingold has been independent-minded 
             in the Senate is an understatement. He has been a true 
             maverick. He never let party or political pressure 
             influence his efforts here.
               The clearest example of this was his work on campaign 
             finance reform with Republican Senator John McCain. After 
             years of struggle, the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act, 
             known to most as the McCain-Feingold Act, was enacted in 
             2002. Although the act continues to evolve and face 
             challenges, it will forever change the landscape of 
             political campaigns in this country. And Senator Feingold 
             has led other efforts to promote clean government, such as 
             moving to electronic filing of campaign finance reports 
             and fighting against lobbyists' gifts to lawmakers.
               Senator Feingold has also been an independent voice in 
             the area of foreign policy. He spoke out eloquently 
             against the Iraq war and was one of 21 Democratic Senators 
             to vote against the Iraq war resolution. As a member of 
             the Intelligence Committee and chairman of the Foreign 
             Relations Africa Subcommittee, his opinion on matters 
             related to Africa have carried an added weight.
               Of course, I have known Senator Feingold best from his 
             work with me on the Senate Budget Committee. Since he 
             joined the panel in 1997, he has been a powerful voice on 
             the committee for fiscal responsibility. He was one of the 
             leading advocates for restoring the paygo, or pay-as-you-
             go, requirement to ensure any new mandatory spending or 
             tax cuts are fully paid for. In 2009, he introduced the 
             comprehensive Control Spending Now Act, including several 
             important spending reforms that have since been adopted.
               It has been a true honor to serve alongside Senator Russ 
             Feingold. He has made a tremendous contribution to this 
             body, to his State of Wisconsin, and to our Nation. He 
             will certainly be missed. I wish him all the best in his 
             future endeavors.

               Mr. KOHL. Mr. President, I take a moment to say a few 
             words about the junior Senator from Wisconsin, Senator 
             Russ Feingold, who will be leaving the Senate at the end 
             of this session. We have served together in the Senate, 
             working for the people of Wisconsin every day since he was 
             elected in 1992. Wisconsin is losing a powerful and 
             thoughtful advocate that carried on the proud progressive 
             tradition of Robert LaFollette.
               Russ came to the Senate by winning an upset election, 
             running as an outsider. He famously wrote a promise to the 
             people of Wisconsin on his garage door, and people 
             responded to his sincerity. Keeping that promise has kept 
             him close to the people of Wisconsin as he traveled to 
             every county in the State once a year to hold a listening 
             session. That kind of accessibility, and his pledge to 
             raise his campaign money mostly from the people of 
             Wisconsin, gives him a credibility and integrity that no 
             one in the State can question.
               Money and politics has always been an issue that Russ 
             felt passionately about. So it should be no surprise that 
             his biggest legislative win was when he worked with 
             Senator John McCain to put restrictions on campaign 
             financing with the historic Bipartisan Campaign Reform 
             Act, better known as the McCain-Feingold bill. That 
             legislation, like many of his stands over the years, 
             didn't always make him popular with his colleagues, but it 
             was the right thing to do to try and root out corruption 
             and roll back the influence of the special interests. The 
             American people will never have confidence in our system 
             as long as they believe that a politician's support can be 
             bought and sold. Russ worked to restore confidence in our 
             government and he should be commended for that.
               He took a lot of unpopular positions over the years. 
             Most notable was his sole opposition to the PATRIOT Act. 
             He stood up for his ideals when it would have been easy to 
             brush them aside. But that is the kind of person Russ is. 
             He was never willing to sacrifice his principles to do the 
             politically easy thing. Our country is safer because of 
             his work.
               Russ also has been a tough budget hawk, working 
             tirelessly to bring down spending and give the next 
             generation a debt-free future. He helped form the current 
             lobbying rules that restrict gifts, employment, and perks 
             that can be given to Members and staff by special interest 
             lobbyists. These policies didn't always make him popular 
             around here--and sometimes caused problems inside his own 
             party--but he was willing to buck the system when he felt 
             he had to.
               Janesville should be proud of their hometown son who has 
             accomplished so much. He leaves the Senate, but I hope he 
             doesn't leave public service. His character and 
             intelligence are needed by his community, State, and 
             country. We will miss him.

               Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, true bipartisanship has been 
             in sadly short supply in this Chamber recently. Sadly, at 
             the end of this Congress, the supply of bipartisanship 
             will be a little lower, because we will no longer have the 
             benefit of Russ Feingold's presence in the Senate.
               Senator Feingold's service to the Senate demonstrates 
             that one need not abandon strongly held convictions to 
             reach bipartisan solutions. His example proves that 
             disagreeing with someone on one issue need not prevent 
             working with them on another issue. He has shown that one 
             can act as a good steward of taxpayer dollars and a 
             careful advocate for fiscal responsibility without leaving 
             behind the working families who need us to stand up for 
             them.
               There are many examples of Senator Feingold's search for 
             bipartisan solutions, but justifiably, he is best known 
             for the McCain-Feingold campaign finance legislation. The 
             assault on this legislation in the courts should not 
             distract us from its wisdom. This bipartisan legislation 
             was based upon the inherently American and inherently 
             democratic notion that elections should be decided by the 
             will of the people, and not because of the influence of 
             wealthy donors or moneyed interests. This is a notion that 
             is not Republican or Democratic, not Liberal or 
             Conservative. It relies not on party loyalty or 
             ideological fervor, but on a sense of justice. That sense 
             of justice is central to what Russ Feingold has brought to 
             the Senate.
               Likewise, the civil rights of American citizens are not 
             a matter of party or ideology. I admire Senator Feingold's 
             unflagging commitment to those rights, and his efforts to 
             find a reasonable balance between protecting our safety 
             and preserving our freedom.
               Now, Senator Feingold and I have not agreed on every 
             issue. While we both believed the Iraq war was a mistake, 
             he believed we should respond by ending funding for the 
             war. I disagreed, and believed that such a move would harm 
             our troops in the field whom we should support. But I 
             never doubted that Senator Feingold came to his 
             conclusions only after giving careful consideration to the 
             arguments opposing them.
               We will miss Russ Feingold, miss his intellect, his 
             independence, and his dedication. I will always call him 
             my friend. The Senate will be poorer for his absence, but 
             I know that the Nation will continue to enjoy the benefits 
             of his service.
                                            Saturday, December 18, 2010
               Mr. HARKIN. Mr. President, with the close of the 111th 
             Congress, the Senate will lose to retirement Senator Russ 
             Feingold of Wisconsin--a proud progressive, a fearless 
             reformer, and a genuine maverick in the very best sense of 
             that much-abused term.
               During his three terms in this body, Senator Feingold 
             has been a worthy successor to another great progressive 
             reformer from Wisconsin, Senator Robert ``Fighting Bob'' 
             LaFollette, whose desk I am proud to occupy, here on the 
             Senate floor--and whose portrait is displayed prominently 
             in Senator Feingold's office.
               Like Senator LaFollette, Russ Feingold knows that it is 
             not enough to be on the side of the angels. It is not 
             enough to have our hearts in the right place. 
             Progressivism, by its very nature, is a fight against 
             entrenched corporate interests, entrenched economic 
             privilege, and entrenched political power. If we are going 
             to succeed against these forces, we have to know how to 
             fight, and we have to be willing to fight. As our 
             colleagues here in the Senate know very well, Senator 
             Feingold is equally skilled at building bridges across the 
             aisle and tenaciously carrying the fight to those who 
             oppose progressive change.
               Most famously, we witnessed these talents during Senator 
             Feingold's relentless campaign to pass the landmark 2002 
             Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act, better known as the 
             McCain-Feingold law. Senator Feingold and his legislative 
             partner, Senator John McCain, championed this legislation 
             for nearly 2 years, overcoming stiff resistance from both 
             parties, as well as from powerful interests outside the 
             Senate. They faced countless obstacles but refused to give 
             up. They won.
               Again, in 2007, in the wake of the Abramoff scandals, 
             Senator Feingold played the key role in pushing through 
             the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act, a tough 
             ethics and lobbying reform bill, which included stringent 
             disclosure requirements and a crackdown on abusive 
             practices by lobbyists.
               As chair of the Judiciary Committee's Constitution 
             Subcommittee, Senator Feingold cast the Senate's lone vote 
             against the USA PATRIOT Act.
               For nearly two decades in this body, Senator Feingold 
             has been an outspoken champion of working Americans--
             fighting for safer workplaces, the right to organize, 
             stronger public schools, better access to higher education 
             and health care. He has always stood up for Wisconsin's 
             family farmers and rural communities.
               Senator Feingold has accomplished important and even 
             historic things during his tenure as a U.S. Senator. But, 
             in my book, the highest accolade is simply that Russ 
             Feingold is a good and decent person, with a passion for 
             fairness, social justice, and honest government.
               For me, it has been a great honor to be his friend and 
             colleague for the last 18 years. Our friendship, of 
             course, will continue--as will Russ Feingold's fight for 
             the progressive causes we both believe in.
               Our great friend Paul Wellstone used to say that ``the 
             future belongs to those with passion.'' By that 
             definition, Russ Feingold has a wonderful future ahead of 
             him. I join with the entire Senate family in wishing him 
             the very best in the years ahead.

               Mr. CARPER. Russ Feingold may be best known for his work 
             on campaign finance reform, but I admire his work very 
             much on helping to strengthen the President's rescission 
             powers. I think the seeds he has planted there will bear 
             fruit maybe next year.
               So to him and the others who are leaving us, I say what 
             a joy it was to serve with them, and I especially want to 
             commend and thank you for remembering them as you have 
             done today.
                                              Monday, December 20, 2010
               Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I rise today to offer some 
             remarks on the departure of my friend, the junior Senator 
             from Wisconsin. Senator Russ Feingold, the fierce and 
             independent Democrat who has served the good people of his 
             State for 18 years, will be departing at the end of this 
             session. He will certainly be missed.
               Senator Feingold was born in 1953 in Janesville, WI. He 
             received his bachelor's degree from the University of 
             Wisconsin and then went to the University of Oxford on a 
             Rhodes scholarship. After returning to the United States, 
             he attended and graduated from Harvard Law School and then 
             went back to Wisconsin to begin a career as a lawyer in 
             private practice.
               While Russ was a long-time political activist, having 
             volunteered and worked on a number of election campaigns, 
             he began his career in public service in 1982 when he was 
             elected to serve the first of two terms in the Wisconsin 
             State Senate. Ten years later, he was elected to serve in 
             the U.S. Senate, and he has been here ever since.
               I don't think it is any secret that Russ and I tend to 
             disagree on most issues. But, I have always admired his 
             commitment to his principles and his devotion to his 
             beliefs. Now, I may give Democrats a hard time every now 
             and then with my criticism, particularly when I find 
             myself at odds with their agenda. But, I have never been 
             able to fault Senator Feingold personally because I 
             believe he is a principled public servant who is simply 
             trying to do what he believes is best for the country. He 
             has been willing to do so even when it has been unpopular 
             or when the majority of his own party was moving in a 
             different direction.
               Russ has a reputation for being a contrarian at times. 
             To be honest, I think he is probably proud of that fact. 
             While he has certainly earned that reputation, I have 
             always believed his actions and his positions--including 
             those I have strongly disagreed with--have been rooted in 
             his sincerely held beliefs.
               Throughout his time in the Senate, Senator Feingold has 
             been a fierce, articulate, and effective advocate for his 
             ideals. While he and I have rarely been in agreement, he 
             has always had my respect and admiration. I want to wish 
             him the best of luck in any future endeavors.
                                             Tuesday, December 21, 2010
               Mr. COBURN. Mr. President, I wish to take 2 more minutes 
             to pay a compliment to one of my colleagues.
               When I came to the Senate, I visited almost every Member 
             of the Senate on the other side of the aisle. I had a 
             wonderful visit with the Senator from Wisconsin. We 
             actually--although we are totally opposite in our 
             philosophical leanings--had a wonderful time visiting 
             together.
               Senator Feingold is my idea of a great Senator. I want 
             to tell you why.
               I left that meeting, and about a week later, I got a 
             note from him first of all thanking me for taking the 
             initiative to come and meet with him, but also a 
             commitment that he would always be straight with me, that 
             when he gave me his word and handshake, it would always be 
             that way, and that I could count on him standing for what 
             he believed in but knowing he would do the things we 
             needed to do to get things done.
               In the last 6 years in this Chamber I have watched one 
             man of great integrity keep his word and hold to his 
             values through every crisis and every vote. And every time 
             it was taken where we had to come together to do 
             something, this gentleman kept his character. He kept his 
             word. He fulfilled the best aspects of the tradition of 
             the Senate.
               Although I often--most of the time--am on the opposite 
             side of issues from Senator Russ Feingold, I want to tell 
             you, he has my utmost admiration and my hope that more 
             would follow his principled stand and his wonderful comity 
             as he deals with those on the other side of the aisle.
                                           Wednesday, December 22, 2010
               Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute 
             to my colleague and friend, Senator Russ Feingold.
               I have had the privilege of serving with Senator 
             Feingold since he and I were both elected to the U.S. 
             Senate in 1992. Over the past 18 years, Senator Feingold 
             has been an independent, passionate advocate for his State 
             and his Nation. He was consistently a voice of conscience 
             in the Senate, never afraid to ask the tough questions or 
             to speak out against policies he believed were flawed.
               Over the years, Senator Feingold has distinguished 
             himself as a leading expert on foreign and domestic policy 
             who is willing to work across party lines to get the job 
             done, whether it was reforming our Nation's campaign 
             finance laws or working to end the atrocities committed by 
             Ugandan rebels in the Lord's Resistance Army.
               I have had the privilege of sitting next to Senator 
             Feingold in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. I have 
             been proud to witness how, as the chair of the 
             Subcommittee on African Affairs, he has led the Senate in 
             recognizing and addressing many of Africa's unique issues 
             and challenges. He was one of the first to speak out about 
             the genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan. He has 
             advocated for an end to the illicit mining of minerals 
             that support armed conflict in the Democratic Republic of 
             Congo. And he has placed a spotlight on drug trafficking 
             in West Africa, the threat of terrorism in Somalia, and 
             the effects of global diseases such as malaria on African 
             populations.
               Senator Feingold is a great reformer, taking the lead on 
             campaign finance reform and on the Army Corps of 
             Engineers.
               Senator Feingold has been such an incredible champion 
             for human rights, and I am personally grateful for his 
             work on women's rights, particularly his commitment to 
             combating violence against women and girls worldwide.
               His passion, expertise, and dedication to these issues 
             are unmatched and will be greatly missed.

               Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, when the 111th Congress 
             draws to a close, we will bid farewell to 16 colleagues 
             who have collectively given more than 200 years of service 
             to our Nation through their service in the Senate. These 
             include seven of the Senate's most experienced Members. 
             People like Chris Dodd and Arlen Specter who have each 
             served five terms in the Senate. Kit Bond who has served 
             four terms and Bob Bennett, Byron Dorgan, Russ Feingold, 
             and Judd Gregg, who have each served three terms in this 
             Chamber. ...
               Russ Feingold may have earned his place in history for 
             his work on campaign finance reform but I will also 
             appreciate him for his efforts to ensure that members of 
             the National Guard and Reserve do not fall through the 
             cracks when they return home with battlefield injuries. 
             Senator Feingold and I teamed on the Wounded Warrior 
             Transition Act, a portion of which was included in the 
             National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010. I 
             will continue to pursue the remaining provisions in the 
             new Congress. ...
               It has been an honor and a pleasure to serve with each 
             of the people who will leave this Chamber when we adjourn 
             sine die. Each has made substantial contributions to their 
             States, to the Nation, and to the Senate during their time 
             here.
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