[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.