MONROE - Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Middleton, said he holds listening session across the state to hear the people he represents.
"If you do these meetings, you aren't just listening to people in Washington," he said.
Feingold took questions and comments on a variety of topics from the approximately 75 people who attended his listening session Sunday at the Performing Arts Center at Monroe High School.
Many of the people wanted to talk about health care, but there were also questions about how the Democratic Party should deal with Republicans, energy issues and the United States Supreme Court's recent decision to allow corporations to donate money to political campaigns.
Health care has been the one of the top issues at all of Feingold's listening sessions, according to information provided by his staff. Feingold supports health care reform, he said.
Feingold said there are three ways health care can survive and be passed into law. The House of Representatives could pass the bill approved by the Senate in December, the Republicans could support the bill, or it could be passed through a reconciliation method that would require only a majority vote in the Congress.
Reconciliation would be the least favorable way to pass the bill, he said.
"I'm hesitant to do it that way because I think if we do that it would cause a lot of problems," Feingold said.
To a question from the audience about a poll that says about half of Wisconsin voters don't approve of health care reform, Feingold said there are some who don't support the bill because it doesn't go far enough. Some people do oppose the bill because they think it goes too far, he added.
He doesn't use polls to make decisions, Feingold said.
"If I followed polls for every vote you wouldn't need a Senator," he said.
One woman in the audience wanted people who support health care reform to raise their hands. Feingold quickly cut her off.
"We're not doing that today," he said. "People came to offer opinions and ask questions. They didn't come here to show support or opposition for health care reform."
She then sat down and left the meeting a short time later.
Feingold said the tone in Washington has to change to get things done, whether with health care or other issues.
"I've gotten questions like, 'Are you a Socialist? Is Pres. (Barack) Obama bringing in Socialism?,'" he said. "Those kinds of questions don't get us anywhere."
In his State of the Union message Wednesday, Obama cited the need for off-shore drilling and nuclear power.
Feingold said he has concerns about both issues. Oil companies lease about 64 million acres of land for drilling. He said he wants to make sure they are using all the land available to them to search for oil. He said the government needs to know if they are using the land or just holding onto it to keep oil prices high.
He also has concerns about nuclear waste disposal. Ways to safely dispose of waste created by nuclear power plants need to be found, he said.
Tie most humorous moment of the session came when someone pointed out their opposition to the Supreme Court's recent decision to change the way corporations can contribute to political campaigns.
"You don't want to get me going on that," Feingold said, jokingly.
Feingold was a major factor, along with Arizona Sen. John McCain, in creating the 2002 McCain-Feingold Act campaign finance reform legislation.
He then turned serious and called the decision "one of the most lawless things that ever happened."
"They (the Supreme Court) destroyed campaign finance laws that have been in effect for 100 years."
He said the change could mean foreign governments and businesses might be able to influence elections in the United States.
Sunday's listening session was Feingold's 19th in Wisconsin in 2010. He's held 1,243 since he was first elected to the United State Senate in 1992.
"If you do these meetings, you aren't just listening to people in Washington," he said.
Feingold took questions and comments on a variety of topics from the approximately 75 people who attended his listening session Sunday at the Performing Arts Center at Monroe High School.
Many of the people wanted to talk about health care, but there were also questions about how the Democratic Party should deal with Republicans, energy issues and the United States Supreme Court's recent decision to allow corporations to donate money to political campaigns.
Health care has been the one of the top issues at all of Feingold's listening sessions, according to information provided by his staff. Feingold supports health care reform, he said.
Feingold said there are three ways health care can survive and be passed into law. The House of Representatives could pass the bill approved by the Senate in December, the Republicans could support the bill, or it could be passed through a reconciliation method that would require only a majority vote in the Congress.
Reconciliation would be the least favorable way to pass the bill, he said.
"I'm hesitant to do it that way because I think if we do that it would cause a lot of problems," Feingold said.
To a question from the audience about a poll that says about half of Wisconsin voters don't approve of health care reform, Feingold said there are some who don't support the bill because it doesn't go far enough. Some people do oppose the bill because they think it goes too far, he added.
He doesn't use polls to make decisions, Feingold said.
"If I followed polls for every vote you wouldn't need a Senator," he said.
One woman in the audience wanted people who support health care reform to raise their hands. Feingold quickly cut her off.
"We're not doing that today," he said. "People came to offer opinions and ask questions. They didn't come here to show support or opposition for health care reform."
She then sat down and left the meeting a short time later.
Feingold said the tone in Washington has to change to get things done, whether with health care or other issues.
"I've gotten questions like, 'Are you a Socialist? Is Pres. (Barack) Obama bringing in Socialism?,'" he said. "Those kinds of questions don't get us anywhere."
In his State of the Union message Wednesday, Obama cited the need for off-shore drilling and nuclear power.
Feingold said he has concerns about both issues. Oil companies lease about 64 million acres of land for drilling. He said he wants to make sure they are using all the land available to them to search for oil. He said the government needs to know if they are using the land or just holding onto it to keep oil prices high.
He also has concerns about nuclear waste disposal. Ways to safely dispose of waste created by nuclear power plants need to be found, he said.
Tie most humorous moment of the session came when someone pointed out their opposition to the Supreme Court's recent decision to change the way corporations can contribute to political campaigns.
"You don't want to get me going on that," Feingold said, jokingly.
Feingold was a major factor, along with Arizona Sen. John McCain, in creating the 2002 McCain-Feingold Act campaign finance reform legislation.
He then turned serious and called the decision "one of the most lawless things that ever happened."
"They (the Supreme Court) destroyed campaign finance laws that have been in effect for 100 years."
He said the change could mean foreign governments and businesses might be able to influence elections in the United States.
Sunday's listening session was Feingold's 19th in Wisconsin in 2010. He's held 1,243 since he was first elected to the United State Senate in 1992.