The only thing that grew larger than Senator Feingold’s ego was the size of government.
Businessman Ron Johnson, meanwhile, has also kept busy – cleaning up his fired predecessor’s mess.
Over the weekend, the Washington Examiner reported that Johnson won the most productive Member of Congress award "for producing the most pages of legislation signed into law."
To celebrate, take a look at some of Senator Russ Feingold’s worst votes – and Ron Johnson’s award-winning efforts to correct them:
Senator Russ Feingold was the only senator to vote against increasing terrorism surveillance. Senator Feingold also provided the lone vote against extending the lone wolf terrorist provision.
- Ron Johnson understands the need for a robust intelligence-gathering capability to help prevent attacks – "including those by homegrown and other lone wolf terrorists who act alone." Johnson’s leadership in ushering the Visa Waiver Program Improvement and Terrorist Travel Prevention Act into law will help keep terrorists out of the U.S.
__Senator Feingold was one of only nine senators to vote against creating the Department of Homeland Security.__
- Johnson, who rapidly rose to the chairmanship of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, has distinguished himself as a leader on national security – from his call for a comprehensive strategy to defeat ISIS to his legislation aimed at combating the growing threat of cyber-attacks. As chairman, Johnson also provides oversight of the very department Senator Feingold recklessly opposed.
__Senator Feingold cast the deciding vote for ObamaCare, which saddled Wisconsinites with higher taxes and premiums.__
- Since his 2010 arrival from the private sector, Johnson has led the fight in the Senate to repeal and replace ObamaCare with patient-centered reforms. Johnson’s Preserving Freedom and Choice in Health Care Act and If You Like Your Health Plan You Can Keep It Act would help restore the promises broken by Senator Feingold and President Obama.
Senator Feingold voted in favor of Barack Obama’s stimulus and saw the national debt increase nearly $10 trillion while in office.
- As Wisconsin Watchdog reported in advance of Tax Day, "Johnson co-sponsored a constitutional amendment requiring a balanced budget, as well as legislation demanding dollar-for-dollar spending reductions when a president asks for an increase in the debt ceiling. The Republican-led “Cut, Cap and Balance” bill, which Johnson supported in 2011…identified more than $1 trillion in potential savings from wasteful government programs."
To supplement his applause for the decision to bring Khalid Sheikh Mohammed to New York for civilian trial, Senator Feingold voted against prohibiting the transfer of Guantanamo Bay detainees to the United States.
- Meanwhile, as Wisconsin families learned that "at least 12 released Guantanamo detainees [were] implicated in attacks on Americans," Chairman Johnson fought to require the State Department to report any Gitmo transfers to Congress with his Terrorist Release Transparency Act.
Given his voting record, it’s understandable why Russ Feingold’s campaign "never wants" supporters to say ‘go back’ to the Senate. After his two decades in Washington, Mr. Clean left quite a mess to clean up.