Jim Sensenbrenner facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jim Sensenbrenner
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Wisconsin |
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| In office January 3, 1979 – January 3, 2021 |
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| Preceded by | Bob Kasten |
| Succeeded by | Scott L. Fitzgerald |
| Constituency | 9th district (1979–2003) 5th district (2003–2021) |
| Chair of the House Judiciary Committee | |
| In office January 3, 2001 – January 3, 2007 |
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| Preceded by | Henry Hyde |
| Succeeded by | John Conyers |
| Chair of the House Science Committee | |
| In office January 3, 1997 – January 3, 2001 |
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| Preceded by | Bob Walker |
| Succeeded by | Sherwood Boehlert |
| Member of the Wisconsin Senate from the 4th district |
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| In office April 8, 1975 – January 3, 1979 |
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| Preceded by | Bob Kasten |
| Succeeded by | Rod Johnston |
| Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly | |
| In office January 1, 1973 – April 2, 1975 |
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| Preceded by | District established |
| Succeeded by | Rod Johnston |
| Constituency | 10th district |
| In office 1969 – January 1, 1973 |
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| Preceded by | Nile Soik |
| Succeeded by | District abolished |
| Constituency | 25th Milwaukee County |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Frank James Sensenbrenner Jr.
June 14, 1943 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Cheryl Warren
(m. 1977; died 2020) |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives | John C. Pritzlaff (great-great-grandfather) James C. Kerwin (great-grandfather) F. Joseph Sensenbrenner Jr. (2nd cousin) |
| Education | Stanford University (BA) University of Wisconsin, Madison (JD) |
Frank James Sensenbrenner Jr. (born June 14, 1943) is an American politician. He was a member of the United States House of Representatives for Wisconsin from 1979 to 2021. He belongs to the Republican Party.
During his time in Congress, he led important groups like the House Science Committee and the House Judiciary Committee. He also worked on a special committee for energy and global warming. When he retired, he was one of the longest-serving members from Wisconsin in the House. In September 2019, he announced he would not run for re-election.
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Early Life and Education
Jim Sensenbrenner was born in Chicago, Illinois. His family had a history of business and public service. His great-grandfather, Frank J. Sensenbrenner, helped with the early sales of Kotex products. His grandfather, John S. Sensenbrenner, also worked for the same company, Kimberly-Clark.
Jim grew up in Shorewood, Wisconsin. He went to a private school and then studied at Stanford University. He earned a bachelor's degree in political science in 1965. Later, he got a law degree from the University of Wisconsin Law School in 1968. Before becoming a politician himself, he worked for a U.S. Congressman and a Wisconsin State Senator.
Political Career in Wisconsin
Right after finishing law school in 1968, Sensenbrenner was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly. He served there until 1975. After that, he moved to the Wisconsin State Senate, where he served until 1979.
Serving in the U.S. House of Representatives
Becoming a Congressman
In 1978, Jim Sensenbrenner ran for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. He won the election and represented Wisconsin's 9th district. This district covered many suburbs north and west of Milwaukee. He was re-elected 20 more times, often without much competition. His district was later renamed the 5th district after the 2000 census. He always won with at least 62% of the votes.
On September 4, 2019, he shared that he would not seek another term. He retired from Congress at the end of 2020.
Role in Impeachment Trials
In 1998, Sensenbrenner was chosen as one of the "House managers." These are like prosecutors in an impeachment trial. He helped lead the trial against President Bill Clinton in 1999. He also served as a House manager for the impeachment trials of three federal judges.
Focus on Security Laws
Sensenbrenner played a key role in creating important security laws.
- The PATRIOT Act: In 2001, he introduced the USA PATRIOT Act in the House. This law was designed to help the government fight terrorism after the September 11 attacks. He is known as one of the main people who helped write this act.
- The REAL ID Act: In 2005, Sensenbrenner wrote the Real ID Act. This law made it harder for criminals and terrorists to fake their identities by requiring stricter checks for driver's licenses.
- Concerns about Surveillance: In 2013, Sensenbrenner spoke out against how the FBI and NSA were using the PATRIOT Act. He felt they were collecting too much phone data from millions of Americans without good reason. He said the Patriot Act was not meant to allow such widespread data collection. He supported a plan to stop the NSA's phone surveillance program. In October 2013, he introduced the USA Freedom Act. This bill aimed to limit the NSA's powers and end the mass collection of phone data.
Views on Immigration
Sensenbrenner was the main supporter of a bill called H.R. 4437 in 2005. This bill added more criminal punishments for helping people enter the United States illegally. He also had a role in a bill that would help Hotaru Ferschke, a Japanese woman whose husband, a U.S. Marine, died in combat. He initially tried to delay the bill, but it eventually passed.
Health Care and Human Services
In May 2019, Sensenbrenner was one of a few Republicans who voted for a bill to protect people with pre-existing medical conditions. This meant they could still get affordable health insurance. However, in 2005, he voted against a bill that would provide $50 billion in emergency help to victims of Hurricane Katrina.
Protecting Creative Works
In 2005, Sensenbrenner introduced the Digital Transition Content Security Act. He also helped pass the Intellectual Property Protection Act of 2006. These laws aimed to protect things like music, movies, and books from being copied illegally.
Online Privacy Discussions
In 2017, Sensenbrenner supported overturning rules that required internet companies like Verizon and AT&T to let customers choose if their private information could be shared. When asked about this, he once said, "Nobody's got to use the Internet."
Separation of Powers
In 2006, Sensenbrenner was upset when the FBI searched a Congressman's office. He felt this raised concerns about the "separation of powers" in government. This idea means that different parts of the government should have their own separate powers. He held meetings to discuss this issue.
Animal Rights
In 2006, a bill called the Animal Fighting Prohibition Enforcement Act passed the Senate. This bill would make animal fighting a serious crime. However, Sensenbrenner used his position to stop the House from voting on it, even though many members supported it.
Foreign Relations and Awards
Sensenbrenner was the only Republican to join a special group that met with the Dalai Lama in India in 2008. He said that both Democrats and Republicans in the U.S. Congress agreed on protecting Tibetan culture.
After Nelson Mandela passed away, Sensenbrenner disagreed with President Barack Obama's decision to lower flags to half-staff. He believed the American flag should only be lowered for Americans.
Sensenbrenner also received important international awards. In 2014, the Japanese Government gave him the Order of the Rising Sun. In 2015, he received the Robert Schuman Medal, becoming only the second American to get this award.
Public Comments and Rankings
In December 2011, a newspaper reported that Sensenbrenner made an inappropriate comment about First Lady Michelle Obama. He later sent her a personal note and said he regretted his remark.
Sensenbrenner received high marks from the National Taxpayers Union, a group that supports lower taxes. In 2006, a conservative magazine called him "Man of the Year" for his immigration policies. However, in the same year, another magazine called him "the dictator" and ranked him as one of the worst members of the House.
Committee Work
Sensenbrenner was part of several important committees in the House of Representatives:
- Committee on the Judiciary
- Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security
- Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security and Investigations (as Chairman)
- Committee on Foreign Affairs
- Subcommittee on Europe, Eurasia and Emerging Threats
- Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organizations
He was also a member of several caucuses, which are groups of lawmakers who work together on specific topics. These included the Congressional Coalition on Adoption and the U.S.-Japan Caucus.
Personal Life
In 1977, Jim Sensenbrenner married Cheryl Warren. They had two sons, Frank and Bob. Frank later worked as a lobbyist.
When he was not in Washington D.C., Sensenbrenner lived in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin. He has a net worth of about $11.6 million. He is an heir to the Kimberly-Clark family fortune, but he no longer owns stock in the company. He has also won lottery prizes three times, with his largest win being $250,000 in 1997.
In August 2009, Sensenbrenner announced he had prostate cancer. His doctor said it was caught early, so the chances of a cure were very high. He was originally a United Episcopalian but became a Catholic in August 2014. His wife, Cheryl, passed away in June 2020 after suffering a stroke.
Images for kids
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Sensenbrenner's official portrait, by George and Jim Pollard, 1998
