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Herb Kohl
| Herb Kohl | ||
 | ||
| U.S. Senate, Wisconsin | ||
| Retired Senator | ||
| In office | ||
| January 3, 1989-2013 | ||
| Party | Democratic | |
| Leadership | ||
| Wisconsin State Democratic Party chairman | ||
| 1975-1977 | ||
| Elections and appointments | ||
| Last election | November 7, 2006 | |
| First elected | November 8, 1988 | |
| Next election | November 6, 2012 | |
| Term limits | N/A | |
| Education | ||
| Bachelor's | University of Wisconsin, Madison | |
| Master's | Harvard School of Business Administration | |
| Military service | ||
| Service/branch | United States Army Reserves | |
| Years of service | 1958-1964 | |
| Personal | ||
| Birthday | February 7, 1935 | |
| Place of birth | Milwaukee, WI | |
| Websites | ||
| Office website | ||
Contents |
Based on an analysis of bill sponsorship by GovTrack, Kohl was a "rank-and-file Democrat".[2]
Biography
After earning his bachelor's from the University of Wisconsin, Kohl earned his M.B.A. from Harvard. He helped build his family-owned Kohl Corporation and was president from 1970 to 1979.[3] He also owned the Milwaukee Bucks basketball team.[4]
Career
- 1989-2013: U.S senator from Wisconsin
- 1975-1977: Wisconsin State Democratic Party chairman
Committee assignments
2011-2012
Kohl was a member of the following Senate committees[3]:
- Appropriations Committee
- Agricultural Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman
- Judiciary Committee
- Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights
- Banking Committee
- Special Committee on Aging Chairman
Issues
Senate Judiciary Committee
Senator Kohl served on the Senate Judiciary Committee from 1989-2013. In 2009, Senator Kohl was named Vice Chairman of the Committee when the late Edward Kennedy stepped down and long time Senate Judiciary Committee member Joe Biden was elected Vice President of the United States. Before his promotion to Vice-Chairman, Senator Kohl rated fourth in seniority on the committee.
Senator Kohl was also the Chairman on the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights. [5]
Sirius/XM Merger deal
Senator Kohl was a vocal critic of the merger of satellite radio giants Sirius and XM in 2007. The Senator was opposed to the merger, claiming that satellite radio was its own market and not part of a larger entertainment market. The senator rebutted claims from industry executives who believe that satellite radio's place in the market is not a stand alone market. Satellite radio executives claimed that if no merger happened, no new satellite radio technologies could be spearheaded.
Kohl argued that since there is no substitute product for satellite radio customers would be subject to sharp price increases should the merger occur. In 2007, the Senator pressed the Federal Communications Commission and the United States Department of Justice to investigate the merger deal on possible antitrust violations. [6]
Fiscal Cliff
Kohl voted for the fiscal cliff compromise bill, which made permanent most of the Bush tax cuts originally passed in 2001 and 2003 while also raising tax rates on the highest income levels. The bill was passed in the Senate by a 89/8 vote on January 1, 2013.[7]
Elections
2012
Kohl did not seek re-election in 2012. Rep. Tammy Baldwin defeated Tommy Thompson (R), Nimrod Allen III (I), and Joseph Kexel (L) in the general election.
2006
On November 7, 2006, Kohl won re-election to the U.S. Senate, defeating Robert Gerald Lorge (R), Ben J. Glatzel (I), and Rae Vogeler (Green).[8]
| U.S. Senate, Wisconsin, 2006 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic |  Herb Kohl Incumbent |
67.3% | 1,439,214 | |
| Republican | Robert Gerald Lorge | 29.5% | 630,299 | |
| Independent | Ben J. Glatzel | 1.2% | 25,096 | |
| Green | Rae Vogeler | 2% | 42,434 | |
| None | Scattering | 0.1% | 1,254 | |
| Total Votes | 2,138,297 | |||
Campaign donors
Kohl won re-election to the U.S. Senate in 2006. During that re-election cycle, Kohl's campaign committee raised a total of $6,089,212 and spent $5,998,097.[9]
| U.S. Senate, Wisconsin, 2006 - Herb Kohl Campaign Contributions | |
|---|---|
| Total Raised | $6,089,212 |
| Total Spent | $5,998,097 |
| Total Raised by General Election Opponent | $114,139 |
| Total Spent by General Election Opponent | $102,351 |
| Top contributors to Herb Kohl's campaign committee | |
| Herb Kohl for US Senate | $7,228 |
| RE Loewenberg Capital Management | $4,200 |
| Safety-Kleen Systems | $1,000 |
| Tudor Investment | $1,000 |
| American Academy of Nurse Practitioners | $500 |
| Top 5 industries that contributed to campaign committee | |
| Democratic/Liberal | $7,228 |
| Misc Finance | $4,200 |
| Securities & Investment | $1,000 |
| Waste Management | $1,000 |
| Lawyers/Law Firms | $500 |
Analysis
Congressional staff salaries
The website Legistorm compiles staff salary information for members of Congress. Kohl paid his congressional staff a total of $2,658,967 in 2011. He ranked 23rd on the list of the lowest paid Democratic Senatorial Staff Salaries and he ranked 60th overall of the lowest paid Senatorial Staff Salaries in 2011. Overall, Wisconsin ranked 24th in average salary for senatorial staff. The average U.S. Senate congressional staff was paid $2,529,141.70 in fiscal year 2011.[10]
Net worth
Based on congressional financial disclosure forms and calculations made available by OpenSecrets.org - The Center for Responsive Politics, Kohl's net worth as of 2010 was estimated between $88,228,026 and $258,847,994. That averages to $173,538,010, which is higher than the average net worth of Democratic Senators in 2010 of $19,383,524.[11]
National Journal vote ratings
2011
- See also: National Journal vote ratings
Each year National Journal publishes an analysis of how liberally or conservatively each member of congress voted in the previous year. Kohl ranked 36th in the liberal rankings.[12]
Political positions
Percentage voting with party
November 2011
The website Open Congress tracks how often members of Congress vote with the majority of the chamber caucus. According to the website, Kohl voted with the Democratic Party 92.0% of the time, which ranked 35 among the 51 Senate Democratic members in November 2011.[13]
Recent news
This section displays the most recent stories in a Google news search for the term Herb + Kohl + Wisconsin + Senate
- All stories may not be relevant to this page due to the nature of the search engine.
Herb Kohl News Feed
- Duke Behnke's Q&A: What is the annual budget for the offices and staff of US ... - Appleton Post Crescent
- Local students earn Kohl scholarships - Appleton Post Crescent
- Tea Party Johnson, Liberal Pocan Debate the Debt - Roll Call (blog)
- NBA's Board of Governors votes to keep the Kings in Sacramento, against ... - Yahoo! Sports (blog)
- State Roundup - Annuity Outlook Magazine
- Sen. Johnson visits Prescott High School - Pierce County Herald
- Home
- 9 States Swoon and Surge in Capitol Hill Clout - Roll Call (blog)
- RFA Announces New Communications Director - Domestic Fuel
- Harmon picks Oak Park resident as new district director - Wednesday Journal
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Personal
External links
- Social media:
- Biographies:
- Political profiles:
- Financial:
- Interest group ratings:
- Issue positions:
- Public statements:
- Voting record:
- Works by or about:
- Media appearances:
- Media coverage:
References
- ↑ Huffington Post "Wisconsin Senate Race Heats Up Amid Scott Walker Recall Effort," Accessed February 18, 2012
- ↑ Gov Track "Herbert Kohl," Accessed March 3, 2012
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Official Senate website "Biography," Accessed October 17, 2011
- ↑ Biographical Directory of the United States Congress "Herbert H. Kohl," Accessed October 17, 2011
- ↑ "Senate Judiciary Committee" List of past members (See 101st to 109th Congresses of the US)
- ↑ "Orbicast" Senator Herb Kohl opposed Sirius-XM merger, May 24, 2007
- ↑ U.S. Senate "Roll Call Vote on the Fiscal Cliff" Accessed January 4, 2013.
- ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 7, 2006"
- ↑ Open Secrets "Herb Kohl 2006 Election Cycle," Accessed November 26, 2011
- ↑ LegiStorm "Herb Kohl"
- ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Kohl, (D-Wisconsin), 2010"
- ↑ National Journal, "Searchable Vote Ratings Tables: Senate," February 23, 2012
- ↑ Open Congress "Voting With Party"
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by William Proxmire |
U.S. Senate - Wisconsin 1989-2013 |
Succeeded by Tammy Baldwin (D) |
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