109th Congress
Accomplishments in the Senate: 1993-2021
117th Congress (2021-2022)
116th Congress (2019-2020) | 115th Congress (2017-2018)
113th Congress (2013-2014) | 114th Congress (2015-2016)
112th Congress (2011-2012) | 111th Congress (2009-2010)
110th Congress (2007-2008) | 109th Congress (2005-2006)
108th Congress (2003-2004) | 107th Congress (2001-2002)
106th Congress (1999-2000) | 105th Congress (1997-1998)
104th Congress (1995-1996) | 103rd Congress (1993-1994)
109th Congress (2005-2006)
Artists’ Rights and Theft Prevention Act – Makes it illegal to create unauthorized recordings of motion pictures in a movie theater or any other public motion picture exhibition facility and post pre-released versions of movies, music, software, or other copyrighted works on the Internet. (Sponsor – S.104, introduced with Senator John Cornyn, 1/25/05. Incorporated into the Family Entertainment and Copyright Act, also cosponsored by Senator Feinstein, which was signed into law on 4/27/05 as P.L. 109-9)
Robert T. Matsui Courthouse - Designated the United States Courthouse in Sacramento, California, as the Robert T. Matsui United States Courthouse. (S.125, Cosponsored with Senator Barbara Boxer; P.L. 109-10, 4/29/05)
Ban on Energy Marketplace Manipulation – Created a broad ban on manipulation in the energy markets; a ban on traders who manipulated the natural gas or the electricity markets from ever trading in energy markets again; and provided a waiver so that California does not have to use ethanol during the summertime. (Incorporated into the Energy Policy Act of 2005; P.L. 109-58, 8/8/05)
Allowing hybrid vehicles in the HOV lanes – Amended Federal highway law to authorize a State to permit a low-emission vehicle or hybrid vehicle with fewer than two occupants to operate in high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes. (Sponsor – S.553, incorporated into the Transportation Reauthorization Bill; P.L. 109-59, 8/10/05)
Breast Cancer Research Stamp – Extended the Breast Cancer Research Stamp for another two years after it had already raised more than $60 million (as of Sept. 2006). (Sponsor – S.37; P.L. 109-100, 11/11/05)
Angel Island – Authorizes $15 million for the preservation and restoration of the Angel Island Immigration Station in San Francisco Bay, the “Ellis Island of the West,” or the entry point for over 1 million immigrants from 1910-1940. (Sponsor – S. 262; P.L. 109-119, 12/1/05)
Transference of USS Iowa to California – Transferred the USS Iowa to California for permanent donation status, allowing Stockton and other interested California communities to enter competitive bids for the battleship. (Included as part of FY’06 Defense Authorization Act; P.L. 109-163, 1/6/06)
National Parks and Recreation (P.L. 109-131, 12/20/2005)
- Golden Gate National Recreation Area – Added 4,500 acres of pristine natural land to GGNRA in San Mateo County including a 4,076 acre parcel known as the Rancho Corral de Tierra.
- Redwood National Park – Added 25,500 acres of land known as the Mill Creek property to Redwood National Park in Del Norte County. In addition to the Mill Creek property, this bill will bring about 900 acres of land within the park boundary.
- Yosemite Schools – Authorized the National Park Service to provide supplemental funding for three small schools in the Bass Lake Joint Union Elementary and Mariposa Unified School Districts, which are located in Yosemite National Park.
Reimbursing States for Incarcerating Criminal Illegal Immigrants – Authorized increased federal funding to reimburse states and local governments for the costs of incarcerating illegal criminal aliens. (Sponsored with Senator Jon Kyl, and incorporated into the Violence Against Women Act, which Senator Feinstein also co-sponsored. The bill was later incorporated into the larger Department of Justice Reauthorization Act; P.L. 109-162, 1/5/06)
Combat Meth Act – Restricted the sale of products necessary to cook methamphetamine and authorized $585 million for enforcement, training, and research into meth treatment. (Sponsor with Senator Jim Talent, incorporated into the USA-Patriot Act Reauthorization; P.L. 109-177, 3/9/06)
Reducing Crime and Terrorism at America’s Seaports Act – Increased security at our nation’s ports by making it a crime to use a vessel to smuggle terrorists or dangerous materials into the U.S., imposed stiff criminal penalties for providing false information to a federal law enforcement officer at a port or on a vessel, and doubled the sentence of anyone who fraudulently gains access to a seaport. (Cosponsor, incorporated into the USA-Patriot Act Reauthorization; P.L. 109-177, 3/9/06)
Milk Regulatory Equity Act – Closed a loophole in federal dairy policy and eliminated unfair competition for California producers and processors. The loophole previously allowed out-of-state interests to sell milk in California at prices less than they would be able to charge if there sales were in their own state. (Cosponsored with Senators Harry Reid and Jon Kyl; P.L. 109-215, 4/11/06)
Commemorative Coins to Honor San Francisco’s Old Mint – Authorized the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue up to 100,000 Five Dollar gold coins and up to 500,000 One Dollar silver coins commemorating the San Francisco Old Mint Building and its importance to California; proceeds generated from the sale of these commemorative coins will be paid to the San Francisco Museum and Historical Society for the restoration of the Old Mint Building. (Sponsor with Senators Barbara Boxer and John Ensign – S.1881; P.L. 109-230, 6/15/06)
Reauthorization of Trade Sanctions Against Burma – Renewed economic sanctions on Burma – contained in the Burmese Freedom and Democracy Act of 2003 – including the ban of all imports from that nation until it improves its record on democracy and human rights. (S.J.Res.38, Cosponsored with Senators Mitch McConnell et al; P.L. 109-251, 8/1/06)
Mt. Soledad Veteran’s Memorial – Preserved the Mt. Soledad Veterans Monument by transferring ownership of the land from the City of San Diego to the Federal government. (Originally sponsored by Representative Duncan Hunter and approved by the House of Representatives on 7/19/06. Senators Feinstein and Boxer then successfully lobbied to secure Senate approval by unanimous consent; P.L. 109-272, 8/14/06)
Dalai Lama Congressional Gold Medal – Awarded the Congressional Gold Medal to His Holiness, the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, in recognition of his advocacy of peace, tolerance, human rights, non-violence, and compassion throughout the world. (S.2784, introduced with Senator Thomas on 5/11/06; P.L. 109-287, 9/27/06)
Northern California Wilderness – Permanently protected almost 300,000 acres and preserves
over 21 miles of the Black Butte River in Northern California. (S.128, introduced with Senator Barbara Boxer alongside a companion bill by Rep. Mike Thompson, H.R.233, on 1/24/05. Passed by the Senate on 9/29/06 by Unanimous Consent)
Advanced Procurement of C-17s – Helped secure funding for the procurement of 22 new C-17 aircraft in the FY’07 Department of Defense Authorization bill. (The Senate version of the Appropriations bill had fully funded the procurement of 12 C-17 transport aircraft in the FY’07 Defense Appropriations bill, which were requested by the Pentagon, along with an additional three C-17s as part of the $50 billion “bridge fund” for combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The final Conference Report included funding for an additional seven C-17s in the bridge fund; P.L. 109-289, 9/30/06)
Criminalizing Border Tunnels – Criminalized the act of constructing or financing a tunnel or subterranean passage across an international border into the United States. There is no law currently on the books that makes it illegal to build, use, or finance such tunnels. (S. 2355, introduced with Senator Jon Kyl on 3/1/06. First approved by the Senate as part of the Senate comprehensive immigration reform package on 5/26/06. Later incorporated into the FY’07 Homeland Security Appropriations bill; P.L. 109-295, 10/4/06)
TSA Screeners Eligibility for Three Regional California Airports – Directed the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to provide screeners to 24 regional airports requesting the service of federal passenger screeners. (Senator Feinstein helped ensure that the language, which was incorporated into the FY’07 Homeland Security Appropriations bill, would apply to three California airports seeking to be federalized – the Charles M. Schulz-Sonoma County Airport, the Visalia Municipal Airport, and the Palm Springs International Airport; P.L. 109-295, 10/4/06)
Significant Negotiations:
BRAC – Worked with the Governor and other California and local officials to ensure that the brunt of base closures did not fall on California, as it did in past rounds. The BRAC Commission’s final recommendations resulted in a net loss of no more than 2,000 California jobs. The Commission also decided not to close or move the Naval Postgraduate School or the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California. (8/25/05)
Tule Lake World War II Internment Camp – Urged Interior Department to designate the Tule Lake Segregation Center site as a National Historic Landmark to honor Japanese-Americans who were interned during World War II. (Interior Secretary Gale Norton approved the designation on 2/17/06)
San Joaquin River/Friant Dam Settlement – Worked with Congressman Radanovich to develop a framework to restore the San Joaquin River in a manner that would provide water supply certainty to the Friant farmers who depend on San Joaquin River water. (9/13/06)
