Welcome to our weekly DC Wrap, where we write about Wisconsin’s congressional delegation. Sign up here to receive the newsletter directly: https://forms.gle/YLYZtJWHPSt24HhZ7

Quotes of the week

Recent wage gains have been offset by the prices of everyday goods skyrocketing. These price hikes are disproportionately hurting low-income Americans.
– U.S. Rep. Glenn Grothman, R-Glenbeulag, criticizing Dems for spending too much and driving inflation. 

Every part of the Badger State is going to see an improvement in our infrastructure as we put people to work fixing our roads and bridges and rebuilding our water infrastructure.
– U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Madison, praising the recently passed $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill.

This week’s `news

— U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Madison, highlighted several provisions of her Made in America Act that made it into the $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure framework. 

The legislation President Biden signed into law includes Baldwin’s language that requires new EPA drinking water infrastructure to be constructed using American made iron and steel if projects require those materials. Baldwin in a release said taxpayer dollars spent on projects should go to support American workers and American products. 

“This bipartisan infrastructure legislation will support our made in Wisconsin manufacturing economy as we put people to work and move our economy forward,” she said. “It will help make sure America is buying what Wisconsin makes, and I am proud to stand on the side of delivering results for our manufacturers and workers.”

See the release. 

— U.S. Rep. Glenn Grothman is introducing legislation to extend the public protection against small dollar predatory lending practices included in the Military Lending Act. 

The Glenbeulah Republican joined U.S. Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García, D-Ill., in introducing the Veterans and Consumers Fair Credit Act, which would extend small dollar payday and car-title 36 percent rate cap protections established in the MLA. Grothman in a release said the bill is “a great starting point to address the influx of foul play by payday lenders who seize on vulnerable borrowers.” 

“We already protect military service members under the Military Lending Act, which means that we have recognized the predatory nature of high-interest loans to our men and women in uniform,” he said. “This raises the question – if it is wrong to allow predatory lenders to target our service members, why is it right to let them target the rest of the community?”

See the Garcia release. 

— Wisconsin’s House delegation voted along party lines to censure Arizona GOP Rep. Paul Gosar following his posting of a violent video.

Wisconsin’s three Dems in a 222-208 vote censured and removed from committee assignments Gosar after he published on Twitter an animated video showing him killing New York Dem Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and threatening President Biden. Two GOP House members joined all Dems in support of the measure. 

U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Town of Vermont, in a tweet slammed Gosar’s video as a call for violence. 

“Have we learned nothing from January 6th? Rep. Gosar’s video was not funny – it was a call to arms and a violation of the oath he swore to protect,” he said. “It’s a shame it came to this and hopefully we learned our lesson that actions have consequences.”

See Pocan’s tweet.

See the roll call.

— Five Dem U.S. Senate candidates in a forum backed expanding Medicare and various labor protections related to employees’ rights to organize and collectively bargain in the workplace.

Candidates participating in the Citizen Action of Wisconsin/People’s Action virtual forum included: Wausau radiologist Dr. Gillian Battino, State Treasurer Sarah Godlewski, Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, Outagamie County Executive Tom Nelson and Alex Lasry, who’s on leave from his job with the Milwaukee Bucks.

Each supported expanding Medicare to cover all Americans and passing the Protecting the Right to Organize Act. The legislation would ban employers from bringing claims against unions that conduct secondary strikes and increase protections for those who work to enforce unfair labor protections, such as whistleblowers, among other things.

They also largely agreed on the need to address immigration, criminal justice and climate change.

See more here.

— The Wisconsin GOP had a fundraiser in Washington, D.C. that included a string of state and federal officeholders.

The invite to the event at the office of the BGR Group lobbying firm lists U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Oshkosh, and the five GOP members of the state’s congressional delegation as invited special guests.

Meanwhile, the hosts are: Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, R-Oostburg; Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester; Senate President Chris Kapenga, R-Delafield; Assembly Majority Leader Jim Steineke, R-Kaukauna; and the co-chairs of the Finance Committee, Sen. Howard Marklein, R-Spring Green, and Rep. Mark Born, R-Beaver Dam.

See more here.

— State Sen. Lena Taylor, D-Milwaukee, was in DC to participate in protests calling on President Biden to take whatever steps necessary to win passage of voting rights bills.

The No More Excuses: Voting Rights Now! protest is an effort by the League of Women Voters and People for the American Way to call for action on the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, the Freedom to Vote Act and statehood for Washington, D.C.

Taylor’s office said the trip is being paid for by those putting on the protest.

— The latest national Marquette University Law School Poll finds American adults opposed by a more than 2-to-1 margin striking down the U.S. Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion.

Meanwhile, respondents were split on whether they support a ban on abortion after 15 weeks.

The survey comes ahead of the U.S. Supreme Court hearing oral arguments Dec. 1 in a case involving a Mississippi law that would ban most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. The case is being closely watched to see if the 6-3 conservative majority reverses the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling.

The survey found 37 percent support a ruling that upholds “a state law that (except in cases of medical emergencies or fetal abnormalities) bans abortions after the 15th week of pregnancy.” Thirty-two percent would oppose such a ruling, while 30 percent said they hadn’t heard enough or didn’t have an opinion.

See more here.

— The Dem group Opportunity Wisconsin is out with a new TV ad that accuses U.S. Sen. Ron Johnnson, R-Oshkosh, of using “his office to serve himself.”

The group said it’s a seven-figure buy that will run on broadcast, cable, streaming services and digital platforms in the Green Bay, Madison, Milwaukee and Wausau markets. The group said it has now spent more than $3 million in this calendar year targeting Johnson.

See more here. 

See the ad.

Posts of the week

ICYMI

‘Here & Now’ Highlights: Dr. Susan Turney, U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore, Will Kenneally

Baldwin begins broadband funding dispersion plan

Rep. Gallagher visits unique high school diesel program

91-year-old Korean War vet who lives in Burlington named Veteran of the Year for southeastern Wisconsin

Fitzgerald: Democrats in ‘disarray’ with infrastructure bill

Capitol Notes: Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson soon to announce whether he’ll seek a third term

 

Print Friendly, PDF & Email