Standing Up for the Lao-Hmong Community

"I greatly admire and respect the many contributions Wisconsin.s Lao and Hmong communities have made to this country both at home and abroad. Your courage and determination were invaluable throughout the Vietnam conflict, and are no less integral to your success here in the United States. With your help, we can continue to build strong ties between the many vibrant cultures that comprise this great nation. Thank you for all that you do for our country." -U.S. Senator Russ Feingold

Citizenship

Senator Feingold has championed efforts to honor Lao and Hmong immigrants for their commitment to strengthening our nation. He is an original co-sponsor of the Hmong Veterans' Naturalization Act, which facilitates the naturalization process for certain Lao and Hmong who assisted the United States during the Vietnam War. He also strongly supported a resolution requiring the President to issue a proclamation recognizing the contribution of the Lao-Hmong in defending freedom and democracy and supporting the goals of Lao-Hmong Recognition Day.

Immigration and Opposition to "English-Only" Legislation

As we work to protect our nation from future terrorist attacks, Senator Feingold will continue to be vigilant to ensure that government strikes the proper balance between securing our borders and respecting the important role that immigrants play in our society. In addition, Senator Feingold opposes so-called "English-Only" legislation that seeks to make English the official language because he believes diversity in language and culture enriches American society.

Education

Senator Feingold co-sponsored the Dream Act, which will allow undocumented children who have lived in the U.S. for a significant period of time to obtain legal status and give them the opportunity to attend college. In addition, he supports bilingual education, parent assistance programs, and early college awareness programs for low-income youth. Senator Feingold also supports adult English-as-a-Second-Language programs, and he has serious concerns about mandatory high stakes testing.

Health Care

The health care system in America is in disrepair and needs crucial reform. Senator Feingold is dedicated to expanding and guaranteeing the availability of health care to everyone. He feels strongly that an individual's health should not be compromised because of income or geographic location. To make quality health care available for every American, he has consistently fought to protect Medicare, ensure adequate funding for Medicaid, pass a meaningful Patient's Bill of Rights, and provide affordable prescription drugs for seniors. Senator Feingold has also taken a lead role in legislation that increases access to dental care for the poor and the uninsured.

Normalized Trade Relations with Laos

Senator Feingold is disturbed by the Lao government's appalling human rights record and by reports indicating that it continues to deteriorate, and believes that until this issue is addressed the U.S. should not seek to normalize trade relations. The Lao government must respect the basic human rights of all its citizens. Senator Feingold also called upon the government of Laos to allow international humanitarian organizations to have access to areas in which Hmong and other ethnic minorities have resettled, to allow independent monitoring of prison conditions, and to release prisoners who have been arbitrarily arrested because of their political or religious beliefs. He voted against normalizing trade relations with China, in part, for similar reasons, and will oppose normalizing trade relations with Laos until these human rights concerns are addressed.

Civil Liberties, Civil Rights, and Racial Profiling

In the aftermath of September 11, 2001, Senator Feingold was the only US Senator that opposed the so-called USA Patriot Act, a bill that deeply infringed on core rights protected by the US Constitution. He believes that while it is absolutely critical that we fight terrorism, we must be careful not to degrade the very values that make us American. He also strongly believes that the civil rights of all individuals should be vigorously upheld regardless of race, religion, national origin, gender, age, or disability. Jobs, schools, and housing decisions must not be made on the basis of race or nationality. To that end, Senator Feingold has authored a bill addressing the problem of racial profiling.

Welfare Reform

Senator Feingold believes that while we must work to reduce the welfare rolls, we also have a responsibility to help current and former welfare recipients to break the cycle of poverty. For those that are trying to make the transition from welfare to work, it is critical to make available quality child care, reliable transportation, and appropriate job training and education programs, including English-as-a-Second-Language programs.

Read More

Senators call for more funding, (WisInfo.com, June 25, 2004)

Help resettle Hmong refugees, (Wisconsin State Journal, June 15, 2004)

More Hmong resettlement funding is requested, (Green Bay Press-Gazette, June 3, 2004)

Hmong refugees find new hope, (Capital Times, March 26, 2004)