60-641: Tammy Suzanne Green Baldwin (born February 11, 1962) is an American politician and lawyer serving since 2013 as the junior United States senator from Wisconsin . A member of the Democratic Party , she has also served as the Secretary of the Senate Democratic Caucus since 2017 and is the dean of the United States congressional delegation from Wisconsin . Baldwin graduated from Smith College and
120-491: A 2006 rematch against Magnum, again winning 63–37%. In 2008, she defeated Peter Theron 69–31%, and in 2010 she won a seventh term with 62% of the vote against Chad Lee. Baldwin ran as the Democratic nominee against Republican nominee Tommy Thompson , who had formerly been governor and Secretary of Health and Human Services . She announced her candidacy on September 6, 2011, in a video emailed to supporters. She ran uncontested in
180-505: A 2015 radio interview, Baldwin said that she, the Pope , and Donald Trump all supported repeal of the carried interest tax loophole. PolitiFact wrote that "while Pope Francis has called for helping the poor and addressing economic inequality , we could not find that [Trump] has spoken out on this particular tax break." In 2016, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce , a business-oriented lobbying group that usually supports Republican candidates, gave her
240-532: A 32% cumulative score on "key business votes". The editors of The Capital Times commended Baldwin for her vocal opposition to a budget resolution in 2017 that she believed would increase income inequality , calling her "one of the budget's most ardent foes". She expressed opposition to the Trump tax-reform bill, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 , saying that it was being drafted "behind closed doors" and charging that it
300-562: A Roman Catholic boys school, and then Lawrence University , graduating with a degree in history in 1975. The following year he received a master's degree in journalism from Northwestern University . He later received an M.B.A. from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1990. For 14 years, Klug was a television journalist, serving as anchor and reporter for various stations in Seattle , Washington, Madison, Wisconsin , and Washington, D.C. Klug
360-637: A Wisconsin-based law firm, and represents clients in Washington and various state capitals. In 2013, he authored The Alliance , a mystery novel about religion and antiquities. In 2007, Klug co-chaired Rudy Giuliani 's presidential campaign in Wisconsin along with former U.S. Sen. Bob Kasten and former State Sen. Cathy Stepp . On January 30, 2008, Giuliani dropped out of the race. In August 1998, Klug, as head of Barking Sands Media, purchased Wisconsin Trails ,
420-432: A campaign pledge to bring down the cost of prescription drugs. She and 30 other senators signed a letter to Kaléo Pharmaceuticals in 2017 in response to the opioid-overdose-reversing device Evzio rising in price from $ 690 in 2014 to $ 4,500 and requested the company detail the price structure for Evzio, how many devices Kaléo Pharmaceuticals set aside for donation, and the totality of federal reimbursements Evzio received in
480-456: A deadly school shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. The bill enhanced background checks for firearm purchasers under age 21, provided funding for school-based mental health services, and partially closed the gun show loophole and boyfriend loophole . An outspoken advocate of single-payer, government-run universal health care since her days as a state legislator, Baldwin introduced
540-406: A difference of 8,902 votes. She lost eight of the district's nine counties, but carried the largest, Dane County, with 55% of the vote. After the 2000 census the 2nd district was made significantly more Democratic in redistricting. Baldwin won reelection to a third term in the newly redrawn 2nd district with 66% of the vote against Republican Ron Greer . In 2004, she beat Dave Magnum 63–37%. She won
600-487: A full investigation into a complaint filed in May by a group of Chicago-area McDonald's employees that detailed instances of workplace violence, such as customers throwing hot coffee and threatening employees with firearms. The senators argued that McDonald's could and should "do more to protect its employees, but employers will not take seriously their obligations to provide a safe workplace if OSHA does not enforce workers rights to
660-547: A hazard-free workplace." Baldwin supports Buy America rules and has advocated for their inclusion in federal funding bills. Baldwin was one of 12 senators to sign a letter to President Obama in 2016 asserting that the passage of the Trans-Pacific Partnership "in its current form will perpetuate a trade policy that advantages corporations at the expense of American workers" and that there would be an "erosion of U.S. manufacturing and middle class jobs, and accelerate
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#1732870167783720-463: A resolution of impeachment now pending consideration in that committee." She added that although some constituents "say I have gone too far", others "argue I have not gone far enough" and feel "we are losing our democracy and that I should do more to hold the Bush administration accountable for its actions." In 2018, Baldwin was one of 25 Democratic senators to cosponsor a resolution in response to findings of
780-493: A resolution stating that the House would not support continuing resolutions to keep government funding; this led to the United States federal government shutdown of 1995 and 1996 . Klug did not run for re-election in 1998, and his term expired on January 3, 1999. Democrat Tammy Baldwin ran for Congress in the 2nd district and subsequently won his seat. Klug currently serves as director of public affairs for Foley & Lardner ,
840-406: A senator who has served for 12 years is more senior than one who has served for 10 years. Because several new senators usually join at the beginning of a new Congress, seniority is determined by prior federal or state government service and, if necessary, the amount of time spent in the tiebreaking office. These tiebreakers in order are: When more than one senator had such office, its length of time
900-439: A special election. The seniority date for an appointed senator is usually the date of the appointment, although the actual term does not begin until they take the oath of office. An incoming senator who holds another office, including membership in the U.S. House of Representatives , must resign from that office before becoming a senator. A senator's seniority is primarily determined by length of continuous service; for example,
960-493: A study of gun violence and "the annual appropriations rider that some have interpreted as preventing it" with taxpayer dollars. The senators noted their support for taking steps "to fund gun-violence research, because only the United States government is in a position to establish an integrated public-health research agenda to understand the causes of gun violence and identify the most effective strategies for prevention." Baldwin
1020-459: Is a third cousin of comedian Andy Samberg . Baldwin graduated from Madison West High School in 1980 as the class valedictorian . She earned a B.A. from Smith College in 1984 and a J.D. from the University of Wisconsin Law School in 1989. She was a lawyer in private practice from 1989 to 1992. Before entering state politics, Baldwin first held political office in 1986 at age 24, when she
1080-515: Is an American lobbyist, author, and businessman, as well as a former politician and television reporter. From 1991 to 1999, he was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from Wisconsin , representing Wisconsin's 2nd congressional district . Klug grew up in West Allis and Wauwatosa , both Milwaukee-area suburbs. He attended Marquette University High School ,
1140-405: Is known as the senior senator ; the other is the junior senator . This convention has no official standing, though seniority confers several benefits, including preference in the choice of committee assignments and physical offices. When senators have been in office for the same length of time, a number of tiebreakers, including previous offices held, are used to determine seniority. By tradition,
1200-549: Is no history of democratic government in Iraq", that its "economy and infrastructure are in ruins after years of war and sanctions", and that rebuilding would take "a great deal of money". In 2005, she joined the Out of Iraq Caucus . In 2023, Baldwin voted with a bipartisan majority to repeal the Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) in Iraq. She also supports repealing the 2001 AUMF for
1260-579: Is the first openly lesbian woman elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly (1993), the first openly lesbian woman and first woman elected to the U.S. House from Wisconsin (1998), and the first openly LGBT person and first woman elected to the U.S. Senate from Wisconsin (2012). She has a progressive voting record on healthcare , reproductive rights , and LGBT rights . Baldwin was born and grew up in Madison, Wisconsin . Her mother, who died in 2017,
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#17328701677831320-449: Is used to break the tie. For instance, Jerry Moran , John Boozman , John Hoeven , Marco Rubio , Ron Johnson , Rand Paul , Richard Blumenthal , and Mike Lee took office on January 3, 2011. The first two senators mentioned had served in the House of Representatives: Moran had served for 14 years and Boozman for nine. As a former governor, Hoeven is ranked immediately after the former House members. The rest are ranked by population as of
1380-410: The 2000 census . These ranked from 36th to 43rd in seniority when the 118th United States Congress convened. If two senators are tied on all criteria, the one whose surname comes first alphabetically is considered the senior senator. This happened with Senators Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock , both of Georgia, who were sworn in on January 20, 2021. Because they were both newly elected senators from
1440-777: The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Department of Justice recounting that many of them had "called on both the FTC and the Justice Department to investigate potential anticompetitive activity in these markets, particularly following the significant enforcement actions taken by foreign competition enforcers against these same companies" and requesting that each agency confirm whether it had opened antitrust investigations into each company and that each agency pledge it would publicly release any such investigations' findings. Baldwin
1500-538: The Intergovernmental Panel On Climate Change report and National Climate Assessment . In 1995, Baldwin proposed the creation of a review board to investigate the deaths of prison inmates. In 1997, she authored a bill changing Wisconsin's candidate filing system to an electronic one. Baldwin opposes capital punishment in Wisconsin . Baldwin was one of 17 senators to sign a letter to President-elect Donald Trump in 2016 asking him to fulfill
1560-738: The USDA for purchasing pork from JBS USA , an American subsidiary of a Brazilian corporation. Baldwin cosponsored H. Res. 333, a bill in 2007 proposing articles of impeachment against Vice President Dick Cheney , and H. Res. 589, a bill proposing the impeachment of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales . She wrote in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel , "I joined with my colleagues on the House Judiciary Committee, Reps. Robert Wexler (D-Fla.) and Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.), in urging Chairman Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.) to conduct hearings on
1620-585: The University of Wisconsin Law School , and was a lawyer in private practice before entering the Wisconsin State Assembly in 1993. She served three terms from Wisconsin's 78th Assembly district from 1993 to 1999, and seven terms as the United States congresswoman from Wisconsin's 2nd congressional district from 1999 to 2013. She was elected to the United States Senate in 2012 , reelected in 2018 , and narrowly reelected in 2024 . Baldwin
1680-573: The Department of Justice". After United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced in 2016 that the Trump administration was suspending its obligations in the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty in 60 days in the event that Russia continued to violate the treaty, Baldwin was one of 26 senators to sign a letter expressing concern over the administration "now abandoning generations of bipartisan U.S. leadership around
1740-590: The Health Security for All Americans Act, which would have required states to provide such a system, in 2000, 2002, 2004, and 2005. The bill died each time it was introduced without a House vote. Seniority in the United States Senate United States senators are conventionally ranked by the length of their tenure in the Senate. The senator in each U.S. state with the longer time in office
1800-556: The Trump campaign, transition team, and Administration has colluded with the Russian government, including most recently the events leading to the resignation of Lieutenant General Michael Flynn as National Security Adviser." The senators requested the creation of "an independent Special Counsel to investigate collusion with the Russian government by General Flynn and other Trump campaign, transition and Administrative officials" in order to maintain "the confidence, credibility and impartiality of
1860-596: The Verbatim section, where she was quoted as saying "I didn't run to make history" on her historic election. In a separate section, she was also mentioned as a new face to watch in the Senate. Baldwin won a second term in 2018 with 55.4% of the vote, defeating Republican Leah Vukmir by a margin of approximately 11%. In April 2023, Baldwin announced her intention to run for a third Senate term. She defeated Republican nominee Eric Hovde even as Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump won Wisconsin. In 2003, Baldwin served on
Tammy Baldwin - Misplaced Pages Continue
1920-567: The War on Terror. Baldwin voted for a resolution by Rand Paul and Chris Murphy in 2017 that would block Trump's $ 510 million sale of precision-guided munitions to Saudi Arabia that made up a portion of the $ 110 billion arms sale Trump announced during his visit to Saudi Arabia the previous year. Baldwin voted against tabling a resolution spearheaded by Bernie Sanders , Chris Murphy , and Mike Lee in 2018 that would have required Trump to withdraw American troops either in or influencing Yemen within
1980-475: The advisory committee of the Progressive Majority , a political action committee dedicated to electing progressive candidates to public office. In 2012, Baldwin described herself as a progressive in the mold of former Wisconsin governor and U.S. senator Robert M. La Follette . In 2013, she and Wisconsin's senior U.S. Senator, Ron Johnson , split on votes more frequently than any other Senate duo from
2040-414: The case of senators elected in a run-off election occurring after the commencement of a new term, or a special election, their seniority date will be the date they are sworn in and not the first day of that Congress. A senator may be simultaneously elected to fill a term in a special election and elected to the six-year term which begins on the upcoming January 3. Their seniority is that of someone chosen in
2100-425: The corporate race to the bottom" if provisions were not fixed. In 2024, Baldwin was one of a handful of Democrats credited with ending President Biden's proposed Indo-Pacific trade agenda. She said, "There were some big concerns that we would be retreating back to the day where trade was a race to the bottom, especially for workers." Baldwin was one of six Democrats led by Amy Klobuchar to sign letters in 2019 to
2160-566: The end of the war in Gaza . In April, she voted for a $ 14 billion dollar military aid package to Israel. Baldwin attended Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's address to Congress in July 2024 and was the only Democratic representative from Wisconsin in attendance. After the address, she said she was "deeply disappointed" in the remarks, which came in the middle of the conflict in Gaza. Baldwin wrote that while she
2220-512: The fact that Wisconsin had never sent a woman to Congress, and many of her ads targeted younger voters. She won the Democratic primary with a plurality of 37% of the vote. In the general election, she defeated Republican nominee Josephine Musser, 53–47%. Baldwin's campaign drew strong turnout in Dane County , using a team of volunteers, many of whom were students. The turnout was said to have helped Russ Feingold's reelection campaign that year , and
2280-519: The first openly gay candidate to be elected to the U.S. Senate, with 51.4% of the vote. Because of her 14 years in the House of Representatives, under Senate rules she had the highest seniority in her entering class of senators. She was succeeded in Congress by State Representative Mark Pocan , who had earlier succeeded her in the state legislature. Baldwin was featured in Time 's November 19, 2012, edition, in
2340-461: The following: The beginning of an appointment does not necessarily coincide with the date the Senate convenes or when the new senator is sworn in. In the case of senators first elected in a general election for the upcoming Congress, their terms begin on the first day of the new Congress. For most of American history this was March 4 of odd-numbered years, but effective from 1935 the 20th Amendment moved this to January 3 of odd-numbered years. In
2400-500: The longest serving senator of the majority party is named president pro tempore of the Senate , the second-highest office in the Senate and the third in the line of succession to the presidency of the United States . The United States Constitution does not mandate differences in rights or power, but Senate rules give more power to senators with more seniority. Generally, senior senators will have more power, especially within their own caucuses . There are several benefits, including
2460-550: The members of the Republican Gang of Seven . He also opposed the George H. W. Bush administration by supporting abortion rights and family leave . While in Congress, Klug opposed the federal drinking age, saying alcohol regulation should be a matter left to individual states, and advocated the revocation of the 1984 National Minimum Drinking Age Act . At the urging of Republican leadership under Newt Gingrich , Klug presented
Tammy Baldwin - Misplaced Pages Continue
2520-545: The next 30 days unless they were combating Al-Qaeda . In 2021, she voted for a resolution, opposed by a 67–30 majority, that would have blocked a $ 650 billion weapons sale to Saudi Arabia. Baldwin was one of 18 senators to sign a letter to Thad Cochran and Barbara Mikulski in 2016 requesting that the Labor, Health and Education subcommittee hold a hearing on whether to allow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to fund
2580-462: The paired goals of reducing the global role and number of nuclear weapons and ensuring strategic stability with America's nuclear-armed adversaries" and calling on Trump to continue arms negotiations. Baldwin was a vocal critic of the Iraq War . She was among the 133 members of the House who voted in 2002 against authorizing the invasion of Iraq . She said there would be "postwar challenges", that "there
2640-408: The previous year. Baldwin was one of six senators to sign a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer in 2017 requesting their "help in ensuring the long-term sustainability of the 340B program", a Trump administration rule mandating that drug companies give discounts to health-care organizations presently serving large numbers of low-income patients. In
2700-653: The primary election, and spoke at the 2012 Democratic National Convention about tax policy, campaign finance reform, and equality in the United States. She was endorsed by Democracy for America , and she received campaign funding from EMILY's List , the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund , and LPAC . Baldwin was endorsed by the editorial board of The Capital Times , who wrote that "Baldwin's fresh ideas on issues ranging from job creation to health care reform, along with her proven record of working across lines of partisanship and ideology, and her grace under pressure mark her as precisely
2760-411: The right choice to replace retiring U.S. Senator Herb Kohl ". Thompson said during the campaign that Baldwin's "far-left approach leaves this country in jeopardy". The candidates had three debates, on September 28, October 18, and October 26. According to Baldwin's Federal Election Commission filings, she raised about $ 12 million, over $ 5 million more than Thompson. On November 6, 2012, Baldwin became
2820-463: The same state, with no prior government service, no other tie-breaking criteria could be used. The Senate's official records, as well as the Democratic Caucus, thus consider Ossoff, whose name comes first alphabetically and elected to a full six-year term, as the senior senator. Only relevant factors are listed below. For senators whose seniority is based on their state's respective population,
2880-461: The same state. She was one of 16 female Democratic senators to sign a letter in 2013 endorsing Hillary Clinton as the Democratic nominee in the 2016 presidential election . In 2023, the Lugar Center ranked Baldwin in the top third of senators for bipartisanship. In 2019, she and eight other Democratic senators sent United States Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue a letter that criticized
2940-2026: The state population ranking is given as determined by the relevant United States census current at the time that they began service. Republican (49) Democratic (47) Independent (4) 1 (1789) 2 (1791) 3 (1793) 4 (1795) 5 (1797) 6 (1799) 7 (1801) 8 (1803) 9 (1805) 10 (1807) 11 (1809) 12 (1811) 13 (1813) 14 (1815) 15 (1817) 16 (1819) 17 (1821) 18 (1823) 19 (1825) 20 (1827) 21 (1829) 22 (1831) 23 (1833) 24 (1835) 25 (1837) 26 (1839) 27 (1841) 28 (1843) 29 (1845) 30 (1847) 31 (1849) 32 (1851) 33 (1853) 34 (1855) 35 (1857) 36 (1859) 37 (1861) 38 (1863) 39 (1865) 40 (1867) 41 (1869) 42 (1871) 43 (1873) 44 (1875) 45 (1877) 46 (1879) 47 (1881) 48 (1883) 49 (1885) 50 (1887) 51 (1889) 52 (1891) 53 (1893) 54 (1895) 55 (1897) 56 (1899) 57 (1901) 58 (1903) 59 (1905) 60 (1907) 61 (1909) 62 (1911) 63 (1913) 64 (1915) 65 (1917) 66 (1919) 67 (1921) 68 (1923) 69 (1925) 70 (1927) 71 (1929) 72 (1931) 73 (1933) 74 (1935) 75 (1937) 76 (1939) 77 (1941) 78 (1943) 79 (1945) 80 (1947) 81 (1949) 82 (1951) 83 (1953) 84 (1955) 85 (1957) 86 (1959) 87 (1961) 88 (1963) 89 (1965) 90 (1967) 91 (1969) 92 (1971) 93 (1973) 94 (1975) 95 (1977) 96 (1979) 97 (1981) 98 (1983) 99 (1985) 100 (1987) 101 (1989) 102 (1991) 103 (1993) 104 (1995) 105 (1997) 106 (1999) 107 (2001) 108 (2003) 109 (2005) 110 (2007) 111 (2009) 112 (2011) 113 (2013) 114 (2015) 115 (2017) 116 (2019) 117 (2021) 118 (2023) Scott Klug Scott Leo Klug (born January 16, 1953)
3000-558: The use of Fiscal Year 2018 national security funding. The senators argued that foreign assistance to Central American countries created less migration to the U.S. by helping to improve conditions in those countries. In 2020, Baldwin voiced her opposition to Israel 's plan to annex parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank . In March 2024, she urged the Biden administration to recognize a "nonmilitarized" Palestinian state after
3060-472: Was "resolute" in her support for "Israel's right to defend itself and the need to end Hamas's threat... the time has come for the innocent bloodshed and the war to end". Baldwin supports a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestine conflict . Baldwin was one of 11 senators to sign a letter in 2017 to United States Attorney General Jeff Sessions expressing their concern "about credible allegations that
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#17328701677833120-469: Was 19 and going through a divorce when Baldwin was born. Baldwin was raised by her grandparents and spent Saturdays with her mother, who suffered from mental illness and opioid addiction. Her maternal grandfather, biochemist David E. Green , was Jewish (the son of immigrants from Russia and Germany), and her maternal grandmother, who was Anglican , was English-born. Baldwin's aunt is biochemist Rowena Green Matthews . Through her maternal grandfather, Baldwin
3180-630: Was a cosponsor of the Military Domestic Violence Reporting Enhancement Act in 2017, a bill to create a charge of domestic violence under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) and stipulate that convictions must be reported to federal databases to keep abusers from purchasing firearms within three days in an attempt to close a loophole in the UCMJ whereby convicted abusers retain the ability to purchase firearms. Baldwin
3240-732: Was a cosponsor of the NICS Denial Notification Act in 2018, legislation developed in the aftermath of the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting that would require federal authorities to inform states within a day after a person failing the National Instant Criminal Background Check System attempted to buy a firearm. In 2022, Baldwin voted for the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act , a gun reform bill introduced after
3300-511: Was acknowledged by Feingold as a factor. Baldwin was the first woman elected to Congress from Wisconsin. She was also the first openly gay non-incumbent elected to the House of Representatives, and the first open lesbian elected to Congress. She and Representative Barney Frank co-founded the Congressional LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus in 2008. In 2000, Baldwin was reelected, defeating Republican nominee John Sharpless 51–49%,
3360-583: Was being "shoved through." In its place she promoted the Stronger Way Act, a bill that she and Cory Booker co-sponsored. Baldwin sponsored the Reward Work Act of 2018 , which proposed to guarantee the right of employees in listed companies to elect one-third of the board of directors . She signed a letter to United States Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta in 2019 that advocated that the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) make
3420-663: Was elected to the Dane County Board of Supervisors , on which she served until 1994. She also served one year on the Madison Common Council to fill a vacancy in the coterminous district. Baldwin ran to represent Wisconsin's 78th Assembly district in central Madison in 1992. She won the Democratic primary with 43% of the vote. In the general election, Baldwin defeated Labor and Farm Party nominee Mary Kay Baum and Republican nominee Patricia Hevenor, 59–23–17%. She
3480-460: Was first elected to the 102nd Congress in 1990, defeating, in a surprise upset, 16 term incumbent Robert Kastenmeier , with 53% of the vote . He won re-election in 1992 with 63% of the vote , in 1994 with 69% of the vote , and in 1996 with 57% of the vote . While in office, Klug was a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee . In his first term, he gained national attention as one of
3540-489: Was one of 34 senators to sign a letter to President Trump in 2019 encouraging him "to listen to members of your own Administration and reverse a decision that will damage our national security and aggravate conditions inside Central America", asserting that Trump had "consistently expressed a flawed understanding of U.S. foreign assistance" since becoming president and that he was "personally undermining efforts to promote U.S. national security and economic prosperity" by preventing
3600-465: Was one of just six openly gay political candidates nationwide to win a general election that year. Baldwin was reelected with 76% of the vote in 1994. She was reelected to a third term with 71% of the vote in 1996. Committee assignments In 1998, U.S. Congressman Scott Klug of the 2nd district , based in Madison, announced he would retire, prompting Baldwin to run for the seat. Baldwin's ads leaned into
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