Russ' Accomplishments

Russ Feingold's accomplishments reflect a Wisconsin tradition of progressive politics. Russ has succeeded in bringing fiscal responsibility to Washington, cutting government waste, and standing with the people against the special interests. For his commitment to fiscal responsibility, Senator Feingold has been hailed as a "Deficit Hawk" by the Concord Coalition and deemed a "Taxpayer Hero" by Taxpayers for Common Sense.

This past March, Russ and Senator John McCain celebrated the success of their bipartisan campaign finance reform bill. McCain-Feingold puts an end to the practice of "soft money" contributions–contributions made by wealthy donors to political parties, in exchange for political access or favors. Senator Feingold and Senator McCain fought for almost seven years to end this corruption in our political system, and they succeeded in passing the most comprehensive reform legislation in 30 years. McCain-Feingold will take nearly half a billion dollars of corrupting soft money out of politics, and give people back their voice in government.

Senator Feingold has taken the lead on important issues facing Wisconsin and our nation:

• Senator Feingold is the leading proponent in the Senate of abolishing the death penalty. Most recently, Senator Feingold introduced the National Death Penalty Moratorium Act, a bill that would suspend executions at both the state and federal levels while a blue ribbon commission reviews the administration of the death penalty in our nation.
• Senator Feingold is fighting to end regional inequities in Medicare. While Wisconsin residents pay the same Medicare payroll taxes as the rest of the country, on average they receive fewer benefits. A new initiative from Senator Feingold would ensure that Wisconsin residents receive their fair share of benefits from our national Medicare system.
• Senator Feingold has introduced legislation to protect Social Security and ensure that Congress reaches a balanced budget through fiscal responsibility, instead of using the Social Security Trust Fund to cover up the budget deficit.
• Senator Feingold has introduced legislation to reduce class sizes in our nation's schools. The bill is modeled after a successful class size reduction initiative in Wisconsin, which is widely supported by Wisconsin educators and has been proven to improve academic performance.
• Senator Feingold has consistently spoken out for the needs of family farms in Washington D.C. by opposing agricultural mega-mergers and fighting for price fairness in the dairy industry.
• Senator Feingold was the only senator to vote against President Bush's anti-terrorism legislation, because it did not balance the fight against terrorism with preserving civil liberties.
• Russ has also been a leader on modernizing Medicare, increasing health care and economic opportunity for rural regions, conserving the environment, and much more.

Senator Feingold has succeeded in reaching across the aisle to gather support for important causes and work in the national interest. Recently, Senator Feingold worked with Senator Susan Collins of Maine to provide life-saving defibrillation equipment to public schools and rural areas, collaborated with Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah to speed up the benefits claims process for veterans, and teamed up with Senator Larry Craig of Idaho to ensure that Midwestern dairy farmers receive a fair price for their milk. As Russ says, "I find it to be the most satisfying moment in politics when people of differing ideologies come together in support of an issue."

Just as Russ works from his principles in the U.S. Senate, so does he stand on his principles when he campaigns. When Russ first ran for the U.S. Senate in 1992, having served as a Wisconsin State Senator for 10 years, he faced two better-known and better-financed opponents for the nomination. Russ' grassroots campaign and pledge to avoid negative advertising, as well as his innovative and humorous TV spots, earned him 70% of the vote in the primary. Armed with an 82-point plan to reduce the federal budget deficit and an enthusiastic grassroots campaign, Russ defeated two-term incumbent Bob Kasten to join the U.S. Senate.

For his re-election in 1998, Russ ran his campaign according to the rules of his own campaign finance reform bill, even though the bill was not yet law and his challenger, Congressman Mark Neumann, did not agree to follow these rules. Russ did not accept soft money contributions from the Democratic Party or outside groups and requested that they not run political advertisements or phony "issue ads" on his behalf. In addition, Russ promised to follow even more stringent campaign finance guidelines than the ones contained in his bill. He kept his campaign expenditures down to $1 per eligible Wisconsin voter, raised 10% of his campaign funds from PACs. Despite the fact that Russ was outspent by millions of dollars, Wisconsin voters responded to Russ' record of accomplishments and message of clean campaigns, and awarded him a second term.

Russ will continue to fight in the Senate for issues that are important to working families. From protecting Social Security to modernizing Medicare, from raising the minimum wage to reducing class sizes, Russ is standing with the people instead of the special interests–a Wisconsin progressive tradition.