William Proxmire Quotes
A collection of quotes by William Proxmire.
William Proxmire was an American politician and a long-serving Democratic senator from Wisconsin. He was born on November 11, 1915, in Lake Forest, Illinois, and later moved to Wisconsin, where he attended The Hill School and subsequently Yale University. Proxmire earned a law degree from Harvard Law School in 1938 and served in the U.S. Army during World War II.
In 1950, Proxmire was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly and served until 1952. Following a brief period working in business, he ran successfully for the U.S. Senate in 1957, winning a special election to complete the term of the late senator Joseph McCarthy. Proxmire remained in the Senate until his retirement in 1989, serving a total of nine terms.
He was known for his passionate advocacy of fiscal responsibility and his constant efforts to eliminate government waste and inefficiency. To highlight and combat excessive government spending, Proxmire established the "Golden Fleece Award," which he awarded monthly to what he deemed as the most egregious examples of wasteful expenditure. His persistent efforts in this initiative earned him a reputation as a watchdog of taxpayer dollars.
Throughout his career, Proxmire was involved in various legislative and committee assignments, including banking, science, and transportation. He notably co-sponsored the 1977 Community Reinvestment Act, which aimed to encourage banks to meet the credit needs of all communities, regardless of income levels.
Following his retirement from politics, William Proxmire continued to be active in various philanthropic endeavors until his death on December 15, 2005, in Sykesville, Maryland. His legacy as a tenacious advocate for fiscal responsibility and transparency continues to resonate in American politics.
