Russ Feingold: Standing up for Wisconsin

"Feingold won big after voting against the Iraq war and Bush's tax cuts, and having cast the lone vote in the Senate against the Patriot Act" -Chicago Tribune

Russ Feingold is an independent voice in the United States Senate. Best known for leading the fight for campaign finance reform in the Senate with Republican Senator John McCain, Feingold has been a tireless leader in bipartisan efforts to restore fiscal discipline in Congress and reduce the federal deficit. Senator Feingold also cast the lone vote against the USA PATRIOT Act in 2001 and has continued to be a leader in the bipartisan effort to protect our rights and freedoms and fix the flawed provisions of the Act.

When he first ran for the U.S. Senate in 1992, Senator Feingold pledged to hold town hall style listening sessions in every one of Wisconsin’s 72 counties every year. To date he has held over 1,000 listening sessions. These listening sessions provide the people of Wisconsin an opportunity to discuss issues directly with Senator Feingold without an appointment, without making a political contribution, and without having to go to Washington, DC. These town hall meetings have been the foundation and driving force behind Feingold’s legislative agenda, and in the last year he has brought his signature listening sessions outside of Wisconsin to states such as Alabama, Pennsylvania, Vermont and New Hampshire.

A National Leader in Domestic and Foreign Policy

Senator Feingold has a long record of accomplishment on reform issues including his key leadership role in the successful efforts to pass the congressional gift ban and lobbying disclosure legislation, as well as work on many other reform initiatives.

Feingold is also recognized leader in the fight to cut wasteful spending and reduce the nation's growing deficit. A ten-time winner of the Concord Coalition's deficit hawk award, he is the lead author of legislation to institute Pay-As-You-Go legislation to enforce limits on federal spending in Congress. As a member of the Senate Budget Committee, he has worked with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to reform budget rules and restore fiscal sanity to the congressional budgeting process.

A member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Feingold has brought critical attention to the need to combat terrorism without undermining the rights and freedoms of law-abiding Americans. He has been a leader on the fight to fix the USA PATRIOT Act and has been an outspoken critic of the illegal secret wiretapping of US citizens by the Bush administration.

As a member of the Foreign Relations Committee, and the Ranking Member of the Africa Subcommittee, Feingold brings a critical focus to the fight against terrorism. Feingold opposed the war with Iraq because he understood from the start that it would direct critical resources away from the fight against the forces that attacked us September 11, 2001, and their allies. In August 2005, Senator Feingold became the first US Senator to propose a flexible target date for completion of our military mission and withdrawal of troops from Iraq. He believes that our seemingly indefinite military presence in Iraq is fueling the insurgency and is not creating the conditions needed for a smooth transfer of authority to the new Iraqi government.

Background

In 1917, Feingold's family settled in Janesville, Wisconsin, where he was born to parents Leon and Sylvia on March 2, 1953. 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, Feingold defeated a longtime incumbent and was elected to the Wisconsin State Senate for the 27th District. Feingold was re-elected in 1986 and 1990. When 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. Feingold was reelected to the Senate in 1998 and 2004.

Senator Feingold has two daughters, Jessica and Ellen. Feingold is a member of Beth Hillel Temple in Kenosha, Wisconsin. He lives in Middleton, Wisconsin.

Senate Committees

Russ serves on the following committees:

-- Committee on the Judiciary
-- Constitution Subcommittee, Chairman
-- Committee on Foreign Relations
-- Africa Subcommittee, Chairman
-- Committee on the Budget
-- Committee on Intelligence

Russ' Background

-- Elected to the Wisconsin State Senate in 1982; Re-elected 1986 and 1990
-- Practicing Attorney, Madison, Wisconsin, 1979 to 1985, at Foley & Lardner and La Follette & Sinykin

Russ' Education

-- Harvard University Law School, Juris Doctor with Honors, 1979
-- Rhodes Scholar, Final Honours School of Jurisprudence, Magdalen College, Oxford University, Bachelor of Arts with Honours, 1977
-- University of Wisconsin - Madison, Phi Beta Kappa, Bachelor of Arts with Honors, 1975
-- Janesville Craig High School, Janesville, Wisconsin, 1971

Read our Ten Things to Know About Russ.