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Russell Dana Feingold (born March 2, 1953) is a member of the Democratic Party who has served in the United States Senate for the state of Wisconsin since 1992. He was born in Janesville, Wisconsin and graduated from Joseph A. Craig High School. He later graduated from UW-Madison with honors in 1975, went to the University of Oxford on a Rhodes Scholarship in 1977, and finished Harvard University Law School in 1979 with honors. He worked as an attorney at law for Foley & Lardner and La Follette & Sinykin from 1979 until 1985. In 1982 he was elected to the Wisconsin State Senate where he served until his election to the United States Senate.
Feingold's senatorial career began in 1992 with a surprising victory over Republican incumbent Robert Kasten. Feingold won the Democratic senate primary against two formidable opponents, then produced several offbeat political ads emphasizing Kasten's lack of availability to the people of Wisconsin during the general election. The nation was stunned by Feingold's victory, won on a pittance of campaign money. Kasten was as well; he broke into tears in his concession speech. Feingold, meanwhile, celebrated his victory in a high school gymnasium.
Senator Feingold is perhaps best known for his work alongside Senator John McCain on the campaign finance reform law, the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002, known as the McCain-Feingold bill. He also supports issues such as health care reform, gay rights, education, AIDS prevention, environmentalism, a stronger foreign policy, senior citizens' issues, preserving Social Security, energy conservation, and abolishing the death penalty. Senator Feingold was the only senator to vote against the USA PATRIOT Act which he believes severely and unnecessarily limits Americans' civil rights.
As the Supreme Court has upheld the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002, the Senator has recently turned his attention to another issue which he had previously fought against. Feingold, who has contested congressional pay raises in the past, has promised to fight House Resolution 2989 when it reaches the Senate floor. The law in question, which was approved by a 240-173 vote on September 11, 2003, the second anniversary of the terrorist attacks, would raise Congressional salaries by 2.2 percent, to approximately $158,000 in 2004. Since his election into office in 1992, Feingold has returned more than $50,000 of pay raises to the U.S. Treasury.
Senator Feingold regularly holds "listening sessions" in all 72 Wisconsin counties to listen to his constituents' concerns, and has held more than 850 since he was elected to office.
In the 2004 Senate elections, Feingold is currently running against Republican Tim Michels, a former Airborne Army Ranger.
Committee Assignments
- Committee on the Judiciary
- Constitution Subcommittee, ranking member
- Committee on Foreign Relations
- Africa Subcommittee, ranking member
- Committee on the Budget
- Special Committee on Aging
External link
| Preceded by: Robert W. Kasten, Jr. |
U.S. Senators from Wisconsin | Succeeded by: (Currently in Office) |