Jim Sensenbrenner
Encyclopedia
Frank James Sensenbrenner, Jr. (born June 14, 1943) is an American
politician who has been a member of the Republican Party
in the United States House of Representatives
since 1979, representing (map). The district, the state's richest, includes many of Milwaukee's northern and western suburbs, and extends into rural Jefferson County
. It was numbered as the 9th District until 2003. He has been a strong proponent of the Bush Administration
's War on Terror
.
He is the former Chairman of the House Science Committee
and the former Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee
; when the Republicans lost control of the House, he finished his six-year term as Chairman, and was not able to be chosen as the Judiciary Committee's ranking minority member (that honor went to Lamar S. Smith
of Texas
). He served as the Ranking Republican on the House Select Committee for Energy Independence and Global Warming
from 2007 to 2011, when Republicans abolished the committee after regaining control of the House.
, and attended the private Milwaukee Country Day School
, from which he graduated in 1961. He matriculated
at Stanford University
and graduated with a B.A.
in Political Science
in 1965. He received his Juris Doctor
degree from the University of Wisconsin Law School
in 1968.
While at Stanford, Sensenbrenner served as staff assistant to California Congressman J. Arthur Younger
.
Sensenbrenner was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly
in 1968, the same year he graduated from law school. He was there until 1975, and in the Wisconsin State Senate
from 1975 to early 1979.
vacated his seat to run for governor in 1978, Sensenbrenner ran in the election to succeed him, defeating his primary opponent, Susan Engeleiter
, by 589 votes with a plurality of 43%. He was elected in November 1978 with 61%, and has been reelected 16 more times with no substantive opposition, sometimes running unopposed. His district was renumbered as the 5th after the 2000 census, when Wisconsin lost a district. He has never won re-election with less than 62% of the vote. In fact, his worst two re-elections were in 2004, when he defeated UW-Milwaukee professor Bryan Kennedy with 67% of the vote, and in 2006 defeated him in a rematch with 62%.
of former U.S. President
Bill Clinton
, acting as one of the House managers.
Sensenbrenner introduced the USA PATRIOT Act
to the House on October 23, 2001. Sensenbrenner did not write the USA PATRIOT Act
; the primary author was Assistant Attorney General of the United States
Viet Dinh. In November 2004, Sensenbrenner and California Congressman Duncan Hunter
objected to provisions of a bill that, among other things, created a Director of National Intelligence
, a key recommendation of the 9/11 Commission.
In 2005, Sensenbrenner authored the Real ID Act
, which requires additional scrutiny of citizenship before issuing drivers' licenses and set forth certain requirements for state driver's licenses to make it more difficult for terrorists and criminals to alter their identity by counterfeiting documents. He attached the controversial act as a rider on military spending bill HR418. Subsequently, it was passed by the Senate without debate. In March 2005, Sensenbrenner sided firmly with the parents and siblings in the Terri Schiavo case
, who fought unsuccessfully in the federal courts to secure home care of their mentally-damaged daughter.
Sensenbrenner believes in criminal prosecution of broadcasters and cable operators who violate decency standards as opposed to the current FCC
regulatory methods.
On June 17, 2005, Sensenbrenner, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, abruptly ended a meeting where Republicans and Democrats were supposed to be debating the renewal of the USA PATRIOT Act
and walked out in response to Democratic members raising issues regarding human rights
violations at the U.S. military prison in Guantanamo Bay
and the ongoing Iraq war. He ordered the court reporter to halt transcriptions of the proceedings, C-SPAN
cameras covering the meeting be shut off, and that discussion on the issue be halted. Sensenbrenner defended his actions by claiming that the Democrats and witnesses had repeatedly violated House rules in discussing issues he believed to be unrelated to the subject of the meeting. His abrupt walkout was contrary to House parliamentary procedure
, which is to adjourn either on motion or without objection. Political journalist Matt Taibbi described the incident in a profile of the 109th Congress published around October 2006: "Last year, Sensenbrenner became apoplectic when Democrats who wanted to hold a hearing on the Patriot Act invoked a little-known rule that required him to let them have one. "Naturally, he scheduled it for something like 9 a.m. on a Friday when Congress wasn't in session, hoping that no one would show," recalls a Democratic staffer who attended the hearing. "But we got a pretty good turnout anyway." Sensenbrenner kept trying to gavel the hearing to a close, but Democrats again pointed to the rules, which said they had a certain amount of time to examine their witnesses. When they refused to stop the proceedings, the chairman did something unprecedented: He simply picked up his gavel and walked out. "He was like a kid at the playground," the staffer says. And just in case anyone missed the point, Sensenbrenner shut off the lights and cut the microphones on his way out of the room. Commenting on Sensenbrenner's actions on The Daily Show
, comedian Jon Stewart
said, "Oh my God, he literally took his gavel and went home; we are officially being governed by children."
Sensenbrenner was the main sponsor of H.R. 4437
, a bill passed by the House in 2005 that would provide additional criminal penalties for aiding and abetting illegal immigration to the United States
.
On September 8, 2005, Sensenbrenner voted against a bill to provide $50 billion in emergency aid to victims of Hurricane Katrina
. The bill passed and was signed into law by President George W. Bush
.
On December 16, 2005, Sensenbrenner introduced the Digital Transition Content Security Act
. In 2006, it was reported that Sensenbrenner would help lead the effort to pass the Intellectual Property Protection Act of 2006
, which is supported by large copyright
holders and opposed by fair use
activists.
Sensenbrenner receives high marks from the National Taxpayers Union
, a non-profit organization
that supports low taxes.
In 2006, Sensenbrenner joined with House Speaker Dennis Hastert
in expressing outrage concerning the FBI raid of the congressional office of Democratic Representative William J. Jefferson
, asserting constitutional concerns over separation of powers
. He held Judiciary Committee hearings in May 2006 on this issue. Many Republican and conservative pundits, including Rush Limbaugh
, took a dim view of this stance, and a June 1, 2006, ABC News
poll found 86% of Americans supported the right of the FBI to search a congressional office when they obtain a warrant
.
In fall 2006, The Animal Fighting Prohibition Act bill unanimously passed the Senate, but Sensenbrenner used his position to block final House consideration of the legislation, even though the bill had 324 co-sponsors. The act creates felony
-level penalties for animal fighting activities. The Right to Life Act had hearings scheduled for December 12, 2006 at 10 am, but Sensenbrenner cancelled them right before the House adjourned on December 9 at 3:17am. The purpose of H.R. 552 is to "implement equal protection ... for the right to life of each born and preborn human person." In the 109th Congress, the legislation collected 101 cosponsors.
Sensenbrenner was the only Republican to join House Speaker Nancy Pelosi
's Congressional delegation to meet the Dalai Lama
in Dharamsala
, India
during the March 2008 protests against China by Tibet
ans. While there he said, "In the US Congress, there is no division between Democrats and Republicans on the issue of protecting Tibetan culture and eliminating repression against Tibetans around the world".
Sensenbrenner was named the 2006 "Man of the Year" by the conservative
publication Human Events
because of his opposition to open-borders immigration policies. In contrast, in the same year he was rated the second-worst member of the House by Rolling Stone
, which dubbed him "the dictator
".
In 2009, by a voice vote
, the US Federal House
approved H.R.
445, the Heavy Duty Hybrid Vehicle Research, Development, and Demonstration Act of 2009, authored by Sensenbrenner.
Sensenbrenner, in spite of unanimous Congressional support, attempted to delay a bill in December 2010 that would have been benefited Hotaru Ferschke the Japanese born widow of a United States Marine killed in combat. Congressman John Duncan and other supporters of Ms. Ferschke were able to get the bill passed in spite of Sensenbrenner's objections.
. The couple has two sons, Frank (born 1981), and Bob (born 1984). When not in Washington, Sensenbrenner resides in Menomonee Falls. His family also owns a summer home on Pine Lake near Delafield
.
Sensenbrenner has a net worth of about $11.6 million. He has put his money into stocks, as detailed in the Congressional Record
. The Sunlight Foundation
pointed out that among the 435 members of the U.S. House of Representatives, Sensenbrenner has the fourth-highest amount of investment in oil stocks.
In January 1998, Sensenbrenner won $250,000 on a D.C. Lottery
ticket, purchased on December 18, 1997 at Congressional Liquors, the liquor store on Capitol Hill. He won $1,000 in the Wisconsin Lottery
in the spring of 2007, and he won another $1,000 in that state's Super 2nd Chance lottery in September, 2007.
In August 2009, Sensenbrenner announced that he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. His doctor said the cancer was caught in the early stages when the cure rate is between 85-95 percent.
Sensenbrenner was the top-ranking House member in terms of travel costs paid by private interests from 2001 to mid-2005. In 2005, he reported more privately funded travel than any other member of Congress. Between January 2000 and July 2006, he took about $200,000 worth of privately funded travel.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
politician who has been a member of the Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
in the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
since 1979, representing (map). The district, the state's richest, includes many of Milwaukee's northern and western suburbs, and extends into rural Jefferson County
Jefferson County, Wisconsin
Jefferson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2000, the population was 74,021. Its county seat is Jefferson.-Geography:According to the U.S...
. It was numbered as the 9th District until 2003. He has been a strong proponent of the Bush Administration
George W. Bush administration
The presidency of George W. Bush began on January 20, 2001, when he was inaugurated as the 43rd President of the United States of America. The oldest son of former president George H. W. Bush, George W...
's War on Terror
War on Terror
The War on Terror is a term commonly applied to an international military campaign led by the United States and the United Kingdom with the support of other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation as well as non-NATO countries...
.
He is the former Chairman of the House Science Committee
United States House Committee on Science
The Committee on Science, Space and Technology is a committee of the United States House of Representatives. It has jurisdiction over non-defense federal scientific research and development...
and the former Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee
United States House Committee on the Judiciary
The U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary, also called the House Judiciary Committee, is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives. It is charged with overseeing the administration of justice within the federal courts, administrative agencies and Federal law enforcement...
; when the Republicans lost control of the House, he finished his six-year term as Chairman, and was not able to be chosen as the Judiciary Committee's ranking minority member (that honor went to Lamar S. Smith
Lamar S. Smith
Lamar Seeligson Smith is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1987. The district includes most of the wealthier sections of San Antonio and Austin, as well as nearly all of the Texas Hill Country...
of Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
). He served as the Ranking Republican on the House Select Committee for Energy Independence and Global Warming
United States House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming
The House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming was a select committee of the U.S. House of Representatives. It was established March 8, 2007 through adoption of a resolution by a 269–150 vote of the full House...
from 2007 to 2011, when Republicans abolished the committee after regaining control of the House.
Early life, education, and early political career
Sensenbrenner was born in Chicago, Illinois, into a wealthy family. He was raised in Shorewood, WisconsinShorewood, Wisconsin
Shorewood is a village in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 13,763 at the 2000 census. Howell Raines of The New York Times said in 1979 that "[t]his maplestudded town on Lake Michigan dotes on its reputation as Milwaukee's most liberal suburb."-Geography:Shorewood is...
, and attended the private Milwaukee Country Day School
Milwaukee Country Day School
Milwaukee Country Day School was a country day school in Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin, a suburb of Milwaukee, under the headmastership of A. Gledden Santer , who had been operating a smaller school called St. Bernard's School since 1911; the school was begun in 1917, "incorporated by leading citizens."...
, from which he graduated in 1961. He matriculated
Matriculation
Matriculation, in the broadest sense, means to be registered or added to a list, from the Latin matricula – little list. In Scottish heraldry, for instance, a matriculation is a registration of armorial bearings...
at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
and graduated with a B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in Political Science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
in 1965. He received his Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
degree from the University of Wisconsin Law School
University of Wisconsin Law School
The University of Wisconsin Law School is the professional school for the study of law at the University of Wisconsin–Madison in Madison, Wisconsin. The law school was founded in 1868.-Facilities:...
in 1968.
While at Stanford, Sensenbrenner served as staff assistant to California Congressman J. Arthur Younger
J. Arthur Younger
Jesse Arthur Younger was a United States Representative from California. A member of the Republican Party, he was the first Representative from San Mateo County, California....
.
Sensenbrenner was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly
Wisconsin State Assembly
The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin....
in 1968, the same year he graduated from law school. He was there until 1975, and in the Wisconsin State Senate
Wisconsin State Senate
The Wisconsin Senate, the powers of which are modeled after those of the U.S. Senate, is the upper house of the Wisconsin State Legislature, smaller than the Wisconsin State Assembly...
from 1975 to early 1979.
Elections
When 9th District Congressman Bob KastenBob Kasten
Robert Walter "Bob" Kasten, Jr. , is a Republican politician from the state of Wisconsin who served as a U.S. Representative from 1975 to 1979 and as a U.S. Senator from 1981 to 1993.- Background :Kasten was born in Milwaukee...
vacated his seat to run for governor in 1978, Sensenbrenner ran in the election to succeed him, defeating his primary opponent, Susan Engeleiter
Susan Engeleiter
Susan Shannon Engeleiter is a member of the Republican Party who served in the Wisconsin State Senate from 1980 to 1989 and in the Wisconsin State Assembly from 1974 to 1979....
, by 589 votes with a plurality of 43%. He was elected in November 1978 with 61%, and has been reelected 16 more times with no substantive opposition, sometimes running unopposed. His district was renumbered as the 5th after the 2000 census, when Wisconsin lost a district. He has never won re-election with less than 62% of the vote. In fact, his worst two re-elections were in 2004, when he defeated UW-Milwaukee professor Bryan Kennedy with 67% of the vote, and in 2006 defeated him in a rematch with 62%.
Tenure
In 1998, Sensenbrenner had an important role in the impeachmentImpeachment of Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton, President of the United States, was impeached by the House of Representatives on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice on December 19, 1998, but acquitted by the Senate on February 12, 1999. Two other impeachment articles, a second perjury charge and a charge of abuse of...
of former U.S. President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
, acting as one of the House managers.
Sensenbrenner introduced the USA PATRIOT Act
USA PATRIOT Act
The USA PATRIOT Act is an Act of the U.S. Congress that was signed into law by President George W. Bush on October 26, 2001...
to the House on October 23, 2001. Sensenbrenner did not write the USA PATRIOT Act
USA PATRIOT Act
The USA PATRIOT Act is an Act of the U.S. Congress that was signed into law by President George W. Bush on October 26, 2001...
; the primary author was Assistant Attorney General of the United States
United States Assistant Attorney General
Many of the divisions and offices of the United States Department of Justice are headed by an Assistant Attorney General.The President of the United States appoints individuals to the position of Assistant Attorney General with the advice and consent of the Senate...
Viet Dinh. In November 2004, Sensenbrenner and California Congressman Duncan Hunter
Duncan Hunter
Duncan Lee Hunter is an American politician. He was a Republican member of the House of Representatives from California's 52nd, 45th and 42nd districts from 1981 to 2009....
objected to provisions of a bill that, among other things, created a Director of National Intelligence
United States Director of National Intelligence
The Director of National Intelligence , is the United States government official subject to the authority, direction and control of the President, who is responsible under the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 for:...
, a key recommendation of the 9/11 Commission.
In 2005, Sensenbrenner authored the Real ID Act
REAL ID Act
The REAL ID Act of 2005, , was an Act of Congress that modified U.S. federal law pertaining to security, authentication, and issuance procedures standards for the state driver's licenses and identification cards, as well as various immigration issues pertaining to terrorism.The law set forth...
, which requires additional scrutiny of citizenship before issuing drivers' licenses and set forth certain requirements for state driver's licenses to make it more difficult for terrorists and criminals to alter their identity by counterfeiting documents. He attached the controversial act as a rider on military spending bill HR418. Subsequently, it was passed by the Senate without debate. In March 2005, Sensenbrenner sided firmly with the parents and siblings in the Terri Schiavo case
Terri Schiavo case
The Terri Schiavo case was a legal battle in the United States between the legal guardians and the parents of Teresa Marie "Terri" Schiavo that lasted from 1998 to 2005...
, who fought unsuccessfully in the federal courts to secure home care of their mentally-damaged daughter.
Sensenbrenner believes in criminal prosecution of broadcasters and cable operators who violate decency standards as opposed to the current FCC
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
regulatory methods.
On June 17, 2005, Sensenbrenner, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, abruptly ended a meeting where Republicans and Democrats were supposed to be debating the renewal of the USA PATRIOT Act
USA PATRIOT Act
The USA PATRIOT Act is an Act of the U.S. Congress that was signed into law by President George W. Bush on October 26, 2001...
and walked out in response to Democratic members raising issues regarding human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
violations at the U.S. military prison in Guantanamo Bay
Guantanamo Bay detainment camp
The Guantanamo Bay detention camp is a detainment and interrogation facility of the United States located within Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba. The facility was established in 2002 by the Bush Administration to hold detainees from the war in Afghanistan and later Iraq...
and the ongoing Iraq war. He ordered the court reporter to halt transcriptions of the proceedings, C-SPAN
C-SPAN
C-SPAN , an acronym for Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network, is an American cable television network that offers coverage of federal government proceedings and other public affairs programming via its three television channels , one radio station and a group of websites that provide streaming...
cameras covering the meeting be shut off, and that discussion on the issue be halted. Sensenbrenner defended his actions by claiming that the Democrats and witnesses had repeatedly violated House rules in discussing issues he believed to be unrelated to the subject of the meeting. His abrupt walkout was contrary to House parliamentary procedure
Parliamentary procedure
Parliamentary procedure is the body of rules, ethics, and customs governing meetings and other operations of clubs, organizations, legislative bodies, and other deliberative assemblies...
, which is to adjourn either on motion or without objection. Political journalist Matt Taibbi described the incident in a profile of the 109th Congress published around October 2006: "Last year, Sensenbrenner became apoplectic when Democrats who wanted to hold a hearing on the Patriot Act invoked a little-known rule that required him to let them have one. "Naturally, he scheduled it for something like 9 a.m. on a Friday when Congress wasn't in session, hoping that no one would show," recalls a Democratic staffer who attended the hearing. "But we got a pretty good turnout anyway." Sensenbrenner kept trying to gavel the hearing to a close, but Democrats again pointed to the rules, which said they had a certain amount of time to examine their witnesses. When they refused to stop the proceedings, the chairman did something unprecedented: He simply picked up his gavel and walked out. "He was like a kid at the playground," the staffer says. And just in case anyone missed the point, Sensenbrenner shut off the lights and cut the microphones on his way out of the room. Commenting on Sensenbrenner's actions on The Daily Show
The Daily Show
The Daily Show , is an American late night satirical television program airing each Monday through Thursday on Comedy Central. The half-hour long show premiered on July 21, 1996, and was hosted by Craig Kilborn until December 1998...
, comedian Jon Stewart
Jon Stewart
Jon Stewart is an American political satirist, writer, television host, actor, media critic and stand-up comedian...
said, "Oh my God, he literally took his gavel and went home; we are officially being governed by children."
Sensenbrenner was the main sponsor of H.R. 4437
H.R. 4437
The Border Protection, Anti-terrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005 was a bill in the 109th United States Congress. It was passed by the United States House of Representatives on December 16, 2005 by a vote of 239 to 182 , but did not pass the Senate...
, a bill passed by the House in 2005 that would provide additional criminal penalties for aiding and abetting illegal immigration to the United States
Illegal immigration to the United States
An illegal immigrant in the United States is an alien who has entered the United States without government permission or stayed beyond the termination date of a visa....
.
On September 8, 2005, Sensenbrenner voted against a bill to provide $50 billion in emergency aid to victims of Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
. The bill passed and was signed into law by President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
.
On December 16, 2005, Sensenbrenner introduced the Digital Transition Content Security Act
Digital Transition Content Security Act
The United States The Digital Transition Content Security Act was a bill introduced by House Judiciary Committee Chairman James Sensenbrenner Jr., a Wisconsin Republican, on December 16, 2005. The bill was backed by Democratic Rep. John Conyers.Its goal is "To require certain analog conversion...
. In 2006, it was reported that Sensenbrenner would help lead the effort to pass the Intellectual Property Protection Act of 2006
Intellectual Property Protection Act of 2006
The Intellectual Property Protection Act of 2006 is a proposed bill, backed by Rep. Lamar S. Smith of Texas, that would greatly increase the scope of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act as well as adding an assorted number of laws and penalties relating to intellectual property.-Overview:The...
, which is supported by large copyright
Copyright
Copyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time...
holders and opposed by fair use
Fair use
Fair use is a limitation and exception to the exclusive right granted by copyright law to the author of a creative work. In United States copyright law, fair use is a doctrine that permits limited use of copyrighted material without acquiring permission from the rights holders...
activists.
Sensenbrenner receives high marks from the National Taxpayers Union
National Taxpayers Union
National Taxpayers Union is a taxpayers advocacy organization and taxpayers union in the United States, founded in 1969 by James Dale Davidson. NTU advertises that it is the largest and oldest grassroots taxpayer organization in the nation, with 362,000 members nationwide. It is closely...
, a non-profit organization
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
that supports low taxes.
In 2006, Sensenbrenner joined with House Speaker Dennis Hastert
Dennis Hastert
John Dennis "Denny" Hastert was the 59th Speaker of the House serving from 1999 to 2007. He represented as a Republican for twenty years, 1987 to 2007.He is the longest-serving Republican Speaker in history...
in expressing outrage concerning the FBI raid of the congressional office of Democratic Representative William J. Jefferson
William J. Jefferson
William Jennings "Bill" Jefferson is a former American politician, and a published author from the U.S. state of Louisiana. He served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for nine terms from 1991 to 2009 as a member of the Democratic Party. He represented , which includes much of the...
, asserting constitutional concerns over separation of powers
Separation of powers
The separation of powers, often imprecisely used interchangeably with the trias politica principle, is a model for the governance of a state. The model was first developed in ancient Greece and came into widespread use by the Roman Republic as part of the unmodified Constitution of the Roman Republic...
. He held Judiciary Committee hearings in May 2006 on this issue. Many Republican and conservative pundits, including Rush Limbaugh
Rush Limbaugh
Rush Hudson Limbaugh III is an American radio talk show host, conservative political commentator, and an opinion leader in American conservatism. He hosts The Rush Limbaugh Show which is aired throughout the U.S. on Premiere Radio Networks and is the highest-rated talk-radio program in the United...
, took a dim view of this stance, and a June 1, 2006, ABC News
ABC News
ABC News is the news gathering and broadcasting division of American broadcast television network ABC, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company...
poll found 86% of Americans supported the right of the FBI to search a congressional office when they obtain a warrant
Warrant (law)
Most often, the term warrant refers to a specific type of authorization; a writ issued by a competent officer, usually a judge or magistrate, which permits an otherwise illegal act that would violate individual rights and affords the person executing the writ protection from damages if the act is...
.
In fall 2006, The Animal Fighting Prohibition Act bill unanimously passed the Senate, but Sensenbrenner used his position to block final House consideration of the legislation, even though the bill had 324 co-sponsors. The act creates felony
Felony
A felony is a serious crime in the common law countries. The term originates from English common law where felonies were originally crimes which involved the confiscation of a convicted person's land and goods; other crimes were called misdemeanors...
-level penalties for animal fighting activities. The Right to Life Act had hearings scheduled for December 12, 2006 at 10 am, but Sensenbrenner cancelled them right before the House adjourned on December 9 at 3:17am. The purpose of H.R. 552 is to "implement equal protection ... for the right to life of each born and preborn human person." In the 109th Congress, the legislation collected 101 cosponsors.
Sensenbrenner was the only Republican to join House Speaker Nancy Pelosi
Nancy Pelosi
Nancy Patricia D'Alesandro Pelosi is the Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives and served as the 60th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 2007 to 2011...
's Congressional delegation to meet the Dalai Lama
Dalai Lama
The Dalai Lama is a high lama in the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" branch of Tibetan Buddhism. The name is a combination of the Mongolian word далай meaning "Ocean" and the Tibetan word bla-ma meaning "teacher"...
in Dharamsala
Dharamsala
Dharamshala or Dharamsala is a city in northern India. It was formerly known as Bhagsu; it is the winter seat of government of the state of Himachal Pradesh and the district headquarters of the Kangra district....
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
during the March 2008 protests against China by Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
ans. While there he said, "In the US Congress, there is no division between Democrats and Republicans on the issue of protecting Tibetan culture and eliminating repression against Tibetans around the world".
Sensenbrenner was named the 2006 "Man of the Year" by the conservative
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
publication Human Events
Human Events
Human Events is a weekly American conservative magazine. It takes its name from the first sentence of the United States Declaration of Independence...
because of his opposition to open-borders immigration policies. In contrast, in the same year he was rated the second-worst member of the House by Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
, which dubbed him "the dictator
Dictator
A dictator is a ruler who assumes sole and absolute power but without hereditary ascension such as an absolute monarch. When other states call the head of state of a particular state a dictator, that state is called a dictatorship...
".
In 2009, by a voice vote
Voice vote
A voice vote is a voting method used by deliberative assemblies in which a vote is taken on a topic or motion by responding verbally....
, the US Federal House
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
approved H.R.
H.R.
H.R. is the stage name of Paul D. Hudson, the lead singer of the hardcore punk band Bad Brains. His vocals can be quite diverse, ranging from a rapid-fire nasal whine, to feral growling and screeches, to smooth near-crooning or staccato reggae rhymes...
445, the Heavy Duty Hybrid Vehicle Research, Development, and Demonstration Act of 2009, authored by Sensenbrenner.
Sensenbrenner, in spite of unanimous Congressional support, attempted to delay a bill in December 2010 that would have been benefited Hotaru Ferschke the Japanese born widow of a United States Marine killed in combat. Congressman John Duncan and other supporters of Ms. Ferschke were able to get the bill passed in spite of Sensenbrenner's objections.
Committee assignments
- Committee on the JudiciaryUnited States House Committee on the JudiciaryThe U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary, also called the House Judiciary Committee, is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives. It is charged with overseeing the administration of justice within the federal courts, administrative agencies and Federal law enforcement...
- Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland SecurityUnited States House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland SecurityThe House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security is a subcommittee within the House Judiciary Committee.-Jurisdiction:From the House Rules:...
(Chairman)
- Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security
- Committee on Science, Space, and Technology (Vice Chairman)
Caucus memberships
- Congressional Coalition on Adoption
- Congressional Grace Caucus
- International Conservation CaucusUnited States Congressional International Conservation CaucusThe U.S. Congressional International Conservation Caucus is a bipartisan congressional organization that was founded in September 2003 with the conviction that “the United States of America has the opportunity, the obligation and the interests to advance the conservation of natural resources for...
Personal life
In 1977, Sensenbrenner married Cheryl Warren, daughter of former state attorney general and U.S. District Court Judge Robert W. WarrenRobert W. Warren
Robert Willis Warren was a United States federal judge and politician from Wisconsin.Warren was born in Raton, New Mexico. He received a B.A. from Macalester College in 1950, an M.A. from the University of Minnesota in 1951, and a J.D. from the University of Wisconsin Law School in 1956...
. The couple has two sons, Frank (born 1981), and Bob (born 1984). When not in Washington, Sensenbrenner resides in Menomonee Falls. His family also owns a summer home on Pine Lake near Delafield
Delafield, Wisconsin
Delafield is a city in Waukesha County, Wisconsin, along the Bark River, and a suburb of Milwaukee. The population was 6,472 at the 2000 census....
.
Sensenbrenner has a net worth of about $11.6 million. He has put his money into stocks, as detailed in the Congressional Record
Congressional Record
The Congressional Record is the official record of the proceedings and debates of the United States Congress. It is published by the United States Government Printing Office, and is issued daily when the United States Congress is in session. Indexes are issued approximately every two weeks...
. The Sunlight Foundation
Sunlight Foundation
The Sunlight Foundation is a 501 educational organization founded in April 2006 with the goal of increasing transparency and accountability in the United States government....
pointed out that among the 435 members of the U.S. House of Representatives, Sensenbrenner has the fourth-highest amount of investment in oil stocks.
In January 1998, Sensenbrenner won $250,000 on a D.C. Lottery
D.C. Lottery
The D.C. Lottery is run by the city of Washington, the US capital. It is a charter member of the Multi-State Lottery Association . Games offered include Powerball, DC Daily 6, DC-5, DC-4, Keno, Mega Millions and numerous scratch tickets.The D.C. Lottery began in 1982...
ticket, purchased on December 18, 1997 at Congressional Liquors, the liquor store on Capitol Hill. He won $1,000 in the Wisconsin Lottery
Wisconsin Lottery
The Wisconsin Lottery is run by the government of Wisconsin. It is a member of the Multi-State Lottery Association . Its games consist of Mega Millions, Powerball, Megabucks, Supercash!, Badger 5, Pick 3, Pick 4, and scratch games....
in the spring of 2007, and he won another $1,000 in that state's Super 2nd Chance lottery in September, 2007.
In August 2009, Sensenbrenner announced that he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. His doctor said the cancer was caught in the early stages when the cure rate is between 85-95 percent.
Sensenbrenner was the top-ranking House member in terms of travel costs paid by private interests from 2001 to mid-2005. In 2005, he reported more privately funded travel than any other member of Congress. Between January 2000 and July 2006, he took about $200,000 worth of privately funded travel.
External links
- Congressman F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr. official U.S. House site
- Jim Sensenbrenner for Congress official campaign site
- Jim Sensenbrenner at PolitiFact
- Profile at SourceWatchSourceWatchSourceWatch is an internet wiki site that is a collaborative project of the liberal Center for Media and Democracy...
- Critique of Sensenbrenner at ThrowTheRascalsOut.org
- Sensenbrenner's opening statement at the Clinton impeachment trial January 14, 1999
- The Worst Congress Ever Matt Taibbi, Rolling Stone, October 17, 2006