Contact: Brit Schiel
Brit@Sensenbrenner.org
(414) 967-9292
Brookfield, WI – Congressman F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr. (WI-05) announced today that he will retire from Congress in January, 2021, at the end of his current term.
Sensenbrenner, 76, has served in the House of Representatives for 40 years and prior to his election to Congress, served 10 years in the Wisconsin State Legislature. His district covers portions of Milwaukee, Waukesha, Dodge, and Walworth counties, and all of Jefferson and Washington counties.
“When I began my public service in 1968, I said I would know when it was time to step back. After careful consideration, I have determined at the completion of this term, my 21st term in Congress, it will be that time.
“For 40 years I have held over 100 town hall meetings each year; I have helped countless individuals when they have encountered difficulties with the federal government; I’ve taken 23,882 votes on the House Floor; been the lead sponsor or co-sponsor of 4299 pieces of legislation; ushered 768 of them through the House for passage, and watched as 217 of them have been signed into law by six different presidents.
“I think I am leaving this district, our Republican Party, and most important, our country, in a better place than when I began my service.
“It has been my privilege to serve the people of Southeast Wisconsin and I have found true fulfillment in all the challenges and many accomplishments that have peppered my long career. It is rare when life presents the perfect opportunity to make an impact in a way that has been so meaningful. I am forever grateful.
“I will have many more things to say as I serve out my final term, but I will start here by sincerely thanking, first, my family, along with my supporters, my colleagues, and my staff. The many people who have supported my career have mostly gone uncelebrated, but I will purposefully set out in the next year to say my thanks and let them know I could not have done it alone. I look forward to finishing strong and beginning my next chapter.”
Sensenbrenner has had many named accomplishments in his tenure. Most notably, he led the passage of the USA PATRIOT Act, enacted shortly after 9/11. He subsequently modernized that law with the USA FREEDOM Act in 2015. He has also worked tirelessly in his support of the Voting Rights Act; his work to reform immigration policy; protection of the rights of people with disabilities through the Americans with Disabilities Act; and his unwavering commitment to protecting the unborn. He is former Chair of both the House Committee on the Judiciary, and the House Committee on Science; he is the second most senior member of the House of Representatives; and the Dean of the Wisconsin Delegation. At the end of the present term, he will have served in Congress longer than anyone in Wisconsin’s history. He has been married to Cheryl Warren Sensenbrenner for 42 years and they have two adult sons, Frank (Margaret), and Bob (Diana), and a two- year old grandson, Kevin.
