TRIBUTES TO HON. RUSSELL D. FEINGOLD 

Russell D. Feingold 

U.S. SENATOR FROM WISCONSIN 

TRIBUTES 

IN THE CONGRESS OF 

THE UNITED STATES 

UNUM

E PLURIBUS


congress.#15
Russell D. Feingold 


64810.001
U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE

WASHINGTON : 2012

S. DOC. 111–31 

Tributes 

Delivered in Congress 

Russell D. Feingold 

United States Senator 

1993–2011 

÷ 

Compiled under the direction 

of the 

Joint Committee on Printing 

[ iii ] 

CONTENTS 

Page 

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 

[ v ] 

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 

[ vi ] 

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 payas-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 bipartisansupported amendment was based on a provision of his Control Spending Now Act and would have provided immediate 

savings of $563 million. 

[ vii ] 

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 AfVerDate Aug 31 2005 13:21 May 21, 2012 Jkt 064810 PO 00000 Frm 00011 Fmt 6688 Sfmt 6688 H:\DOCS\BYEBYE\BYEBYE10\64810.TXT KAYNE
[ viii ] 

rica 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 

[ 3 ] 

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. 

[ 4 ] 

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 

[ 5 ] 

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 leavVerDate Aug 31 2005 13:21 May 21, 2012 Jkt 064810 PO 00000 Frm 00017 Fmt 6688 Sfmt 6688 H:\DOCS\BYEBYE\BYEBYE10\64810.TXT KAYNE
[ 6 ] 

ing 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: 

[ 7 ] 

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. 

[ 8 ] 

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 

[ 9 ] 

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 WisVerDate Aug 31 2005 13:21 May 21, 2012 Jkt 064810 PO 00000 Frm 00021 Fmt 6688 Sfmt 6688 H:\DOCS\BYEBYE\BYEBYE10\64810.TXT KAYNE
[ 10 ] 

consin 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 independentminded 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 

[ 11 ] 

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 

[ 12 ] 

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 

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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 ethVerDate Aug 31 2005 13:21 May 21, 2012 Jkt 064810 PO 00000 Frm 00025 Fmt 6688 Sfmt 6688 H:\DOCS\BYEBYE\BYEBYE10\64810.TXT KAYNE
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ics 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 

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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 wonderVerDate Aug 31 2005 13:21 May 21, 2012 Jkt 064810 PO 00000 Frm 00027 Fmt 6688 Sfmt 6688 H:\DOCS\BYEBYE\BYEBYE10\64810.TXT KAYNE
[ 16 ] 

ful 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 

[ 17 ] 

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. 

Æ