One quality has characterized Bill Nelson's public service - a willingness to stand up and fight for people. In the Florida Legislature, where Bill served for six years, he was a leader in education, growth management and the merit selection of judges. He sponsored a law to take on racketeering, and passed into law one of the nation's earliest statutes against computer crimes.

U.S. House of Representatives

In the U.S. House of Representatives, where Bill served for 12 years, he was a leader in the fight to balance the federal budget, and successfully fought to stop oil drilling off Florida's coast. Bill rose to the chairmanship of the Space Subcommittee of the Science, Space and Technology Committee, where he was a fierce advocate for NASA and the Florida-based space program. In the Congress, Nelson also built on his record in the Florida Legislature by authoring a federal law guarding against computer crimes.

Florida Cabinet

Bill's was elected to the Florida Cabinet in 1994 and served six years as Treasurer, Insurance Commissioner and State Fire Marshal. As Insurance Commissioner, he fought successfully against life insurance sales abuses that targeted senior citizens and minorities and chaired the board of the state's Healthy Kids program that provides health coverage to tens of thousands of previously uninsured Florida children. He also helped pass legislation that assured breast cancer patients' adequate hospital stays. And, he fought for people who most needed help by initiating a major investigation of insurers who exploited minorities by selling junk burial policies and playing a key role in forcing European insurers to honor unpaid claims from the Holocaust. Nelson continued his record as a leader in government reform by putting medical malpractice claims on the Internet so patients could review them when choosing a doctor. He was endorsed for re-election in 1998 by all of Florida's major newspapers. The St. Petersburg Times called him an "unwavering advocate." The Orlando Sentinel said he had "an impressive record" of public service. And the Tampa Tribune said he had "shown his ability to work hard, grasp complicated issues and surround himself with intelligent, ethical employees."

U.S. Senate

Since January of 2001, Bill Nelson has served Florida and the nation in the U.S. Senate, where he's been a member of the Armed Services, Foreign Relations, Budget and Commerce committees. Bill has fought consistently to strengthen the nation's defenses, and to protect Florida's role as a leading center of military operations. He led the fight to stop plans to scrap the USS Kennedy and worked to protect veterans by closing the illegal loophole that allows companies to exploit profit from unsuspecting veterans by charging outrageous interest rates for instant cash loans. Throughout his service in the Senate, Bill Nelson has consistently put Florida first, fighting relentlessly to stop off-shore oil drilling, opposing efforts to privatize Social Security and cut benefits, working for funding for health studies and clean-ups of Superfund sites around the state, and taking on the federal disaster relief agency ( FEMA ) to ensure Florida residents got the funding they needed in the wake of the hurricanes of 2004 and 2005. He has been a consistent advocate for the space program, based not only on his experience as a crew member on the shuttle but also on his commitment to human exploration of space and the new technology it yields to improve life on Earth. He has been an unswerving proponent of fiscal responsibility in Washington, advocating a balanced budget since the beginning of his Congressional career. A product of public schools, Bill supported education initiatives calling for an increase in accountability and additional public school investment. He also has been a leader in the fight to stop the government from arbitrarily seizing private property for private developments, such as shopping malls and condominiums. Time after time, Bill Nelson has taken the side of his constituents in the fight against powerful special interests and he puts Florida first everyday on the floor of the Senate.