Jim Sensenbrenner
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Wisconsin's Fifth (previously Ninth) district
In office January 2003–present (Ninth: 1979–2003)
Preceded by	Tom Barrett (Ninth:Bob Kasten)
Personal details
Party	Republican
Spouse	Cheryl Warren Sensenbrenner

Frank James Sensenbrenner, Jr. (born June 14, 1943), American politician, has been a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives since 1979, representing the Fifth Congressional District of Wisconsin (map). A former Chairman of the House Science Committee and the current Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, Sensenbrenner is widely regarded as one of the most influential members of Congress. Sensenbrenner was most recently in the news for his introduction of a controversial anti-illegal-immigration bill, H.R. 4437, in 2006.

Born in Chicago, Illinois, James Sensenbrenner was born into the wealthy Sensenbrener family. His great-grandfather, Frank J. Sensenbrenner invented the Kotex feminine hygiene product shortly after World War I, then used the money from that venture to become Kimberly Clark's largest single shareholder and eventually its CEO ^[1]. He attended Milwaukee Country Day School and 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-Madison in 1968. Sensenbrenner married Cheryl Warren in 1977, with whom he has two sons, Frank (born 1981), and Bob (born 1984). When not in Washington, Sensenbrenner resides in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin.

While still at Stanford, Sensenbrenner served as staff assistant to Congressman J. Arthur Younger from California. Before becoming a member of Congress, Sensenbrenner served in the Wisconsin State Assembly from 1969 to 1975 and the Wisconsin State Senate from 1975 to 1979.

Formerly Chairman of the House Science Committee, Sensenbrenner is (as of 2006) the Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, and is also a member of the Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet, and Intellectual Property. In addition, Sensenbrenner serves on the House Committee on Homeland Security.

Bryan Kennedy, a Democrat and professor at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee from Glendale has announced plans to seek the Democratic nomination for Sensenbrenner's seat in the 2006 Congressional elections. ^[2] Kennedy also ran against Sensenbrenner in 2004.^[3]

Sensenbrenner held an important role in the impeachment 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 creates a federal database of state-issued identification. Jim Sensenbrenner attached the controversial act as a rider on military spending bill HR418. Subsequently, it was passed by the Senate without debate. ^[4]

Sensenbrenner believes in criminal prosecution of broadcasters and cable operators who violate decency standards as opposed to the current FCC regulatory methods.^[5]

On December 16, 2005, Sensenbrenner introduced the Digital Transition Content Security Act.

On June 10, 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 PATRIOT Act and walked out in response to Democratic members raising unrelated 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 noting that the Democrats and witnesses had repeatedly violated House Rules despite multiple admonishments.^[6]

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.^[7]

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.^[8]

Sensenbrenner receives high marks from the National Taxpayers Union, an anti-tax non-profit organization.^{[citation needed]}

• Sensenbrenner has been the top-ranking House member in terms of 2001-2005 travel costs paid by private interests.^[9]
• In January 1998, Sensenbrenner won $250,000 on a lottery ticket, purchased on December 18, 1997 at Congressional Liquors, the liquor store in Capitol Hill.^[10]
• Sensenbrenner is an Episcopalian.^[11]
• Between April 1 2005 and March 31 2006, Sensenbrenner received $330,315 (or 71.6% of his campaign funds) from PACs and $128,048 (27.8%) from individual contributions, but did not contribute his own assets to his campaign funds. ^[12]

• Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005

• Sensenbrenner's Congressional website
• Sensenbrenner for Congress
• Sensenbrenner's positions on issues
• Sensenbrenner's opening statement at the Clinton impeachment trial
• Sensenbrenner's travel records
• Criticism of Sensenbrenner at ThrowTheRascalsOut.org