Senator William Proxmire

William Proxmire served as a Senator from Wisconsin in the United States Congress from 1957 to 1989. A member of the Democratic Party, William Proxmire contributed to the legislative process during 6 terms in office.

William Proxmire’s service in Congress occurred during a significant period in American history. As a member of the Senate, William Proxmire participated in the democratic process and represented the interests of constituents.

Edward William Proxmire (November 11, 1915 – December 15, 2005) was an American politician. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as a United States Senator from Wisconsin from 1957 to 1989. He holds the record for being the longest-serving senator from Wisconsin. Known as a political maverick and an aggressive critic of wasteful government spending, Proxmire invented and awarded the tongue-in-cheek Golden Fleece Award to appropriations he found particularly egregious. He was a member of the Senate Banking Committee, the Senate Appropriations Committee, and the Joint Economic Committee. On the Joint Economic Committee, he exposed numerous instances of wasteful spending on military programs such as the C-5 aircraft and the F-16 fighter, as well as other government programs such as the development of a supersonic transport airplane (SST).